Content
You can water onions with cold water only at the beginning of the growing season. This is acceptable if the purpose of cultivation is greens. In other cases, the conditions of agricultural technology must be observed. The temperature of the liquid should be at least 5 degrees higher than that of the soil.
What kind of water to pour onions: cold or warm
Onions are not heat-loving plants, so they are not as demanding on irrigation temperature as cucumbers or tomatoes. Cold water can be used in early spring when growing leeks. This will be a natural hardening for the plant.
Before the procedure, it is recommended to stand and drain the water from sediment so that lime and undesirable minerals do not get into the soil.
Other varieties absolutely do not tolerate cool water. To get a good harvest from the initial stage of planting the seeds and before harvesting, you need to water in compliance with the condition - the temperature of the liquid should be at 50 higher than the soil index. Accordingly, the more the soil warms up, the warmer the water. Tap water can be used to moisten the row spacing.
For this reason, do not water onions with cold water from a hose using an artesian well. Its temperature threshold is too low even in summer. If you plan to take from this source, then special filters are installed to prevent an excess of minerals in the irrigated soil. Before using the container, fill it and warm it in the sun.
You can use tap water, it is not so cold; water the onion bed early in the morning (the soil will cool down overnight), but this cannot be done in hot weather. During the day in sunny weather the procedure will not be effective. Most of the moisture will evaporate before it is absorbed by the soil.
The temperature contrast will have a detrimental effect on the vegetation of green mass. The greenhouse effect in the soil can cause the bulb itself to rot. You can water it occasionally. If the bed is mulched, then the flow of moisture to the root system will be gradual. During this time, the temperature of the liquid will rise.
What happens if you water it with cold water?
Failure to comply with the temperature regime will slow down the absorption of mineral substances necessary for onions; they dissolve poorly at temperatures below +17 0C. The absorption of cold water will be insufficient for a full growing season.
During the watering process itself (especially in summer), the onion is exposed to stress. Resistance to infectious infection decreases, the crop is affected by powdery mildew, root threads die off, and such zeal will not produce a good harvest. If you often use insufficiently heated water, the capillaries inside the cell are destroyed, and vegetation slows down or stops altogether.
Root and sprinkling irrigation is suitable for onions.
In general, watering green onions with cold water leads to the following consequences:
- Stress caused by contrasting temperatures disrupts natural biological processes and slows down vegetation.
- Microorganisms in the soil that process plant residues, providing the stump with full growth, cease to perform their functions at low temperatures.
- When watered with cold water, worms leave the garden bed; this factor negatively affects the plant; the bulbs experience a deficiency of nitrogen and oxygen and stop growing.
- Violations at the cellular level lead to rotting of the root system. The above-ground mass turns yellow, a fungus develops, and if you do not stop watering with cold water, the plant will die.
Recommendations
To achieve a good increase in green mass and obtain a harvest of large bulbs, it is necessary to observe a number of conditions for irrigating the crop:
- Use warm, settled water; cold water can only be used between the rows.
- Maintain balance. The soil should not be dry or waterlogged. During the dry season, one procedure every five days will be enough.
- When using a hose, it must be equipped with a special nozzle for spraying; a strong flow pressure is not used to irrigate onions.
- The frequency of the procedure is based not only on weather conditions. At the beginning of the growing season, onions require more moisture; there is sufficient rainfall before harvesting.
Watering at the root or by sprinkling is not a relevant choice for onions. Watering is carried out in the morning or evening hours. During hot days in sunny weather, the procedure is not recommended.
Conclusion
Watering onions with cold water is possible in rare cases if the bed is mulched or the flow is directed towards the row spacing.For a full growing season, a liquid temperature of at least +18 is required.0 C and not higher than +230 C. If this condition is not met, there is a risk of damage to the crop by pests and infections.
