Onions vegetative propagation. Reproduction of onions. Harvesting and storage of onions

I have several types of perennial onions growing on my site, and of all in my family, they prefer the slime. It has flat green leaves with blunt, rounded ends, similar to those of daffodils. They are tender, juicy, with a weak garlic flavor, retain their high taste throughout the summer, while in other onions they coarsen by the time of flowering.

Slime onion, or otherwise drooping onion, got its name because when the leaves are cut, drops of liquid are released, resembling tears. In addition, it has a drooping spherical inflorescence covered with a thin sheath, like that of garlic, and at the beginning of flowering, the arrow straightens. Its flowers are pink or pink-purple.

The slime onion has a very strongly developed rhizome, which serves as a storage organ. Several bulbs are attached to it.

Slime onion - perennial, relatively unpretentious, tolerating frosts up to -35 degrees, as well as a short drought.

Propagated vegetatively and by seeds

Slime onions are easily propagated by dividing the bush and seeds. In the first year, two shoots with 4-5 leaves are formed on the plant, further their number constantly increases. On the 4th-5th year, there are already up to 28-30 shoots on the bush. After 5-6 years, the plants grow old, the shoot-forming ability decreases. Plants need to be divided, transplanted or grown from seeds.

The seeds of this onion are sown in the spring on a garden bed with fertile soil. Seedlings appear 20-30 days after sowing. Therefore, it is necessary not to allow the top layer of the soil where the seeds are to dry out. When the onion plants have 2-3 leaves, they are seated. In the second year, the distance between plants in a row should be at least 15-20 cm, as they grow strongly.

It is better to divide the bushes of slime onions in August and early September, so that the plants will get stronger for winter. Therefore, the further north the vegetable garden is, the earlier it is necessary to start this work. Although I share it with my neighbors throughout the summer. When planting, the roots and leaves are cut off from the dells. They take root well under the condition of timely watering, shading with non-woven material. The distance between the rows when planting is 50 cm, between the plants in a row is 20-30 cm.

Four cuts over the summer

Cutting off the leaves of plants that have grown from seeds begins in the third year. Usually the leaves are cut when they reach a length of 25-27 cm, but we cut smaller ones in the spring. Cutting the leaves enhances the branching of the plants and accelerates the aging process of the plants. After 2-3 leaf cuts per season, flower arrows are no longer formed on it. After the first cut, the fiber content of the growing leaves decreases and the water content of tissues increases - the leaves become softer.

Depending on the weather conditions, the region of cultivation and care, up to four cuts are made per summer.

Love feeding

Proper care ensures a successful overwintering, amicable feather growth. Small plants are afraid of weeds, which can drown them. IN further care consists in watering, loosening the soil and weeding. In the spring, the onion bed is tidied up, the soil is loosened. During the period of leaf regrowth, a complete mineral fertilizer is applied or feeding is carried out with an infusion of manure (1:10) or chicken droppings (1:20), which makes it possible to start cutting the leaves almost a week earlier.

At the end of summer, they are fed with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers.

Getting seeds

Different types of onions are not pollinated during flowering. therefore quality seeds can be obtained even if another type of onion is blooming nearby. In contrast to growing onions on a feather, the testes are given a second feeding with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers before flowering. They choose healthy, well-developed plants from which the leaf is not cut off even once per season. The flowers in the inflorescence do not bloom at the same time, so the seeds ripen uncommonly.

It is important not to miss the cleaning date. Cut off the inflorescences, when the baskets turn brown, single ones begin to open, and scatter them for ripening on a litter of burlap and paper. Seeds that have spilled out of the ripe bolls onto the litter are cleaned of impurities and dried. 3-4 inflorescences are enough for your own consumption.

It is added to salads, various dishes and eaten just like that with bread. There are many varieties of this plant, and in this article we will look at such an unusual species as a multi-tiered onion.

Description of the bow

The name of this plant corresponds to its unusual appearance... Instead of the inflorescences that we are used to seeing in ordinary ones, airy bulbs are formed, which are located on the tubular arrow in the form of "nests", and basal bulbs. These bulbs are also sometimes called bulbs; they are covered with a strong skin on top. The plant forms arrow links with bulbs that are arranged in layers on top of each other. The length of the first arrow reaches 65-80 cm; the largest bulbs are located on it. There can be from 4 to 5 such levels. One inflorescence grows from three to ten heads. The leaves are tasty and very juicy, they retain this property for a long time. Puffed and basal bulbs taste more bitter, but they are also eaten, added to various dishes, pickled, and so on.

Features:

The multi-tiered onion has good fertility, due to the fact that new arrows with bulbs grow from the center of the inflorescence, and this continues several times. The skin of the bulbs is yellow, brown or purple. It ripens faster than others and produces greens from March to November. It has a more developed root system when compared with ordinary onions.

Did you know? It's no secret that everyone starts crying when cutting onions. But rarely did anyone think about why this is happening. It turns out that it contains a substance such as a lacrimator. When cutting onions, this substance is released, dissolves on the membrane of the eye, and because of this, sulfuric acid is formed, which causes irritation, and then tears.

Sometimes you can see small flowers on the arrows, but usually they dry out quite quickly due to the fact that they do not have enough nutrition. The cultivation of multi-tiered onions does not require special care, and in addition, it has good resistance to harmful microflora and various. In addition, it is a drought-resistant and frost-resistant plant. He doesn't care about -50 ° C without a lot of snow.

Landing technology

The planting material for a multi-tiered bow is its air and underground bulbs. It is best to plant root or air bulbs from the first and second tiers. The optimal time for planting them is August and September. They manage to take root well before the first frosts and immediately after the snow melts, they will delight with a harvest of juicy greens. Also bulbs are possible. To do this, they need to be stored without dividing in a cool, dry place and, from October to February, planted in seed boxes to a depth of about two centimeters. So you will provide yourself with fresh herbs and vitamins during cold weather.

As for the beds, the multi-tiered view prefers light, moisture and air permeable with the environment. The tiered onion is grown as well as the plant. Before planting, it should be good so that you are confident in a good harvest. For an annual, add (20-30 g), (50 g) and (30 g) fertilizer to the soil. And for a perennial, add manure or humus to the soil about 5-7 kg per square meter. It is necessary to plant the bulbs in grooves previously made and watered with water at a distance of 15-20 cm and to a depth of 3-4 cm. It is also recommended to distribute the bulbs by size and plant each group in a separate row. After a good plant, so that it gives roots faster.

Care

Care tiered bow consists of a standard set of actions. Like any plant, it needs moderate, loosening and weeding of the soil, as well as the removal of dry leaves during growth. As soon as the arrows appear, they must be fixed on pegs so that they do not fall to the ground due to the weight of the air bulbs.

How multi-tiered bows multiply

You can only propagate a multi-tiered bow. There are no seeds for this type of onion. For reproduction, the largest air bulbs are chosen, which are usually located on the first tier. In addition, it can be propagated by dividing the bush. To do this, the plant needs to be dug up, the underground bulbs must be divided and transplanted to another location. The scheme for planting underground bulbs is no different from air bulbs.

Beneficial features

Most of all, multi-tiered onions have vitamin C, which is contained in the leaves of the plant. It also contains carotene, vitamins B1, B2, PP and a large amount of sugars. In addition, it contains essential oils and a wide range of mineral salts of such chemical elements: potassium, calcium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, manganese, copper, boron, nickel, cobalt, molybdenum.

Most onion species are capable of propagating both by seed and vegetatively. A few exceptions are sowing garlic, multi-tiered onion, a viviparous variety of blue onions and some other species that do not form or almost do not form seeds and reproduce only vegetatively.

Fig 8. Formation of a replacement bulb at the base of the peduncle of onions: a, b - general form, in - cross section; 1 - peduncle; 2 - sighting bulb; 3 - general integumentary scales

The main method of vegetative renewal in natural conditions is the formation of a replacement bulb (Fig. 8). It occurs in the leaf axil next to the peduncle. As a result, the young bulb replaces the mother bulb by the fall of next year. This bulb is called a sighting bulb. If the inflorescence on the flower arrow for some reason does not develop or breaks off, the sighting bulb can grow to the size characteristic of the uterine bulb, and you can only distinguish it from an ordinary bulb by a dry strip left on the side of the flattened dried flower arrow. Sometimes large sighting bulbs are formed during the development of inflorescences.

In the case when the replacement of the bulb is the only way of renewal, the coefficient of vegetative reproduction is equal to one, i.e. instead of one dying shoot, one bulb remains. As a result, only renewal occurs, but not reproduction. However, this is rarely seen.
A common method of natural vegetative reproduction is the formation of several axillary buds in the sinuses of the outer juicy scales, capable of developing into independent bulbs. When the leaves dry out, the axillary buds are separated from the mother plant and go on to independent development.
In garlic and multi-tiered onions, instead of flowers, small bulbs, called bulbs, form in inflorescences, which also give rise to new plants. The formation of bulbs in inflorescences is a fairly frequent phenomenon, it is observed in different species (including onions) with any violations in the formation of flowers. You can also cause this phenomenon artificially, carefully cutting the buds on the receptacle.
Baby onions can also develop on rhizomes, stolons, and even on bulbs. They also serve for vegetative propagation. Perennial bows forming clumps reproduce by dividing the clumps. This method is often used in the cultivation of perennial onions so that the breeding process takes less time. In nature, such reproduction is observed in rhizome onions when individual parts of the rhizome die off, as a result of which several independent plants are formed from one overgrown bush, the location of which depends on the length of the internodes of the rhizome.

Onions are one of the most common onions among gardeners. Plants of this species do not form underground bulbs; they are used as fresh herbs. The most popular are perennial onions, which can grow in one place for up to 10 years.

Planting onions

It is best to start preparing the soil in the fall. The earth needs to be dug up, about 20 cm deep and rotted manure or compost added. It is not recommended to apply fresh manure, it can cause diseases, because it may contain weed seeds that are not so easy to remove. In case of increased acidity of the soil, lime must be added to get good harvest... But it should be borne in mind that it is impossible to simultaneously apply both manure and lime, because the amount of nitrogen will decrease. You can replace lime with dolomite flour or wood ash.

With the arrival of spring, you need to fertilize the soil with minerals, but not immediately, but in several passes, because high salt concentration negatively affects the culture. Half mineral fertilizer it is worth adding during digging before planting, and the rest can be divided into 2-3 dressings during the growing season.

Preparation of planting material

If the set is purchased, it is dried before planting. To do this, sprinkle it in a small layer in a warm room. If the seed is grown independently, it is warmed up so that the growth process begins. It is recommended to warm it up in several passes: for half a month at 20 ° С, and then - about 10 hours at 30 ° С. Warming up of the set is carried out in order to activate growth and to prevent onion shooting in the future. It is important to ensure that the set does not overheat, because its germination will deteriorate significantly.

If gradual warming up does not work, right before planting, the seedlings should be poured with hot water (45 ° C) for 15 minutes, and then cooled cold water... Effectively, after warming up, treat with "Zircon", "Humisol" or "Rostom-1", which stimulate the growth of onions. The last thing to do before planting is to disinfect the seed with copper sulfate or potassium permanganate.

Landing

The time of landing is greatly influenced by weather conditions. If spring came early, you need to plant sevok in third decade of April, and in the case of a prolonged cold spring - wait until the soil warms up by 7-8 cm. If the soil temperature is below 12 ° C, you should not plant onions, because he will go to the arrow. But it is also not advisable to be late with landing, especially in dry and warm spring, because first, the feather will begin to develop, and the root will lag behind in development. As a result, the greens will not be able to germinate normally, and the bulbs that have already formed will remain small. You need to plant seedlings in the beds in rows, having sorted them in advance by size. A small set (up to 1 cm) is planted at a distance of 4-5 cm, a set with a diameter of up to 1.5 cm - at a distance of 6-8 cm; a large set (2 cm) - 8-10 cm.

Rows are recommended to be done at a distance of 20 cm, so that the processing is easier, as well as for good ventilation. Having placed the seedlings in the ground, it must be squeezed with earth and covered with mulch with a layer of about 3 cm. After 6-7 days, the first shoots often appear.

Onion care

Onion care includes loosening the soil, regular watering, weeding, feeding, treatment against diseases and insects, and timely harvesting.

Loosening

It is necessary to loosen the soil even before germination, because during this period, a dense crust of the earth can form. It is recommended to loosen it often, while getting rid of weeds. Loosening is necessary so that oxygen is constantly supplied to the roots of the plant. It is especially important to carry out this procedure after moistening the soil. When the bulbs grow a little, you can shake off the soil from them so that they can grow large and ripen faster.

Watering

Onions need to be watered regularly, especially in the first half of the growing season. At this time, watering should be done a couple of times a week. If the days are rainy, watering can be reduced. The main thing is that the soil is not dry. In July, when the bulbs begin to ripen, watering should be reduced, and a couple of weeks before harvesting should be stopped altogether. In the case of a hot and dry summer, the onions must sometimes be watered at this time so that the bulbs do not stagnate and wither.

Weeding

It is impossible for the onion to be overgrown with weeds, because because of this, the humidity will increase, which will provoke fungal diseases. Moreover, if onion grows in unfilled beds, a thick, juicy neck is formed, which complicates the drying of the onion in the future and its storage.

Fertilization

You need to feed the onion several times. The first is carried out half a month after planting with slurry or bird droppings. You also need to feed the plant after three weeks. If minerals are used as top dressing, it is previously recommended to add nitrogen, for example, ammonium nitrate. In this case, after three weeks, you need to add nitrogen with potassium fertilizer.

Minerals are applied dry, sprinkling them on the beds before rain or artificial irrigation. Alternatively, dry minerals can be broken up in water and watered with such a solution.

Treatment against diseases and pests

Onions are fungicidal plants, but despite this they also get sick and become insect food, so it is imperative to carry out preventive treatment against fungal diseases and insects.

For processing, you can independently prepare a solution from copper sulfate (1 tsp.), Liquid soap (1 tbsp. L.) And water (10 l.). The onion must be sprayed with the ready-made solution after its leaves grow 12-15 cm long. Also, for prevention purposes, you can dust onions and soil with wood ash or tobacco dust. After 20 days, the treatment is repeated.

Harvesting

So that in the future the onion can be stored for a long time, it must be collected in a timely manner. Winter onions are usually harvested in July, and spring onions at the end of summer. When the feather no longer grows, and the old greenery has already dried up and died, the bulb is pulled out and examined. If the husk is dry, bright and tightly covering the bulb, you can harvest. If you are late in collecting onions, it will continue to grow and release greens. It can be eaten, but not suitable for storage.

The onion heads must be carefully dug up and laid out in a row in dry weather so that they dry out. If the day is rainy, the bulbs are covered and dried. When they are completely dry, they must be carefully cleaned from the ground so as not to damage the husk. After the harvest, it is necessary to sort out, reject the dented, sick and those without husks. Selected onions need to trim the tails to 6 cm. If the tail is poorly dry, the onion will not be stored for a long time. Then the onion must be transferred to a small box or box, and moved to a dry room, the temperature of which is from +5 to 20 ° C.

Reproduction of onions

Onions are propagated by seed method. In August, the plants form arrows with "balls" in which there are seeds. When the arrow is dry and the seeds turn black, they must be carefully poured for further storage. The seeds are used in order to obtain sets, of which a full-fledged bulb is formed a year after planting.