Content
- 1 Why do you need to follow the rules of crop rotation?
- 2 What can you plant after onions?
- 2.1 What can be planted after onions: table
- 2.2 Is it possible to plant strawberries after onions?
- 2.3 Is it possible to plant cucumbers and tomatoes after onions?
- 2.4 Is it possible to plant carrots and beets after onions?
- 2.5 Is it possible to plant garlic after onions?
- 2.6 Is it possible to plant pumpkin and cabbage?
- 3 What not to plant after onions
- 4 Conclusion
Many gardeners do not particularly bother with choosing a place for sowing and planting the main vegetables they grow. And even those who have heard about desirable crop rotation in garden conditions often simply change the contents of the beds, without particularly thinking about the meaning of their actions. But a positive effect from random actions may not be obtained at all, while a conscious choice of a particular garden crop can help increase its productivity without the use of artificial fertilizers and do without chemical treatments against pests or diseases. For example, after onions, you can plant almost any garden crop next year, which cannot be said about many other herbs or vegetables.
Why do you need to follow the rules of crop rotation?
Growing the same plants in one place for several years has a big impact on the soil.
- The most obvious thing is that the roots of any plants loosen the soil at different depths, and can even compact it.
- By absorbing a different set of nutrients, the roots change the chemical composition of the soil and are even able to influence the pH of the soil liquid, acidifying or, conversely, alkalizing the soil.
- As plants grow and develop, they can attract a variety of parasites, the larvae and spores of which remain in the ground after harvest.
- Plants release a wide variety of organic substances into the soil, the effects of which can be positive, neutral, and even toxic to other representatives of the plant kingdom.
It is for this reason that it is not recommended to plant plants of the same genus or even belonging to the same family in one place in a row.
On the other hand, diseases and pests remaining in the soil can have a negative impact specifically on crops from the same family. While other vegetables will be immune to their influence. And in a few years they will leave on their own, not finding a suitable food supply for their existence.
Growing the same crops in the same place, or even those belonging to the same family, necessitates mandatory additional feedings and treatments, otherwise you can completely forget about yield.
Since ancient times, so much knowledge has been accumulated on the interaction and influence of plants on each other that not everyone is able to keep all this information in their heads. The most basic principle of crop rotation is to alternate the so-called tops with roots.That is, plants in which a person uses mainly their above-ground part (cucumbers, lettuce, cabbage, tomatoes) with root vegetables (carrots, beets, potatoes). Onions in this sense are a universal plant, since both the above-ground part (feather) and the bulb growing underground are equally suitable for food. This means that after onions, you can plant almost any vegetable or herb the next year.
It is also customary to alternate crops with a powerful and deep root system (beans, carrots, tomatoes, pumpkin, beans, cabbage) with those vegetables whose roots are located at a shallow depth (melon, onions, radishes, head lettuce, spinach, peas).
The ripening time of individual vegetables also matters. After all, if some late-ripening vegetable ripened in the garden bed until the frost, then the soil may simply not have time to rest by the next planting season. In this case, either leave this bed fallow or sow some fast-growing green manure, such as mustard, which can quickly improve the quality of the soil.
But some crops that are susceptible to the invasion of “their” diseases and pests are not recommended to be returned to their original place of growth earlier than after 4-5 years. So that during this time the earth has time to clear itself of harmful spores and larvae.
In order to constantly monitor the places and timing of growing certain crops in the beds, experienced gardeners recommend keeping regular records with planting patterns. Thus, you can not only control existing patterns, but even with careful observation, derive your own laws of the influence of certain cultures on their followers.
What can you plant after onions?
Onions can easily be considered one of the most popular vegetables grown in gardens. Although its perennial green forms are more likely to be classified as herbs and spices. There are many varieties of onions, each of which has its own growing characteristics. But all onions have one thing in common - amazing healing bactericidal properties, which are widely used by people to this day. It was its bactericidal properties that created a real miracle in gardens - after onions, almost all planted plants feel excellent in the beds.
Onion itself is a crop that is moderately demanding in terms of nutrients. After onions, a significant amount of organic matter always remains in the ground, and the soil itself acquires a slightly alkaline reaction. Most of all, it takes nitrogen from the soil, but phosphorus and calcium remain in reasonable quantities. Therefore, after onions, crops that require a slightly alkaline soil reaction and the presence of phosphorus and calcium (cabbage, cucumbers, tomatoes, beets, carrots) will grow best.
For other crops, the most important will be its bactericidal and soil disinfecting properties (strawberries).
What can be planted after onions: table
The table below discusses not only the options for what can or cannot be planted after onions, but also the most favorable, neutral and unfavorable predecessors and successors for other garden crops.
Is it possible to plant strawberries after onions?
Many novice gardeners and gardeners are most perplexed about whether it is possible to plant strawberries after onions.Perhaps they think that the harsh phytoncides secreted by all parts of the onion can have an adverse effect on the sweetness and aroma of strawberries. But everything happens exactly the opposite. After onions, the soil is completely freed from those pathogenic bacteria that can be dangerous for the development of strawberries. And slightly alkaline, moderately fertilized soil is ideal for its growth.
Is it possible to plant cucumbers and tomatoes after onions?
For cucumbers, onions are considered the best predecessor, since these delicate representatives of the pumpkin plant do not tolerate acidic soils.
And when planting tomatoes and eggplants, soil disinfection will also play an additional role.
Is it possible to plant carrots and beets after onions?
The beneficial mutual influence of onions and carrots has been known since ancient times. Beets are capable of releasing not very useful substances into the soil, but they themselves feel excellent when planted after onions.
Is it possible to plant garlic after onions?
But with garlic, things are not at all as simple as with other crops. After all, they and onions belong to the same family, which means they are sensitive to the same diseases accumulated in the soil.
Therefore, it is definitely not recommended to plant garlic after onions.
Is it possible to plant pumpkin and cabbage?
Onions have excellent compatibility with both those and other vegetables. Pumpkins will definitely like to grow after onions, and for any members of the cabbage family (rutabaga, mustard, radishes, turnips, radishes) all varieties of onions are excellent predecessors.
What not to plant after onions
It is precisely because of all of the above that it is not recommended to plant only onions and garlic after onions.Moreover, there is one exception to this rule. Leeks can be grown in one place for several years without noticeable losses in the yield and appearance of the vegetable.
For other vegetable crops there are no restrictions on planting after onions. But next year they try not to plant greens and various bulbous flowers (hazel grouse, tulips, daffodils and others) in this place.
If you want to quickly get rid of harmful influences, the beds are sown with green manure (rye, lupine, marigolds, mustard), which can put the land in order in the shortest possible time.
Conclusion
After onions, you can plant almost anything the next year except those plants that belong to the same family. For the rest, onions will bring considerable benefits and will contribute to their favorable development.