Content
No housewife can do without onions in the kitchen. That is why many gardeners try to grow it in large quantities in their garden plots during the summer season. The crop is unpretentious and can grow even on relatively poor soils, while feeding onions significantly increases the yield of vegetables, which allows you not only to use the product during the season, but also to stock it for the whole winter. How to feed onions correctly and in a timely manner will be discussed in this article.
Minerals for vegetables
Onions are picky about soil composition. For the growth of its heads, a complex of minerals is required, especially nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. In this case, the need for one or another microelement arises at a certain stage of crop cultivation. Thus, phosphorus is necessary for bulbs from the moment of planting until full ripening; nitrogen is important during the active growth of turnips at the initial stage of the growing season. Potassium promotes the formation of a dense, mature bulb, which is why fertilizers with this mineral for feeding onions on turnips are used at a late stage of cultivation.
Timely feeding
Proper feeding of onions involves repeated application of various organic or mineral fertilizers to the soil in small quantities. The choice of fertilizing depends on the stage of the plant's growing season. On average, gardeners feed onions 3-4 times per season. In this case, fertilizers are applied to the soil for the first time in the fall, before the seed is planted in the soil. In the spring-summer season, onions are fertilized according to a certain schedule.
Autumn soil preparation
Nutritious soil is the basis for growing a rich harvest of onions. You can increase soil fertility by adding organic matter. It is recommended to add manure to the soil during autumn digging. The rate of application of this substance depends on the initial state and composition of the soil. If clay predominates on the site, then for every 1 m2 soil, you need to add 5 kg of peat, humus or manure in the same quantity, as well as river sand in an amount of at least 10 kg. This will make the soil looser, lighter, and more nutritious.
When growing onions on loams, sandy soils and black soil, you should also not neglect organic fertilizers. In autumn, 5 kg of peat and 3 kg of manure (humus) should be added to such soils. This is quite enough to renew the earth's resources after fruiting in the previous season.
It is worth noting that it is not rational to add minerals to the soil in the fall, since they are largely washed away by melt water and do not bring significant benefits to plants.If necessary, when it was not possible to prepare the soil in advance, when planting seedlings in the ground, you can add some mineral fertilizers: per 1 m2 earth 1 tsp. urea and 2 tbsp. l. superphosphate.
First feeding in spring
Onions are usually planted in the soil with the arrival of warmth, in early spring. This will allow the heads to gain the necessary strength to resist pests and start feathering early. Some crop varieties are even intended for sowing before winter. One way or another, the first feeding of onions must be done in the spring, at a time when the length of the feather is approximately 3-4 cm.
To feed onions in the spring, various types of fertilizers are used, for example:
- Slurry is a well-known and frequently used natural organic fertilizer. You can prepare fertilizer from it by stirring 1 tbsp. substances in 10 liters of water.
- In the absence of organic matter, ready-made mineral complexes, for example “Vegeta”, can be used to feed onions;
- You can get the mineral complex yourself by adding 30 g of ammonium nitrate, 20 g of potassium chloride and 40 g of simple superphosphate to a bucket of water. The last of the listed ingredients is added to the water a day before the intended feeding of the plants, since superphosphate dissolves slowly.
Thus, spring feeding of onions is aimed at applying fertilizers with a high nitrogen content. This microelement will allow the plant to activate its growth, increase the volume of green feathers, and grow the bulb.
Second feeding
The second feeding of onions on turnips also occurs in late spring or early summer, depending on the time of sowing the sets. Experts recommend carrying it out approximately 30-35 days from the day of the first feeding. For this you can use:
- Ready-made complex fertilizer “Agricola-2”;
- Mineral mixture. It is prepared by adding 30 g of potassium chloride and ammonium nitrate in the same quantity to a bucket of water. The required amount of superphosphate in this mixture is 60 g. After dissolving all the minerals, the gardener will receive a working mixture, which can be further diluted with water and used to water onions 2 m2 soil;
- Among organic fertilizers, for the second feeding of onions on the head, you should use a herbal infusion. It is prepared by soaking crushed weeds in water. To improve fermentation, the infusion is placed under pressure for several days. After preparing the infusion, the herbs are diluted with water until a light brown liquid is obtained.
The listed fertilizers are the optimal means for feeding onions at the stage of active head formation. At the same time, they can be replaced with other complex fertilizers or fertilizers prepared according to folk recipes.
Final stage
The third, final feeding of the onion must be carried out at a time when its head has reached a diameter of 4-5 cm. At this stage, substances with a large amount of nitrogen cannot be used, since they can activate the growth of the bulbs and will not allow the vegetables to ripen in a timely manner. The best fertilizers for onions at this time are:
- A mixture of superphosphate and potassium chloride. These minerals are added to 10 liters of water in amounts of 30 and 60 g, respectively.The solution is used to water plants at a depth of 5 m2 soil;
- The product "Effecton-O" is used to feed onions. However, it does not fully contain the necessary phosphorus, so it must be supplemented with superphosphate. For 10 liters of water 2 tbsp. l. drug and 1 tbsp. l. phosphorus fertilizer;
- A large amount of phosphorus and potassium is contained in the ash. This substance can be regularly used to feed onions. Wood ash is sprinkled on the surface of the soil or an infusion is prepared from it. To do this, add 250 g of the substance to 10 liters of boiling water. The solution must be infused for 3-4 days, after which it must be further diluted with water 1:1 and used for watering plants.
Before using any fertilizer, it is necessary to analyze the condition of the onions. With the active growth of its heads and the presence of lush green feathers, some feeding can be skipped. However, you should not completely deprive vegetables of micronutrients. This will not only slow down the growth of turnips and reduce yields, but will also contribute to the development of diseases.
Important points
Onion fertilizers undoubtedly benefit plants, however, their use should always be considered. So, when deciding to use fertilizers, you need to remember:
- fresh manure is unacceptable for onions, it provokes the development of diseases and can become a source of weeds and harmful insects;
- an increased concentration of nitrogen in the soil causes increased growth of green feathers and slows down the growth of turnips;
- the dose of mineral fertilizers when feeding onion sets cannot be exceeded, as this contributes to the accumulation of nitrates in its heads;
- when fertilizing onions, it is necessary to prevent fertilizer from getting on the surface of the feathers, otherwise the greens must be thoroughly rinsed with clean water;
- all necessary minerals must be added in combination, since the lack of one of them can negatively affect the absorption of other substances;
- fertilizers are better absorbed if they are applied after abundant watering;
- In rainy weather, mineral dry mixtures can simply be scattered over the surface of the soil and sealed by loosening them to a depth of 3-5 cm.
By adhering to these simple rules, every gardener will be able to grow not only a bountiful, but also a healthy harvest of vegetables.
Folk recipes
All the types of fertilizers listed above are traditional. They are often used by gardeners not only for feeding onions, but also other vegetable crops. However, there are some other types of fertilizing onions for turnips. For example, baker's yeast or ammonia are often used.
Double exposure to ammonia
Ammonia is a source of nitrogen, which allows it to be used for feeding onions at the initial stages of the growing season and in case of a lack of this microelement. The main symptoms of nitrogen deficiency are yellowing of feathers and slow growth of the head.
You can prepare fertilizer with ammonia by adding 3 tbsp. l. of this substance into a bucket of water. It is necessary to water the onion with this product at the root, since it can harm the green feathers. You can learn more about ammonia fertilizer from the video:
Baker's yeast
This product is capable of not only saturating the soil with oxygen, but also activating the vital processes of beneficial microflora that are found in the soil. Under the influence of yeast, organic substances decompose better, and the onion itself receives all the necessary complex of minerals.
Yeast supplements should be used with the arrival of heat, because the fermentation process takes place only at a relatively high soil temperature. To prepare the fertilizer, dissolve 1 kg of fresh product in 5 liters of water. To improve fermentation, add sugar or jam. You can increase the concentration of phosphorus and potassium in yeast fertilizer using wood ash (500 ml per bucket of solution). During active fermentation, the fertilizer is diluted with clean, warm water 1:2, after which it is used to water the onions.
A clear example of preparing yeast nutrition can be seen in the video:
Conclusion
These folk remedies allow you to effectively fertilize plants using simple, improvised methods and obtain a decent harvest of vegetables.
Onions can be grown in any garden, however, this requires some effort. Timely proper fertilizing in combination with abundant regular watering in this sense is the basis of the entire cultivation process. By adding certain minerals, the gardener can independently regulate the abundance of green feathers or turnips and speed up the process of ripening vegetables. Thus, fertilizers are an important tool that should be in the hands of a competent farmer.
