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“My grandfather planted a turnip before winter. And the turnip grew big, very big...” No, this article is not about turnips, but about onions, which avid gardeners prefer to plant in the fall. And most of them note that onions planted before winter differ significantly in size from crops planted in spring. Not many people dare to undertake such experiments, preferring traditional spring planting. The only reason for concern is the low frost resistance of onions compared to garlic. Planting onions on turnips before winter is not much different from spring, but there are some differences and nuances that are best known in advance. Indeed, if the rules and planting deadlines are not followed, the result can be disastrous in the most literal sense.
In autumn or still in spring
Ten to fifteen years ago, the question “Is it possible to plant onions in the fall?” Any gardener would answer you unequivocally “No.” But there are problems that almost everyone faces - shooting onions and low yields. Sometimes, even with proper care and compliance with all the rules, the bulbs grow small or are poorly stored.
So what is the advantage of pre-winter planting onions?
- The first and, perhaps, most important thing is saving precious time in the spring. The busy schedule of work in the garden for the spring is scheduled literally to the minute.
- Early harvesting is also a big plus in favor of planting onions on turnips before winter. Winter onions ripen a month earlier than those traditionally planted in spring. In July, there is not much work on the beds and you can slowly collect, dry and store the grown crop.
- Winter onions are more resistant to damage by onion flies. And the reason here lies in the fact that by the time the pest becomes active and lays larvae, the winter onion is already quite strong. But spring plantings, still tender and immature, are an excellent place for this pest to breed.
- The beds vacated in July can be sown with early ripening vegetables or herbs. Thus, you will harvest from one bed twice a year.
- Winter onions are stored very well.
- The size of the bulbs also matters. Since the first shoots appear immediately after the snow melts, onions planted before winter have much more time to grow.
- At autumn planting of onions You can avoid additional hassle with storing seed. In most cases, saving seedlings until spring is very difficult. Over such a long period it simply dries out.
- The economic component should not be excluded either. The cost of vegetables during the period when last year’s harvest has been sold and there is no new one yet, soars 3-5 times. And seeding material costs much less in the fall than in the spring. The benefit, as they say, is obvious.
As you can see, there are many advantages.But, unfortunately, there are also disadvantages. Or rather, one. These are unpredictable weather conditions. The weather can bring surprises both in the fall in the form of early snow or long Indian summers, and in the spring in the form of frosts and prolonged rains.
Autumn planting dates
If you nevertheless decide to plant onions on turnips before winter, then the question is: “when to plant?” will be very relevant. After all, planting time is limited, and there is still a lot of work to be done before frost.
At planting onions in autumn The following factors need to be taken into account:
- The bulbs will need at least 3-4 weeks to take root. So you need to have time to complete all the work at least a month before stable frosts.
- Climatic features of the growing region.
- Ambient temperature.
There is no need to rush into planting. Onions planted ahead of schedule can sprout in the fall and you can say goodbye to the harvest. But it is also undesirable to delay it. Unrooted bulbs may freeze.
In the middle zone, winter onions can be planted until the end of October, but in the Urals and Siberia it is advisable to finish the work in the middle of the month. In the south of Russia, the work schedule may shift by two weeks, or even a month. In the southern regions, the optimal period when onions are planted before winter occurs only in mid-November.
Residents of northern regions with harsh winters should prepare for the fact that their plantings will need to be well insulated. And even in this case, it is difficult to guarantee a 100% result - if the temperature drops below -40˚С -45˚С, the seedlings may freeze.
When determining the optimal planting time, experienced gardeners focus on the ambient temperature.The best indicator is +5˚С. If the thermometer stays stably at this mark for several days, then the time has come when you need to plant onions on turnips before winter.
Preparation of seed material
The success of any event, as well as productivity, greatly depends on the selection and preparation of seed. Therefore, you need to approach this matter with a greater degree of responsibility.
What varieties of onions are suitable for autumn planting?
To grow winter onions, you need to select varieties with the following characteristics:
- High frost resistance;
- Long shelf life and good keeping quality;
- Resistance to shooting;
- High yield;
- Disease resistance.
Separately, the following varieties of onions have these advantages: Muzona, Panther F1, Tamara F1, Black Prince, Sibirsky Odnoletniy, Arzamassky, Bessonovsky and others.
But even among the most popular varieties, there is hardly one that will contain all the qualities. Therefore, the best option for pre-winter planting of onions would be to choose seeding material that is zoned. It has already been adapted to local climatic conditions and there will not be much trouble with it.
Planting material is divided into:
- Oatmeal (bulb diameter less than 1 cm);
- Sets (from 1 to 3 cm in diameter);
- Sample (more than 3 cm in diameter).
The largest specimens can be planted for greenery. When planting onions before winter, they shoot very often when warm days come.
But for turnips, oddly enough, you need to select the smallest onions. Even the smallest wild oat will give a good harvest of onions.
Preparing the onions
Before planting, the seed must be carefully calibrated. Select the smallest specimens, discarding the affected and diseased ones. Don't neglect calibration. Otherwise, part of the onion will go into the arrow, and your beds will look very unattractive: somewhere empty, somewhere dense.
Unlike spring planting, there is no need to cut off the tops (or necks) of the sets, otherwise all the planting material will be ruined.
It is also not recommended to soak the bulbs before planting. In the event of unexpected frosts, the wet onion will definitely freeze, and all your work will go down the drain.
Soil preparation
When choosing the ideal place for planting, you need to focus not only on lighting. Considering that you plant onions for turnips before winter, the best option would be that part of the garden where the snow melts very early in the spring.
Interesting! Onion lovers will do well to know that it is very easy to get rid of bad breath after eating it - just eat 1-2 sprigs of parsley or several walnut kernels, and the specific smell will disappear.
There should be no stagnation of moisture in the place intended for the onion bed. Otherwise, during the spring thaw, all planting material will inevitably die. To prevent this from happening, the beds can be raised by 20-25 cm.
The soil should be loose. Onion crops grow very poorly on clay soil and the yield is most often low. If loamy soils prevail on your site, do not forget to dilute them with rotted manure or compost during the digging process. You can add a small amount of sand to the soil. Fresh manure cannot be used when planting onions before winter.
Don't forget about the acidity of the soil.Too acidic soil must be deoxidized before planting by adding dolomite flour or charcoal when digging.
If the soil on your site is poor and not fertile, apply potassium-phosphorus fertilizers immediately before digging. Leave the bed alone for 5-7 days and only then start planting onions on the turnips.
Predecessors for the bow
When choosing a suitable place for planting onions before winter on turnips, pay attention to what crop was previously grown in this area. Often, even if all the rules of agricultural technology are observed, the yield, alas, is not encouraging. And all because many do not take into account this important factor.
Good yields are obtained by planting onions on turnips after the following vegetable crops:
- Cabbage of any kind;
- Cucumbers;
- Salad;
- Tomatoes;
- Early potatoes;
- Green manure: mustard, rapeseed, phacelia;
- Radish;
- Legumes.
It is not advisable to plant onions after:
- Parsley;
- Radishes;
- Carrots;
- Celery.
After garlic, it is not advisable to plant onions for 3-4 years.
You can plant onions after onions, but no more than two years in a row. Subsequently, it will be possible to plant onions in this place no earlier than after 4 years.
Landing rules
The rules for planting winter onions before winter are not much different from spring work.
- Level the area so that melt water does not stagnate on it in the spring. Onions do not like excessive moisture.
- At a distance of 20-25 cm, make grooves 5-7 cm deep.
- Place the small seedlings in the furrows. The distance between the bulbs should be at least 5-7 cm.
- Fill the grooves with soil, lightly compact them and carefully level the bed again.
It is advisable to plant onions in dry weather. The soil should be moist but not wet.
During planting, please note that the neck of the bulb should be at least 1.5-2 cm below the surface level. That is, the tops of the bulbs should not peek out of the ground.
Please note that when planting onions on turnips before winter, you do not need to water the beds. Only if there is no rain for 7-10 days, you can lightly moisten the area.
Aftercare
The frost resistance of onions is much lower than that of garlic. And since, according to the rules, it needs to be planted shallowly, the risk of freezing is very high. Therefore, it is necessary to protect the plantings from frost. At the first frost, onion beds should be covered.
You should not cover the onions too early, as this can provoke active growth of feathers, and in this case there is also a risk of damping off.
You can use the following as mulch:
- Lapnik is the most ideal option;
- Straw;
- Dry leaves;
- Dry sawdust;
- Peat.
Now all you have to do is monitor the weather conditions. If winter precipitation in the form of snow is expected to be scanty, additionally cover the onion beds with lutrasil or film. It is advisable to cover them with a snow blanket after a snowfall. In a snowy winter, such events may not be held in the central regions. But in areas with harsh winters, additional cover of the beds with snow cannot be avoided.
Spring work
In the spring, with the first signs of a thaw, you need to open the beds with winter onions gradually, layer by layer, freeing the plantings from cover. First, remove excess snow. After 2-3 days, as soon as the soil warms up, remove the film. After a few more days, remove the mulch layer from the onion bed.
If there is still a chance of frost, do not rush to remove the entire mulch layer at once.
In the spring you will have to carry out the following types of work:
- Regular loosening and weeding;
- Thinning - if the onion plantings are too thick;
- Water as needed. You need to stop watering a month before harvest;
- Feeding;
- Planting calendula or marigolds along the edges of the bed. This event will protect the crop from the onion fly.
Onions planted on turnips before winter ripen a month earlier than crops planted in spring.
The author of the video will tell you about the advantages and rules of pre-winter planting onions on turnips:
Conclusion
There is nothing complicated about growing onions for turnips before winter. If you are a supporter of traditional growing methods and are afraid of innovation, then plant a small bed as an experiment. Perhaps this event will help you free up some of your precious time, the lack of which is so acute during the spring planting period.
