Content
It is recommended to soak onions before planting. Gardeners' recommendations vary in composition and method. Most often, a soda solution is used for processing. According to agricultural technicians, onions should be soaked in soda before planting in order to create favorable conditions for its growth and preservation of the crop.
Soaking in alkaline solutions prevents diseases typical of garden crops
Do I need to soak?
Soaking planting material in a soda composition is aimed at improving the quality of the vegetable crop. Baking soda acts on the plant as an effective antiseptic and powerful fungicide. It has been noticed that onions processed in this way:
- sprouts faster and develops well;
- is resistant to infectious diseases and pests;
- It has a high level of savings during crop storage.
The main requirement when soaking onions in soda before planting is compliance with the specified proportions and temperature conditions. Otherwise, the seed material can be ruined.
What soda to use
Baking soda, which is a chemical substance sodium bicarbonate, is in the kitchen of any housewife.Traditionally the powder is used as a baking additive and cleaning agent. In gardening, soda is used not only for soaking planting material, but also to reduce the acidity level of the soil, and replaces dolomite flour and wood ash. Baking soda is safe to use and does not require special precautions.
Another type of soda, soda ash or technical soda, is a hazardous chemical. In gardening, soda ash solutions are used to kill weeds and control populations of harmful insects. When processing food grade, the use of protective equipment is not required. While when interacting with soda ash, it is necessary to use gloves to protect the skin of the hands and a multi-layer medical mask to protect the respiratory system.
The packaging of baking soda is marked E500 - the generally accepted designation for sodium bicarbonate
Which onions are suitable for soaking in soda
Healthy onion sets are suitable for soaking in a baking soda solution and further planting. You can sort out non-viable bulbs by partially removing the top husk. Darkened, soft, and especially slimy planting material will not develop, so it should be discarded at the stage of preparation for soaking.
How to treat onions with soda
If onions are properly treated with soda before planting, you can get an excellent harvest. In addition, soaked sets produce strong, healthy turnips.
How to soak onion sets in soda before planting
There are various recommendations on the Internet for preparing working personnel. The most popular recipe for soda solution among gardeners is:
- 1 teaspoon sodium bicarbonate;
- 1 liter of water at a temperature of 45-60 °C.
Soda is diluted in warm water until completely dissolved. The onion is soaked in the mixture for 30 minutes. To prevent the liquid from cooling down, the container with the soaked onions should be wrapped in a thick blanket. Exposure to temperature and chemicals causes hormonal stress in the plant. Thanks to this, the protective forces of the plant organism are mobilized and immunity is increased.
Soaking onion sets in baking soda prevents them from bolting and increases the yield of greens.
Treating onions with soda in the garden
Baking soda is used not only for pre-soaking onions. The chemical is also used to reduce soil acidity in garden beds. Land with a high pH level is considered an unfavorable environment, as pathogenic microflora and weeds develop in it.
Agricultural technicians offer two ways to use an alkaline product:
- In dry form for sprinkling on acidified areas.
- In the form of a solution, for the preparation of which 100 g of sodium bicarbonate is diluted in 1 liter of water.
The liquid is used to water the soil after loosening is completed before planting onions. For the procedure to be beneficial, it is important to follow the established recipe. A concentrated solution can cause significant harm to garden crops.
A solution of baking soda is also used for preventive treatment of cultivated plants. The spray liquid is prepared by dissolving 1 tablespoon of sodium bicarbonate in 2 liters of water. Spraying of the composition is carried out using a special device - a spray gun.
In order to prevent the appearance of powdery mildew and aphids, onions are irrigated every two weeks. It is recommended to spray beds with vegetable crops in the morning and evening hours. Irrigation during the day can cause burns to onion plantings.
Exceeding the recommended spraying frequency leads to damage to the plantings
Conclusion
The need to soak onions in soda before planting is confirmed by many years of experience in gardening. The procedure reduces the risk of plants being damaged by diseases and insect pests and helps neutralize the acidity of the soil. Preventive spraying of plantings is generally aimed at maintaining the health of the garden crop and increasing its productivity.
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