Planting winter onions in the fall: suitable varieties and optimal planting times

Traditionally, it is the planting of onions before winter that is more in demand in most regions of our country. If you look at the root of the problem, then a lot depends on the correct choice of suitable winter varieties, onion varieties, as well as determining the optimal planting dates. In addition, the choice of the planting site itself and, of course, the skillful preparation of the beds plays an important role.

If you want complete information about the choice of timing and nuances of planting onions in the fall, then we suggest that you familiarize yourself with our recommendations and tips.

Why you should definitely plant winter onions

Planting onions before winter has many advantages:

• Relative saving time, since in autumn there are fewer worries than in spring.
• Winter onion germinates much earlier than spring (for 2-4 weeks) and yields already in July, and in its place you can still plant something;
• Small sevok ("Oatmeal") Practically does not shoot, but a large bow will definitely be shot (but it gives good early greens), so planting it in large quantities is not recommended, but it remains at your discretion;

Opinion: “The smallest set (Ovsyuzhka) is selected for planting just before winter, since it does not shoot. If you plant it larger before winter, it will go to the arrow. "

• No pests, that is to you don't have to fight onion fly, also such an onion is almost not affected by gray rot, powdery mildew.
• Easier to grow, practically no need to weed from weeds;
• More high and high quality harvest, bulbs will be much largerthan those planted in spring.
• Well kept (special varieties with smaller bulbs), but the spring one is still better.

By the way! ABOUT ways to store onions read in this article.

Video: the advantages and features of planting onion sets before winter

Winter onion varieties for planting

Not all onion varieties are suitable for planting before winter, although local zoned varieties, as well as grown from seeds (nigella), are usually perfectly adapted to winter sowing.However, it is still worth paying attention to the following proven varieties of winter onions:

• Stuttgarter Riesen (spicy taste, excellent storage, smallish);
• Shakespeare (not so sharp, stored a little worse, but the bulbs are larger);
• Senshui (spicy, large, for long storage);
• Arzamassky (sharp, good lying, smallish);
• Bessonovsky (local);
• Danilovsky (spicy, well stored, smallish);
• Radar or Raider (pointed, well kept);
• Red Baron (island, for long-term storage);
• Strigunovsky (spicy and well kept, but too small);
• Sturon (spicy, excellent storage);
• Ellan (sweet taste, well kept).

Note! For autumn sowing in northern regions, southern (heat-loving) varieties are definitely not suitable and vice versa.

What onions can be planted before winter

In the fall, you can plant virtually any kind of onion (nigella, set on a turnip, baton on a feather, shallots or family onionsalthough here leek planted only in spring), however, each of them has its own slight differences in cultivation techniques.

By the way! Black onion (they call him that because his seeds are black as coal) sowing is very simple. The timing is not important, it is even better to sow it in frozen soil, for example, already in November or December (but, of course, it is better to make the grooves in advance, when the earth is easy to dig). Direct sowing on frozen ground is also practiced, followed by sprinkling of soil (but it will have to be stored in the house, because it must be free-flowing). Mulch from above.

Video: winter sowing of black onions and spring result

When to plant onions in the fall before winter: optimal timing

When sowing onions in winter, your main task is to choose such a time so that the bulb has time to take root before frost (freezing of the soil), but does not have time to germinate (otherwise it will die). This usually takes 1 to 2 weeks (maximum 3-4).

Therefore, you should not rush too much, as, indeed, put it off for later.

First of all, you need to focus on the climatic features of your region of residence and current weather conditions.

Note! There is nothing wrong with the onion sprouting 1-2 centimeters. But a sprouted green feather 5-7 centimeters high can hardly survive the winter, especially the snowless one.

To more accurately determine when to plant onions before winter, you can monitor the temperature: if it stays stable for a week in the region of + 5-7 degrees, and according to the weather forecast, a gradual decrease to zero is expected, then it's time to plant winter onions.

Thus, the approximate dates for planting onions before winter:

• for the Central strip (Moscow region) - this is the end of September - the second half of October;
• for Siberia and the Urals - until the last days of September (maximum in the first days of October);
• for the South - the end of October-November.

By the way! You can plant onions before winter conduct simultaneously with autumn planting of winter garlic.

How to plant onions before winter

If you prefer planting onions before winter, you should not neglect the selection of a place for planting, as well as the preparation and processing of the bulbs themselves.

Site selection and preparation of the garden

Optimally choose the sunniest place on the sitewhere the ground warms up faster in spring and earlier snow melts, while there moisture should not stagnatebecause all bulbous crops (flowers) this is not tolerated.

The very bed for planting onions before winter should be prepared in advance. The soil must beloose and fertile enoughand by acidity - neutral... To improve it, add humus or compost for digging, superphosphate, potassium sulfate or wood ash (or you can sprinkle it on holes or grooves before planting - this is both a fertilizer and an excellent means of preventing various rot).

Podzimny onions can be planted on the most ordinary beds, and on high ones (usually it grows even larger, but not much), and even in a greenhouse. In the latter case, it will rise much earlier. If you do not have a greenhouse, then when the snow melts, you can accelerate the ripening by making a mini-greenhouse - by placing arcs or simply covering the garden with plastic wrap or spunbond.

Then plant

Advice! The site already has a separate article about after which (what crops) it is better to plant onions in spring and autumn before winter.

Preparing and processing the bulbs before planting

First you need to calibrate the planting material. Select and discard all diseased (rotten), too dry and damaged bulbs. Then put the remaining onions in piles first (and then plant them separately):

• wild oat (up to 1 centimeter in diameter) - on the head (turnip);
• sevok (with a diameter of 1 to 2 centimeters) - on the head and partly a feather (green);
• large (more than 2-3 centimeters in diameter) - only for greens (very early).

Important! The larger the onion, the better the greens will be. For too small fractions, the feather will take a very long time to develop and will be small enough.

Important! Many gardeners advise to disinfect the planting material before planting, for example, by soaking one of the dressing agents in a solution.

But it should be borne in mind that dry bulbs tolerate sharp cold snaps better than swollen ones, moreover, the latter can begin to germinate too quickly.

But usually during autumn planting, the onions are not soaked or heated (from shooting).

Video: planting onions before the winter - the optimal timing, how to prepare the garden, at what distance and at what depth to plant, how to mulch or cover for the winter

Direct landing

Step-by-step instructions for planting winter onions before winter:

1. Choose a place on the site and make a bed.
2. Prepare planting material.
3. Make grooves or holes (as you wish).
4. The distance between the bulbs in the groove is 5-10 centimeters (more for a turnip, less for a feather).
5. The distance of the grooves for planting winter onions is about 15-25 centimeters.
6. Planting depth should be greater than spring landing, that is, somewhere between 5-8 centimeters, depending on the size of the bulb.
7. Cover or bury ground on top.
8. Mulch the garden with humus or sawdust, pine or spruce litter, or cover with spruce branches or straw. You can also use the tops of dry annual plants (phlox, rudbeckia).

Note! The need for mulching and shelter for the winter depends on the climate of our region. If you have snowy winters without much frost, then you can not cover with anything.

Video: planting onion sets for the winter

Care for onions after planting before winter

With the onset of spring, when the snow melts and the soil begins to thaw, the entire shelter should be removed, because the ground under it, on the contrary, will only warm up longer.

Caring for winter onions in spring and summer is quite simple - you need it to water, feed (with nitrogen in early spring, for example, ammonium nitrate, a little later - with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers, for example, wood ash, superphosphate, potassium monophosphate), weed out and sometimes thin out.

Advice! If you plant winter onions more often, then in the spring, during thinning, you will be able to pull out the bulbs for greens, as well as get rid of the weak and those that have begun to shoot. The remaining bulbs will continue to grow per head, with the optimal distance between them being about 8-10 centimeters.

Video: thinning winter onions

Harvesting and storage

As a rule, in the middle of summer - in July (already in the first half of the month), winter onions can be removed from the garden.

Important! When and how to harvest onions - read here.

Video: when to harvest winter onions and how to prepare them for storage

By the way! If you don't know what to plant after harvesting onions in summer (in July-August)then help you this article.

In order to achieve a full-fledged harvest of winter onions in a good way, use our tips and advice, because it is very important to correctly decide on such fundamental things as planting dates, appropriate varieties and other subtleties in growing, care and harvesting onions.

Video: growing winter onions - from planting to harvesting for storage

Note! Naturally, besides winter onions, other crops can be planted in the fall before winter: the same garlic, dill, parsley, even carrot and beets, many flowers and especially bulbous (tulips, hyacinths, crocuses, daffodils, grouse imperial, bulbous irises other)