What to choose for processing onions before planting in the ground
Processing onions before planting is a very important stage that helps protect the vegetable from harmful organisms, diseases, and also improve germination. Most gardeners and producer farmers ignore this point, and as a result, a certain part of the crop is lost.
Processing onions before planting
Today there are many ways in which you can process the garden and seeds, each of them has its own purpose. Alternatively, some prevent the process of early decay, the latter prevent the bulbs from firing arrows, and others are great as defenders from pests. If in the spring the gardener makes every effort, then at the end of summer and in the fall he will be able to get the desired result.
Tasks and basic processing methods
How to process onions before planting? Is it necessary to process only bulbs or seeds too? These questions are often asked by inexperienced people who are just starting to grow vegetables. If the pre-boarding instruction is followed correctly, you can achieve the following results:
- improve onion growth;
- increase the level of germination;
- protect the onion from powdery mildew and the subsequent decay process;
- increase the level of productivity;
- prevent pests from eating bulbs.
Another really important point before planting is seed preparation. When the gardener did not grow them on his own, but bought them on the market, there is no maximum guarantee of quality. To achieve the previously indicated goals, you can use the basic methods of onion processing, which are:
- steaming;
- sorting;
- soaking in water, saline or antiseptic solution.
- additional treatment with specialized growth stimulants.
Do not forget that planting seeds of family or onions requires proper selection and careful tillage. For the earth, you can use the same solutions with which the onion seeds were soaked. Timely fertilization increases yield levels.
Steaming and sorting
Before planting the onions in the garden in the spring, the seeds are sorted. If among them there are bulbs even with minimal signs of rotting, they must be selected from good seeds. Too large or very small onion heads or blackened turnips will be unsuitable for planting in a garden.
The gardener will do the right thing if he sorts the seeds by size before planting. Initially, the largest bulbs are planted in the soil, then medium ones and only then small ones. This planting option greatly facilitates the subsequent care of the plants for the gardener.
Why is onion warming for planting performed? This action sets itself certain goals. High temperature background significantly affects harmful microorganisms. Also, if you process the bow in this way, it will give a feather much faster, but the arrows are not formed so quickly.
The following methods are used for warming up:
- Place onion seeds in a glass dish and heat them in a conventional microwave oven. For this, the average power is selected and a timer is set for 1.5-2 minutes.
- Another option provides for heating for 6-8 hours at a temperature of 35-40 ° C. This method prevents powdery mildew disease after the onion seeds are planted in the ground.
- Storage of onions on a turnip should be carried out at a temperature of 17-20 ° C, but there is one negative side: they can begin to germinate.
- Onion heads can be heated at temperatures between 30 and 35 ° C. If the bulb is small, then 10 days is enough, if the bulb is large - 13-15.
Gardeners also practice such a heating method as soaking:
- Short - the seeds are initially soaked in hot water (temperature 65-70 ° C) for 1 - 2 minutes, then transferred to cold water for the same time.
- You can also soak in warm water (45-50 ° C) for 15 minutes and repeat the same with cold water.
The last few methods allow the seeds to be hardened, making them more resistant to the most difficult and unfavorable environmental conditions. Planting such an onion will allow the gardener to get good greens and large onions. In addition, heating prevents the formation of arrows.
There is a lot of writing on the Internet that if the seeds are treated with baking soda, shooting will be prevented. According to professional gardeners, this is incorrect advice, since this property of a root crop is determined by the temperature regime of storage of seed onions before planting. And the lower it is, the faster the arrows will develop.
Preventive measures against the development of diseases
Before soaking the seedlings in antiseptic solutions and planting them in the ground, you need to cut off the dried ends. Why is this procedure necessary? This will make it possible to penetrate between the small scales of the onion root. If this procedure is carried out inaccurately or incompletely, then you should not expect positive results. To process onions before planting in the ground, use a specialized solution. Each of them has its own strengths and weaknesses. Experienced growers are familiar with the main diseases of onions, so they use the most optimal method of cultivating seeds and land. The following substances are mainly used:
- saltpeter;
- potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate);
- sodium chloride (table salt);
- copper sulfate.
Treatment with nitrate is possible only at the beginning of cultivation - in the spring.
Such a solution not only protects against diseases, but also acts as a good growth stimulant. A solution of nitrate is prepared as follows: 10 liters of water are taken, it is heated to a temperature of no more than 50 °, then 1-3 g of nitrogenous substance is added. After the seeds have been soaked, the remaining solution can be used to water the soil before sowing. For 1 sq. m is enough 6-8 liters of fertilizer.
Treatment before planting with potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate) is necessary if the farmer has to grow onions. For the solution, take 10 g of crystals and mix with water. The heads of the root crop are lowered into this mixture for half an hour and they do not need to be dried before sowing.
Salting is a reliable protection against the stem nematode worm. To do this, dissolve 6 tbsp in 10 liters of water. l. salt. After that, it is necessary to soak the onion heads in the solution for 8-10 minutes. Another solution with salt, but already of a different level of concentration, can be used to cultivate the land. To protect the plant from fungi, you can additionally sprinkle it with Phytosporin. At least 35 to 40 g of the drug is diluted in 1 bucket of water and the bulbs are soaked for half an hour. All procedures are performed before planting, and it does not matter whether it is in spring or autumn (winter varieties).
You can also process it with copper sulfate.This substance is an excellent protector of vegetables from powdery mildew and rotting. The solution with copper sulfate has the following proportion: 30 g of potassium is diluted in 10 liters of water and the root crop is left in it for 15 -25 minutes. If the water is heated and diluted in hot, onions can be soaked for no longer than 2 minutes and immediately transferred to clean cold water. Landing on the garden is possible only 5 hours after treatment with copper sulfate.
Growth stimulation methods
Before planting bulbs in the garden, it does not matter whether in spring or autumn, you need to treat the seeds with specialized growth stimulants. The most affordable method is to soak the turnip in ash. For this purpose, half a kilogram of wood ash is diluted in 10 liters of water and the bulbs are left in it for 10 minutes. This soaking is a bit like the treatment with copper sulfate, since after that you need to dry the seeds. Ash in its composition has many natural antiseptics that prevent the process of decay.
Another option for a growth stimulator is the Epin-Extra solution. To use it, the water must be warmed up to 45-50 ° C and 1 capsule of the drug must be added for every 5 liters. Biostim and Silk preparations will also be good stimulants. During cooking, you must strictly follow the instructions so as not to harm the plants. Processing is carried out only after the bulbs have been warmed up in a warm liquid. If the seeds are planted in the fall, then there is no need for growth stimulants.
How the soil is prepared
Processing onions before planting is a guaranteed crop protection, but difficulties can still arise if the land is not prepared for the process.
Choosing a place for growing
The best option for planting onions is an area where zucchini, peas, beans, tomatoes or pumpkin previously grew. All plants have special bactericidal characteristics, so they are not afraid of the onion pest, because they kill many pathogenic bacteria.
In no case is it recommended to plant a set in a place where carrots or garlic previously grew. Also, experienced farmers do not recommend planting onions in the same area more often than once every few years.
How can you fertilize the earth
Fertilization of the soil is necessary so that the plant gives a good yield. It is best to apply organic fertilizers in the autumn period or to refrain from it altogether, because with an excess of them, the root crop will be small, because the onion grows in a feather. What is really good for growth is mineral fertilization of the soil, which can be produced both during planting and in the process of plant growth.
- Fertilizers can be purchased, or you can do it yourself. Alternatively, if you need a solution for disinfecting the soil, you should sprinkle it with salt. To do this, take 10 liters of water, add 3 tablespoons of salt and half a kilogram of fern leaves to it.
- Also, in order to prevent the disease effect, you can use copper sulfate. For 10 liters of water, 30-40 g of crystals are taken, the soil is thoroughly dissolved and watered. Calculation for 1 sq. m is about 10 liters of solution. After sprinkling, the soil must dry out, therefore, the seeds can be planted only after 3-4 days, taking into account that it will not rain during this time.
- Tobacco leaves do an excellent job with a variety of diseases. To do this, 200 g of leaves must be infused in 3 liters of water for 3 days, then add 1 tsp. red pepper, 1 tbsp. l. liquid soap and add water to make 10 liters. The calculation of watering the soil is similar to the previous one, that is, for 1 sq. m 10 l. You can also sprinkle onion leaves with this fertilizer.
- Wood ash is a great fertilizer option. A pound of ash is added to a bucket of liquid, and it not only serves as a fertilizer, but also prevents the process of decay of root crops.
A good harvest is a successful result of a long-term work of a farmer. If everything is done correctly, the quality of the crop and its level will increase several times.
Conclusion
Proper processing of onions before planting in open ground is an important preparatory procedure. The thing is that the preparation of the planting material energizes the bow even before it hits the ground.
Of course, fertilization in the process of plant growth is also an important stage, but pre-planting treatment is an equally important step in caring for a crop.