Shallot, or family onion, varieties Siberian Yellow, Chapaevsky, Asterisk, etc., successfully grows on summer cottages. At the same time, it can be used both on a feather and on a turnip. Gardeners are happy to plant this type of onion, as it is characterized by unpretentiousness and precocity.

In addition, the advantages of the culture include good yields and the almost complete absence of morbidity. In the most unfavorable years, out of 100 kg of bulbs, no more than 10 pieces were affected by Fusarium. How to plant shallots and what features to take into account, the information below describes.

The characteristics of shallots completely determine the agricultural technology of its cultivation. Since the onion does not shoot arrows well and is frost-resistant, it should be planted in mid-April. Sevok actively absorbs melt water, which subsequently has a beneficial effect on the growth of bulbs and feathers.

Experts recommend planting "family" at the same time as carrots: he is not afraid of frost, and cool soil contributes to the rapid formation of roots. You can also get a vegetable crop with a later planting, but it will not be so big.

Before planting, carefully prepare the bulbs. The algorithm of actions is as follows:

• a dry neck is cut off;
• cut off the bottom to fresh pulp.

If the old tough roots are left on the bulb, the formation of new roots will slow down, the onion will not receive enough nutrients, which in turn will reduce the yield by almost 2 times.

Then the treated bulbs should be soaked in water for at least 8 hours. Some experienced gardeners cut the onion “on the shoulders”: this is how the rudiments of future young onions are visible. But the most popular this way uses when growing feathers, not turnips. In addition, it should be noted that in areas with a high infectious background, it is desirable to use whole planting material.

Onions are planted on narrow (up to 50 cm) beds in 3 rows. Each furrow is sprinkled with a small amount of ash. Depending on the variety, the bulbs are planted in the soil in a checkerboard pattern at a distance of 15 to 30 cm from each other. For example, the Garant variety is large-fruited - the distance between the bulbs must be made as large as possible, and when planting the Gornyak or Airat varieties, the distance can be reduced.

The onion should be planted so that the upper edge planting material was 2 cm below the soil level. Watering is not required, since in April the earth is still saturated with melt water.

Sowing is recommended to be mulched with loose small organic matter: cut grass or chopped leaves. Sawdust or small shavings are also suitable for mulching. This coating prevents the growth of weeds and retains moisture, excluding the drying of the bulbs.

This is where the shallot care ends: it grows beautifully and without outside interference. But in dry years, it is still recommended to carry out several waterings in the initial growing season.

Fertilizing with organic and inorganic fertilizers is not required. If the bed is not covered with mulch, care may include loosening and weeding.

Harvest and storage

The collection of onions should be carried out when more than 50% of the feather falls. But if the weather is warm and there is no rain, you should wait until the neck of the bulbs dries and becomes soft. Then the onions are pulled out and laid out in the sun to dry. When the feather completely loses its elasticity, it must be cut off, leaving no more than 12 cm from the bulb, and tied into braids.

Often gardeners do not take family onions seriously - they will give birth to many small bulbs that you are tormented to clean.

Bulbs prepared in this way are hung in a cool and well-ventilated place. Here they sag until the onset of frost. After that, bundles of onions are brought into the house and cleaned for the winter. The vegetable can be stored in baskets specially prepared for this, and in the closet, and in the kitchen.

If the season pleased with a bountiful harvest, you can lay some of the onions for long-term storage. For this, only healthy and undamaged bulbs should be selected. It is better to store them in boxes or boxes, without separating the nest, at a temperature of 0 to +3 °C (Fig. 1).

Winter and summer onion plantings

In temperate regions and relatively warm winter onions are often planted in autumn. Experts say that winter plantings do not harm planting material even when the temperature reaches -20 ° C. Winter plantings are made in mid-autumn - from late September to mid-October. Planting at a later date increases the risk of frostbite.

Growing family onions is convenient because there is no need to sow seeds for sets, and then store sets.

As a rule, onions are planted for the winter in order to get an earlier green crop. At proper fit and favorable climatic conditions, the bulbs give a feather 1-2 weeks earlier than the material planted in the spring. If necessary, onions can be planted in July-August. The crop of greenery ripens by the beginning of autumn, but the quality of the pen is usually not very good: it is distinguished by rigidity and a sharp taste.

Choice of Shallot Varieties

Today, there are many varieties of shallots. All of them are divided into early, middle and late and can be spicy, sweet or semi-sharp. Sweet varieties include southern varieties obtained in regions with a warm climate, for example, Ashkelon onions. Such a vegetable does not have a pungent odor, it can be eaten like a radish.

The peninsular varieties include:

• Albic;
• Guarantee;
• Emerald and some others.

To grow spicy onions, you will need to purchase bulbs of varieties:

• Cascade;
• Belozerets 94;
• SIR-7, etc.

Many varieties differ not only in taste, but also in the color of the scales, and the degree of branching. The most prolific mother bulbs are capable of creating clusters with 8-10 children (Garant, Krepysh, Seryozhka, etc.). Unlike other types of onions, the family onion is able to fully satisfy the needs of the gardener, as it has a large number of varieties with different characteristics.

Rip off in early spring a bunch of green onions is not a pleasure. For owner country house or dachas to get a feather on the greens is easy. A polycarbonate greenhouse will speed up the process.

Types and varieties of onions that give thick greens

Dense greens give multi-germ varieties. Consider the most productive varieties - a multi-germ variety that gives in a season a large number of pen and popular varieties of shallots:

Cipuccio

Chipuccio - precocious, productive variety shallot. Greens after planting can be cut in 2-3 weeks. The pen has original spicy taste. Bulb weight up to 50 g. Vegetation period 70 days.

Aristocratic

Aristocratic - shallots. From one sowing bulb in the nest, from 6 to 12 new pieces weighing from 50 to 100 g are formed. People call this species a family one.

The variety is early, full-fledged bulbs ripen in 70 days. Cut greens are ready in 4 weeks.

Variety Aristocratic is used to produce greenery on an industrial scale.

From one bulb of the Aristocratic variety, 6-12 new ones are formed.

Old Russian

Old Russian (red, yellow) - a type of shallot. Gives a powerful, bright green feather with a waxy coating. The seed material is stored well and for a long time (2 years). The variety is resistant to many diseases of bulbous crops. Up to 10 pieces are formed in the nest.

Reproduction is only vegetative, as arrows do not form. Gardeners consider this species the most cost-effective for forcing greens. Cut shallots are ready 20-30 days after planting.

Lilac ringing

Chives Lilac ringing is 7 kg greens per season from 1 sq.m. soil. The variety is early ripe, when grown in open field cutting is carried out after 20 days. During the summer, several cuts are made. The variety is frost-resistant.

Chives Lilac ringing

studgarten riesen

Studgarten Riesen is a multi-bearing, high-yielding variety with good immunity to most diseases. The productivity of the variety is high.

In the presence of 4-6 primordia in the seed from 1 square. m. receive up to 15 kg of greens.

When is the best time to plant onions outdoors?

For home consumption, turnip greens can be planted in open ground as early as the end of April, provided that the earth has warmed up and its temperature at night and in the morning is not lower than 12 degrees.

For commercial purposes, turnips for greens are grown in a greenhouse. If there is heating, distillation can be done throughout the year.

On an industrial scale, onions for greens are grown in greenhouses

The main thing you need to get a pen:

• quality seed;
• fertile substrate;
• watering;
• top dressing;
• backlight.

A full crop of green feathers is obtained at 12 hours light day. For growing in greenhouses, select varieties with a short dormant period.

With long daylight hours, the optimum air temperature 18-22 degrees. Yield drops at lower temperatures. At higher air temperatures, product quality decreases.

How to plant sevok

There are proven methods for planting turnips on greens. Experienced gardeners successfully apply planting methods:

• pavement;
• tape.

Bridge landing method

In addition to the landing method, it is important choose the right place and prepare fertile soil (substrate) before sowing any variety.

Choosing a place to grow

Choosing a place for planting sevka on greens, take into account the principles of crop rotation.

Plant after crops:

• cucumbers;
• zucchini;
• pumpkins;
• cabbage;
• tomato;
• potatoes.

In the shade, the onion grows poorly, the feather is pale and thin. Ridges are better placed in an open, sunny place. During rains, it should not be stagnant moisture.

Proper soil preparation for planting

We prepare a bed for planting in the fall before planting. Determine the acidity of the soil. At hyperacidity add dolomite flour. Consumption - 50 g-sq. m. Onions love loose soils with a pH of 6.5 to 7.5.

With increased acidity of the soil, add dolomite flour

In the fall, for digging, add:

• Humus ½ bucket;
• Superphosphate 2 tbsp. l;
• Potassium chloride 1 tbsp. l.

Consumption is per sq. m. Dig up the soil by 20 cm with a shovel or walk-behind tractor. In the spring, dig again and add urea 10 gsm m. 7 days before sowing, pour the ridge with a solution blue vitriol. Pour 10 liters of water into a watering can and dissolve 20 g of the drug in it.

Planting onions for distillation on a feather

A good green growth will provide high-quality seed material.

Before planting, the bulbs should be stored in a warm room. Before planting seed sevka in the garden, they need to be sorted out. Reject damaged copies. Sort by size. Biggest Harvest feathers give bulbs 2 to 4 cm diameter, weighing from 15 to 40 g.

For growing onions on a feather, it is best to choose bulbs 2-4 cm in diameter

1. The selected material must be moistened and kept in a warm room at an air temperature of 25 degrees for 48 hours.
2. a quarter length trim the tops at the bulbs.
3. Dissolve 30 g of ammonium nitrate in 10 liters of warm water (35 degrees), lower the bulbs into it for 16 hours.

Approximate seeding consumption with the bridge method 13 kg per sq.m. The consumption is large, because the bulbs are stuck into the ground tightly to each other. Aisles are not made. The advantages of this method are obvious:

• the landing area is saved;
• all the forces of the plant go to the formation of the feather.

The bridge method is especially beneficial to use to grow onions in greenhouses.

The tape method involves furrow formation at 10 cm intervals. The bulbs are placed in furrows close to each other or with a small indent of 1-2 cm. The furrows are covered with a thin layer of earth (2 cm).

Ribbon method of planting onions

Care rules

The main care of the crop in the open field is in the right watering. In its absence, the feather is bitter and thin. With an excess of bulbs rot, the crop suffers.

To maintain the required humidity, take into account the weather and check the soil moisture at a depth of 3 cm. It is tentatively recommended to water 2 times a week in the absence of rain.

Water only in the evening. This will eliminate unnecessary heating of the soil. Onions do not like high temperatures.

If the soil is prepared correctly and filled with organic matter and mineral fertilizers, top dressing can be omitted. With the tape method of planting, loosen the ground between rows, remove weeds.

When to harvest green onions

The crop is harvested, focusing on the length of the pen. There will be seedlings of the same length on the entire ridge if the seeds were calibrated in size before planting and sets of the same variety were planted.

The commodity size of onion feathers is 24-42 cm

For all varieties, the requirements for the length of the feather are the same. Commodity is considered the size from 24 to 42 cm. When this length is reached, the feathers are cut for sale or own consumption.

It does not take much time and effort to get a feather green for home consumption. Before you engage in forcing turnips into greens on a large scale, it is worth evaluating your capabilities on a small scale. Choose the most productive variety, master the technology of preparing planting material and soil. With the right approach, success is guaranteed.

Many do not plant family onions. The reason is that small bulbs grow. But if you know the agricultural technology of family onions, then you can grow bulbs of 150g or more.

Onion widespread vegetable crop onion family. Bulb onions are small-sized (1-2), medium-sized (2-3) and multi-sized (4-5 or more).
In the common people, multi-pronged bows are called family bows. Seven I am a lot.

The largest bulb of the family onion

Shallot onions should also be included here. This is a variety of onion multi-growth, but with a smaller bulb and delicate leaves. Immediately pay attention, not feathers, but leaves. Feathers are found in birds, while plants have only leaves.

Zasvoi refined taste Shallot is considered a gourmet onion. These bows are often confused and called "who is in what much." Therefore, for convenience, we will call all these bows family.

Planting dates for family onions

Onion is a cold-resistant plant. Its root system grows intensively at a lower temperature than leaves. This biological feature makes it possible to plant at an earlier date.

root system onion develops at a temperature from + 2° to + 25°С, tolerates frosts down to minus 4-6°С. The onion leaf grows well at a temperature of + 15-25 ° C, withstands frosts down to minus 7 ° C and tolerates heat at + 35 ° C.

If you delay planting and the temperature of the air and soil is high, the leaves will immediately begin to grow. The root system will no longer be as powerful and this will affect the results.

If there is enough moisture in the soil during the period of leaf growth, the plant is in no hurry to form a storage organ. It continues to increase the number of leaves and their size, thus creating the basis for the formation of a larger and larger bulb. The more powerful leaves on the plant, the larger the bulb will be (taking into account varietal characteristics).

With a lack of moisture, during the growing season, plant growth stops, and the bulbs begin to form at the stage in which the drought caught them.

For normal onion growth, a water regime with reduced air humidity (60-70%) and high soil moisture is necessary. This culture makes especially great demands on water in the first period of growth, when the process of swelling and germination of planting material takes place, the leaf apparatus increases in volume, and the bulb begins to form. During the growth period, additional watering is required.

Family bows often reproduce vegetatively. Since several bulbs grow in the nest, some are left for planting. The rest go to food. And so every year.

Is it possible to plant family onions before winter?

Family onion is a completely adult and mature plant, despite the size of the bulb. A bow planted before winter shoots, even small ones. Partially, the bow can shoot at a very early planting in a cold, protracted spring. But this happens extremely rarely.

The Siberian Research Institute of Plant Growing and Breeding (SibNIIRS) has developed varieties that can be planted before winter. Of the varieties for winter planting are recommended: Siberian yellow, SIR-7, Ginger, Sophocles, Seryozhka, Krepysh, Albik, Garant and a number of new Siberian hybrids. But these are not multi-pronged onions, but shallots.

Agrotechnics of family onions, features

To understand agricultural technology, it is necessary to imagine the structure of the bulb.

On the bottom of the family bows there is a heel - the place of attachment of the daughter bulbs to the bottom of the mother bulb.
If you cut off the heel, we will see the location of the roots, in the form of a horseshoe. The rudiments are visible on the transverse section.

Usually, for planting, I use a bulb weighing about 100g. If you plant a whole bulb, then all the buds will sprout, and > 8 medium-sized bulbs will grow. The amount depends on the variety. The larger the planting bulb, the more new bulbs are formed, but small ones.

How to grow a large family onion?

To grow large family onions, it must be prepared for landing. First of all, it must be cleaned from dry scales, to juicy ones. Various pathogens often hide under dry scales. Then the bulbs are pickled in a solution of copper sulphate -1st. spoon for 10 liters of water. Etching time 20 min. Pickled onions are rinsed with clean water.

During storage, the onion dries slightly and loses nutrients. To restore the supply of moisture and nutrients, onions must be soaked in nutrient solutions of any complex fertilizers.

To do this, cut off the heel, to clean white scales. Don't be afraid to cut off the excess. The beginnings themselves are deep. Even if one or two are damaged, there are many of them in the bulb. If two of the six rudiments are damaged, then the remaining four will give a decent harvest. Damaged buds do not grow. But it’s better not to injure much, cut off only the heel to the bottom. Removing dry scales and trimming the heel of the bottom facilitates the access of moisture, primarily to the roots, therefore, first of all, a powerful root system develops, which ensures strong growth of the plant.

I try to do without chemicals and use Humistar or Biohumus for soaking onions - 1 tablespoon per 10 liters of water. Soaking time 8-10 hours.

Then I put the onion in a bucket, close the lid and put it in any unheated room, until the roots grow (3 - 5 mm).

How to cut family onions before planting?

Now we need to cut it in half. Onions are cut not to increase the number of planting units, but to obtain larger bulbs in the crop. In each half, there will be a smaller number of primordia than in the whole bulb. Each half will grow 3-4 marketable bulbs. The feeding area will remain the same, and fewer bulbs will receive more nutrition.

We cut the onion into halves, trying to leave about the same number of roots on them.

In other words, after the heel is cut off, we turn the bulb 90 ° and cut it in the center of the “horseshoe” of the roots. I don't process cuts. They dry out a bit on their own.

Cut the whole onion

They cut the family bow. The bow is ready for planting.

Preparing the soil for planting family onions

After harvesting potatoes, I sow winter rye.

The whole next season, it grows to full ripeness, and leaves before winter.

I don't do anything in this area.
This is what the field looks like in the spring before planting.

Planting a family bow

The first time I come to the country at the very end of April or at the beginning of May. I try to plant onions faster, at least until May 5th.

According to the folk calendar, this is the day of Luke - onions day. So I plant onions to Luka. Sometimes April is warm and (if possible) I plant earlier. How ripe the soil is.

If you measure the temperature of the soil, then the most suitable + 5 ° C. You can do without a thermometer, just look, when the soil stops smearing, you can plant.

I have constant beds with a width of 0.9 m. Passages 0.5m.

In the spring I rake the straw into the aisles and slightly loosen the top layer of the bed with the Swift cultivator.

Then I make furrow grooves 3-5 cm deep at a distance of 20 cm from each other -15 cm-20 cm-20 cm-20 cm-15 cm. I spill the grooves with water from a watering can without a strainer.

I sprinkle moistened grooves with a mixture of ash and Zemlin (the same diazinon) from an onion fly, 1 liter of ash + 1 package of Zemlin is enough for 4 grooves 10 m long.

In the grooves I lay out the halves of the onion at a distance of 23 cm in a checkerboard pattern. It turns out landing in equilateral triangles with a side of 23 cm.

Planted onions spud with a rake on both sides, like potatoes.

Under these "dunes" it is warm and humid. Luke likes this.

The longer the day and the higher the temperature during growth, the more closed scales, the better bow in the future will be stored, the deeper and longer it has a dormant period.

Family onion care

Until the leaf grows to 10 cm, I do nothing. I don't even water. Let the roots go deeper in search of moisture. I don't do any dressing. I don't spray anything. Didn't notice any pain.

Onions grow very quickly and it's time to mulch the beds. To mulch an onion bed, you need to chop up a decent bunch of organic matter.

Moisture is better preserved on mulched beds, and onions grow well. I mulch to the height of hilled rows (approximately 5 cm - 10 cm) with mowed weeds, immediately after crushing it, without drying it. Drying, the mulch covers the bed with a dense porous layer.

I water onions once a week. 200 liters of water goes to the garden. From the beginning of July, I stop watering.

At the end of June, the bulbs begin to separate and the number of bulbs in the nest can be counted. The optimal quantity is 3-5 pieces.

If the quantity exceeds 5 pieces, then you can normalize - remove the extra bulbs.

The remaining bulbs will grow larger. When to rake a family bow?- at the beginning of July. You can simply move the soil around with your finger. The bulb will be in full view. In the sun, the bulb will ripen faster.

Cleaning the family onion

End of July. The bow is ready to be harvested.

“It should be noted that there should be no delay in harvesting onions after leaf lodging, as this leads to an increase in losses during winter storage.

This is explained by the fact that the bulbs remaining in the ground absorb moisture from the soil, which activates growth processes and shortens the dormant period.

I pull out the onion when the dew dries. He lies on the beds all day long. In the evening I clean the attic. There, the harvested onion is ripened and dried. After drying, the leaves are sneezed by hand. I don't use scissors.

Even if it is damp and cold during harvesting, family onions ripen well and dry under the roof. Secondary germination does not threaten him. Him a long period rest, which was confirmed by the past, far from hot summer.

After onions, I sow, all over the plot, peas - oatmeal mixture. Siderata from this mixture and go before the winter. In the spring I plant potatoes, right on the straw.

Storage of the family onion

I take the dried onions home, along with the entire crop.

This is how onions are stored for food. Onions for planting, different fractions, I store in separate boxes.

In the kitchen, the temperature is sometimes quite high, but the onions keep well. The storage temperature of the bow for planting is +19 +22 degrees, otherwise the bow will go to the arrow.

The family onion keeps well. In many ways, it is better than a simple onion. You just have to want to grow it.

Growing onions from sets.

Kazan. Tatarstan.

© Sergey Kleopatrov (2012) (address of S. Kleopatrov's page in My World - mail- [email protected])

Many vegetable growers spare no effort in growing family onions and appreciate it for its mild taste, long shelf life, yield, early maturity, and lack of tendency to shoot even when frosts. He got his name because of the peculiarities of development - a few more (nest) are formed around each planted bulb. Family is also a multi-growth onion with an ordinary round turnip, and a shallot (kuschevka), which has an elongated shape and a smaller size. The classic family bow is also popularly called blue. In many families, this variety is passed down from generation to generation. Gardeners note its increased resistance to diseases, as well as to damage by an onion fly.

In order for the turnips not to be too small, it is necessary to create certain growing conditions for the family onion. Experienced vegetable growers have learned already at the stage of preparing planting material to influence the size of future bulbs and their number.

Soil Requirements

Family onions, like other species, react extremely negatively to heavy and acidic soils. If clay and stony deposits prevail on the site, then at least a year before planting, sand, organic matter and mineral fertilizers, lime or dolomite flour must be added to the soil. If you plant a family onion in clay soil, then the output will be a nest of small turnips the size of a cherry, which will quickly dry out during storage.

Family onions develop well on light, crumbly soils with a uniform structure. Excellent folk way to make the soil looser is to add crushed eggshells to it. Experienced gardeners collect it all winter, and in the spring they grind it and plant it in beds along with compost or rotted manure (the latter - in the amount of 3-4 kg per 1 m2).

The place for planting family onions should be well ventilated and lit by the sun. This is important, because during the maturation period, almost the entire nest comes out of the soil.

Planting material preparation

Experienced vegetable growers know a number of features of preparing family onions for planting, so they get good results when growing it.

• If you plant a whole large bulb, then a large “family” will form around it, all members of which will be very small, since many primordia will sprout.
• This variety has a very hard "heel" - the root part. It is carefully trimmed to living white formations. This contributes to the speedy development and growth of the bulb, almost doubling the yield.
• To get new large bulbs, the planting must be cut lengthwise into 2-3 parts so that each bud remains. You should be guided by the location of the roots on the bottom after trimming the “heel”: they are unevenly located, there should be several pieces on each of the parts of the bulb. On a properly made cut, the bottom looks bevelled.
• Some cut off the top of the bulb almost "to the shoulders", but this will result in an abundance of feathers and a shallow root part.

If there is an unfavorable infectious background on the site (plants often get sick), then it is not recommended to plant cut bulbs. You can try this method on multiple instances first.

2-3 hours before planting, family onions with trimmed bottoms (but whole bulbs) are soaked in a pink solution of potassium permanganate (any fungicide is also suitable). To stimulate growth, preparations such as "Gumistar" ("Biohumus") are used, diluted in the proportion of 1 tablespoon per 10 liters of water. In this solution, the onion is soaked for 8-10 hours. Then the water is drained, the bulbs are cut, if this method of preparation is chosen, and planted in the garden. Some remove such seed material for several days in an unheated room in order to grow roots up to 3-5 mm, and only then plant it.

landing technique

The family bow is cold-resistant, but since it matures rather quickly (70-80 days), there is no need for early planting. Regarding the timing, vegetable growers are divided into two groups: some plant it in open ground until Luke's Day (May 5), others later. The soil should warm up to +5 ° C (it ceases to be "smeared").

The beds for family onions are usually made about a meter wide, grooves are cut along them 3-5 cm deep at a distance of 20 cm.

Landing is done in a checkerboard pattern so that at the exit of the onion they form equilateral triangles with ribs of about 23 cm each - a very convenient layout.

It is impossible to press the bulbs into the soil, since the roots on the cut bottoms will be damaged, the plant will hurt for a long time.

Care

Care family bow consists in watering, loosening, nest formation and top dressing (if necessary). If the soil is favorable for growing, then the chores are minimal.

Watering

Experienced vegetable growers recommend doing nothing until a few 10 cm feathers grow on the onion. So the root system will develop better in search of moisture. Then watering is done once a week. Moisturizing stops at the end of July. You can add ammonia to the water (2 tablespoons per 10-liter bucket). This will scare away the onion fly and at the same time serve as top dressing. Loosening after watering or rains is a must.

In order for the moisture to evaporate more slowly and weeds to be suppressed, it is advisable to mulch the beds with family onions by about 5 cm (to the height of the regrown feather). To do this, you can use mowed and chopped grass with a lawn mower.

top dressing

If the soil is depleted, then it is necessary to carry out top dressing.

1. The first - after the growth of 3 leaves. Urea or carbamide is used (a tablespoon per 10-liter bucket) mixed with half a spoonful of potash fertilizer.
2. The second is at the 5-leaf stage. Potassium monophosphate is added - 1 teaspoon per 10-liter bucket of water.

If the soil is well fertilized since autumn, then additional summer top dressings can be dispensed with.

nest formation

Around the middle of June, you can see how many bulbs are planned in the nest - they begin to separate. This is the very period when there is an opportunity to influence the presentation and quality of the crop. The optimal composition of the nest is 3-5 bulbs. If there are clearly more of them, then to get a larger turnip, the extra ones are carefully removed: with one hand, the nest is held, with the other, individual onions are carefully separated from the ground and taken out.

Pulled out rudiments with a feather are eaten or used in blanks. They can be cut and frozen, and added to dishes in winter.

Pest protection

As the nest matures, it gradually emerges from the ground. Many vegetable growers specially rake the soil so that the bulbs warm up and light up - this repels the onion fly and promotes ripening.

If the tips of the pen turn yellow, then the onion is watered with salt water or slurry. Some people scatter a pack of salt in advance on the bed where they plan to plant family onions.

Sometimes vegetable growers notice that part of the onion feather on some specimens seems to be cut off. This is the work of an owl larva. To find it, you need to turn the soil around the affected plant - most likely, a thick gray caterpillar will be found, which must be eliminated.

This variety is almost not affected by rot and fungus.

Harvesting

Growing family onions ends with harvesting - in August, when the feather falls. You should not overexpose, otherwise the turnip will be poorly stored. By this time, the bulbs are already on the surface, it remains only to separate them and send them to dry.

In order for the onion to pour better after harvesting, the feather and roots are not cut off, but they are given time to dry naturally.

Those who once managed to grow a family onion no longer “let go” of it from their gardens. This is such a tasty and unpretentious variety. It can be stored up to one and a half years. Usually onions are woven into bundles and hung on the wall.

Some, having unsuccessfully planted this variety several times, refuse it because of the small bulbs. However, having adopted the experience of successful vegetable growers, you can quite simply correct the situation by competently preparing planting material and soil.

Hearing the name “family bow”, many (I confess, and I once) shrug their shoulders in bewilderment: what kind of new bow is this. In fact, it’s not new at all, it’s just that this bow is better known in my homeland as a “kushchovka”.

Why "family"?

In fact, the family onion (family) is a type of onion. But, unlike the single-rub onion that is familiar to us, this onion has several rudiments inside - usually 5 or 7, but sometimes their number can reach up to 20. All these rudiments grow in one “house”, one family, wrapped in a common outer husk, hence the nickname - family.

Distinctive features, description of the family bow

Compared to ordinary onions, family onions are more juicy and fragrant. In addition, it is not as bitter as onions, so some gourmets even consider it dessert, if such a definition applies to onions at all.

Family onions are early maturing and less demanding on soil and growing conditions. Compared to ordinary onions, it is more disease resistant, primarily various types rot.

And yet, most housewives do not like this subspecies of onion, planting it mainly for growing on greens. This is understandable: the head of such an onion has to be not only cleaned, but also disassembled into its constituent rudiments, most of which are often wrapped in their own husks. Therefore, in comparison with ordinary onions, cleaning family onions takes more time and effort.

But still, rarely is a garden in our country complete without a bed of family onions. Depending on the preferences of its owners, it can be more or less, but there is almost always. It is valued not only for its excellent taste, but also for its early maturity and high keeping quality.

Small shallots contain more solids and are better suited for long-term storage than large onions. It’s not that they don’t rot at all, but their quantity, saturation with dry matter and isolation from each other do their job: if one bulb is rotten, the others remain healthy and suitable for food.

The early maturity of the family onion also contributes to its keeping quality. It quickly forms heads, but then just as quickly ages and dries out, so its bulbs are very rarely affected by neck rot and downy mildew.

Due to the fact that in a family onion, not one, but several bulbs grow from one bulb, then, although the weight of individual bulbs is smaller, the overall yield of the garden bed is invariably higher. Moreover, depending on the variety, weather conditions and the efforts of the owner, this difference can be very noticeable and reach up to 50%.

Appearance of the family bow

Family onion bulbs are small, weighing from 25 to 50 grams, although now there are already varieties of it with larger bulbs. At the bottom, all the bulbs are attached to a single nest. Appearance mature heads of family onions look like some kind of fantastic flower, with its outlines a bit like a tulip. Depending on the variety, they can be of the most diverse form; oblong, ovoid, pitcher-shaped, elongated, cuboid.

Also, the color of the scales depends on the variety: red, bronze, golden or purple. The flesh of the bulbs on the cut is predominantly white, but in some varieties it can show off a pinkish-lilac hue.

The family onion sprouts before the onion, and with several feathers at once, it sprouts. These green leaves are thin, juicy, covered with a slight waxy coating, and almost without bitterness. Salad of crushed leaves of family onions and young radishes - the first vegetable dish new harvest, appearing annually on many tables.

Yes, and the family onion itself, as if specially adapted by nature for such use, and easily gives 2-3 leaves for lettuce without any damage to productivity. In addition, unlike onion leaves, family onion leaves leave almost no odor from the mouth, so you can enjoy this dish even at breakfast before work or in the evening, before a romantic date.

The nuances of growing

Planting and caring for family onions are almost the same as planting and caring for onions. Yes, and these two varieties are often grown on the same bed.

Best of all, family onions grow in open ground on loose, fertile soils, with a pH close to neutral. The best predecessors for it will be legumes, potatoes, cucumbers, cabbage or tomatoes.

Family onions are planted mainly in spring, although autumn planting is also possible. Bulbs are planted in the garden very early: as soon as the snow comes off the garden and the earth dries enough to start processing and planting it. Depending on the weather conditions and the growing region, the timing may shift slightly, but in most regions it is early or mid-April.

Such early dates planting is explained simply: onion is a cold-resistant plant, and calmly tolerates frosts of minus 6-7 °. At the same time, its root system can actively grow and develop just at low temperatures. But the leaves, although they can withstand frost, grow better at a higher temperature - from 15 to 25 °.

If you are late with planting a family onion, then it will “drive” the ground part to the detriment of the root system, and in the end will not be able to form full-fledged healthy bulbs.

Another argument in favor of early spring planting family onion - it is a plant of a long day, i.e. grows and develops better with an increasing length of daylight hours. The longest day of the year is June 22, and usually by this day the bulbs of the family onion are already formed.

Preparation for planting and planting bulbs

Immediately before planting, the bulbs of the family onion should be sorted out. Often, family onion bulbs are stored right in the nests - before planting, they need to be divided, rotten and damaged should be discarded.

For planting, it is better to select medium-sized bulbs: large ones are wasteful to plant, and small ones are impractical, good harvest of them will not. Small bulbs can only be useful for forcing on a green feather.

Immediately before planting, the bulbs should be soaked for 15-20 minutes. in a slightly pink solution of potassium permanganate or treated with a fungicide to protect against diseases and pests. Some gardeners advise for this to warm the bulbs for 7 hours at a temperature of 35 °. I myself have never used such a method of disinfection, so I can not judge its effectiveness.

Bulbs are planted in grooves cut during planting with a depth of 5-6 cm. Wood ash is added to the bottom of the planting furrows - 2-3 cups per running meter. This type of onion is planted according to the scheme: 10-15 cm between the bulbs and 20 cm between the furrows. Such a scheme allows you to care for the bulbous bed without any problems, and to provide each bulb with an area sufficient for its growth and development.

It should be planted with a sharp tip up, since it is from it that the sprouts of future leaves will sprout. From above, the bulbs are sprinkled with a layer of earth of 2-3 cm. In this case, depending on the weather, green shoots appear 2-3 weeks after planting. If you plant the bulbs deeper, then the germination time will increase.

Features of autumn planting

Family onions, as an unpretentious and frost-resistant plant, can be planted before winter. Usually recommended optimal timing planting - the end of September, but for many years I have been planting a bush after the Intercession - October 14, and have never been left without a crop.

For planting, I use bulbs 1.5-2 cm in diameter - a little smaller than they are planted in the spring. If you plant the same as in spring (2.5-3 cm), a lot goes to the arrows, I was convinced from my own experience.

At the same time, he left the spring agricultural cultivation technique almost unchanged, adding only two nuances to it:

1. I also plant the bulbs in furrows 5-6 cm deep, but I fill them up to the top. After all, I don’t need the onion to start growing in the winter, the main task is for it to safely overwinter in the soil until spring.
2. In mid-November, I cover the bed in 2 layers: first, about 10 cm with a layer of fallen leaves, and on top of them - with a layer of corn stalks of approximately the same thickness. The latter, firstly, do not allow the wind to blow lighter leaves, and secondly, they retain snow well.

In early spring, when the snow has already melted, but it still freezes in the morning, I remove the shelter, and by the time the neighbors are just planting onions in the garden, mine is already sprouting. That's all the wisdom, I don't spend any autumn watering and fertilizing on the planted onions.

Bulb garden care

Until the ground part of the planted bulbs grows by 10-12 cm, any actions on the bulbous bed are not only unnecessary, but can also harm the future harvest.

Do not forget that at this time the planted bulbs are actively forming the root system, and the artificial "forcing" of onion leaves will lead to its weakening.

The only exception is if it becomes necessary to loosen the soil (for example, after heavy rain), then this must be done in order to prevent the appearance of a crust. Otherwise, no watering and top dressing at this time is needed for the family bow.

When the leaves of the family onion grow to 10 cm, the bed needs to be watered and mulched.. It is necessary to decide on irrigation based on the specific situation: during early planting, when there is still enough moisture in the ground from melted snow, and if it still rains on the ground, it may not be required.

Mulching is also not a mandatory agricultural technique, but I advise you to do it anyway. Unlike ordinary onions, family onions form bulbs almost at the very surface of the earth, and besides, these bulbs are small in size, so they are more exposed to the hot sun. Mulch will not only cover them, but will also help retain moisture in the soil and prevent weeds from germinating.

Onions should not be watered often, but plentifully: 2-2.5 buckets of water per m², depending on the weather, watering should be carried out 1 time in 7-10 days, be sure to take into account the amount and intensity of rainfall during their implementation. If during the growing season and especially the formation of bulbs, the onion lacks moisture in the soil, the heads will form small, and if it is in excess, they will be poorly stored.

When growing family onions, fertilizing with mineral fertilizers, as a rule, is not carried out. This variety of onions has a short fruiting period, and from the mineral fertilizers applied, it does not have time to "take" almost anything.

If, during cultivation, there is still a need for top dressing, then it is better to carry them out with organic fertilizers: mullein diluted in water in a ratio of 1:10 or bird droppings in a ratio of 1:15. Usually, such top dressing is applied at the beginning of the formation of bulbs, but on poor soils it is permissible to carry out one more, more early feeding- in the phase of intensive growth of green mass.

In general, the issue of feeding family onions is rather controversial. In my opinion, the introduction of organic dressings during the formation of the bulbs delays their ripening, worsens the taste and keeping quality.

For example, if I see that his feathers have slowed down their growth and their tips begin to turn yellow, I feed with ammonium nitrate, diluting 15 grams of fertilizer in 10 liters of water, and for greater efficiency I also add a glass of wood ash to this solution.

It is not even worth mentioning the timely loosening of the soil and the removal of weeds - these are necessary measures when growing any vegetable crop.

Disease and pest control

Like ordinary onions, family onions can be affected by many diseases and pests. And although this occurs relatively rarely with proper agricultural cultivation, it is still impossible to completely exclude such a danger.

One of the most "annoying" onion pests is the ubiquitous aphid. To get rid of it, onion leaves are sprayed with Verticillin. You can also use proven folk remedies: tinctures of wormwood, yarrow or hot pepper.

With wormwood and yarrow, you can protect your garden from onion flies by simply spreading their branches throughout the garden and periodically changing them to fresh ones. I have been practicing mixed plantings of onions and carrots for many decades, alternating two rows of one and the other plant. Caring for such a bed is a little more difficult than for ordinary plantings, but neither the onion nor the carrot fly bothers the plants.

Harvest and storage

Depending on the timing of planting, family onions ripen in late July-early August. Shrunken leaves and “clothing” of the bulbs in dry husks testify to the ripening of the onion. Harvest begins when the necks of the bulbs become dry.

Preparation for harvesting begins in early to mid-July, when watering is stopped. At this time, excess moisture in the soil can lead to the resumption of bulb growth, which will subsequently adversely affect their storage.

Choose bulbs from the ground in dry sunny weather to be able to dry them in the sun. It is best to dry the bulbs on a fabric laid out on the ground, for example, a blanket, but if you have to choose bulbs from damp ground, then it is better to use plastic wrap.

To dry the bulbs, they are cleaned of the earth adhering to them and cut off the roots, and then laid out in one row on a blanket or film. It is not necessary to cut dry onion leaves at this stage; they are cut off immediately before being sent for storage. Although I don’t cut dry leaves from family onions at all, it’s more convenient for me to collect and sort out bulbs with them.

In sunny weather, 2-3 days are usually enough to dry the onion well, while at night it must be removed under cover. If the weather is rainy, then it is better to dry the onion completely under a canopy, but increase its time to 7-10 days.

They store family onions, like onions, braided or in small wicker baskets.. You can also store them in small paper boxes, having previously made 10-15 small holes for ventilation in their walls.

Before the onset of cold weather, bulbs can be stored in a barn or in a veranda, and for the winter you will have to find appropriate place at home in a closet. It is risky to demolish the bulbs for the winter in the cellar or basement, since they often high humidity which adversely affects storage.

Are onions and shallots the same thing?

Shallot

The question is interesting and controversial. Family onions and shallots are so similar that they are perceived as one species. But most botanists still agree that these are two different types of onions. As proof of their correctness, they give several arguments on the structure and biological features these species, which personally did not convince me of anything.

According to gardeners, most of them make no difference when planting shallots as family onions and vice versa. Yes, and what difference does it make to us, gardeners, whether it is one species or two.

What is important for us: that our beds please us bountiful harvest delicious and healthy vegetables. And how this vegetable is correctly called: family onions or shallots - it doesn’t matter to me personally. As my grandfather liked to repeat: call at least a pot, so long as they don’t put it in the oven.

Family onions: growing experience

I have not grown onions from purchased sets for a long time. Somehow I prefer the family onion. In the literature and periodicals there are the names "family", "shallot".

I still can't figure out if these are different names for the same bow or if they are different bows. Different sources write differently. Some authors put an equal sign between these names, others divide them into different types. For example, they write about shallots that he does not shoot. The leaf is thinner, 30 cm high. The bulbs are small and not sharp. Then I definitely don't have shallots.

In my opinion, a family bow has many advantages. Stored until the new harvest is guaranteed. What was not eaten lay for a year and a half. Doesn't dry out. The onion fly is weakly affected, single onions. Whereas the onion fly on the set had to be fought. It adapts well to new growing conditions. There are practically no diseases. In the most unfavorable years, I noticed a Fusarium disease of less than a dozen bulbs per centner.

Seed material is always your own and there is an opportunity to conduct selection. These bows are very fast. Only 70-80 days pass from planting to ripening bulbs. It is also good for greens - after planting, it grows quickly, after 25-30 days the greens can be cut. The taste added to different dishes is also liked by my family more. Although in salads it is not the best - quite spicy.

I grow family onions, like other crops, without digging the soil.

I have been preparing the beds for planting since autumn - I level them with a rake and if there is fine organic matter, I mulch with a thin layer. If there is no such organic matter, I leave it open.

We plant the family at the same time as the carrots, while the ground is moist and not particularly warm. He is not afraid of frosts, and the soil temperature is optimal for good root development. The growing season of the family onion allows it to be grown at a later planting, but the yield is somewhat lower.

Before planting, I prepare the bulbs. I cut off the dry neck and trim the bottom to fresh roots. The fact is that the bottom of the family bow is closed with a lignified “heel”. If you leave it, then there are few roots on the bulb, the development of the nest is delayed, and the yield can be halved.

Then I soak it overnight in water. Before planting, if necessary, I cut the onions into halves or even quarters along the bulb. There is important point. The roots of the family bow on the bottom are not evenly placed. Pay attention to the photos. On the one hand, there are almost no roots. You need to pay attention to this. We cut so that approximately the same number of roots remain on the halves. If we cut into quarters, it is necessary that the roots are on all parts.

Another interesting observation. The direction of the cut is very important, not only because of the number of roots. The rudiments of future bulbs in the family bow are located in a certain way. Look at the photo. The bulb has an irregular shape. The bottom is beveled to one side. When cutting, each half should look exactly like this. Then the number of bulbs in the nest is less and the bulbs are larger. If you turn the cut line 90 degrees, then in the nest that has grown from a half there will be almost as many onions as from a whole uterine bulb, but they will be smaller - the total yield will decrease.

Some experts recommend cutting off the bulb "on the shoulders" - then the location of the primordia is visible. But such a technique, according to my observations, leads to an increase in the number of feathers, and the weight of the bulb decreases. So I am guided by the bottom.

I do not carry out any additional processing of slices of bulbs. I have not had cases of rotting of the bulbs on the cut. If you are thinking of using cutting, try it on a few bulbs first. I have a very low infectious background on my site, it’s hard to imagine how chopped onions will behave in you. But many of my friends already do this and do not complain.

In the spring, at the very beginning of May, I make grooves with a depth of 5-7 cm with a flat cutter. I make three grooves on a narrow (50 cm) bed. I sprinkle the grooves with a small amount of ash. I plant the bulbs in a checkerboard pattern, with a distance of 15-30 cm in a row, depending on the variety. Some varieties are genetically predisposed to produce large bulbs and a powerful feather, others are more modest.

I stick the bulbs into the grooves so that the upper edge of the bulb is 2-3 cm lower than the soil. At this time, the soil is still wet, so watering is not required.

If there is small, loose organic matter, I immediately mulch in a small layer. As soon as the feathers rise by 5-10 cm, I mulch the bed to the entire height of the feather. I arrange the mulch so that it does not lie on top of the feathers, so as not to interfere with their growth.

If the organic matter of the mulch is dense enough, then the care ends there. Mulch suppresses weeds and retains moisture well. In dry years, watering in the first half of the growing season is desirable to obtain the maximum yield. I don't use any fertilisers.

To ripen the bulbs, it is advised to rake the earth from them. I never do it. Bulbs, pouring, themselves rise above the ground. In a dry year, by the time of harvesting, there is still a layer of mulch 3-5 cm in the garden. But I don’t rake the mulch either. Bulbs ripen well despite moist soil under mulch. And in the future they are stored without problems.

I clean it when the tops are mostly planted. But I'm not in a hurry to clean it, I wait until the neck becomes dry, soft. I lay the harvested onion on a grid in the sun. So he lies until the pen dries. I do not shelter from the rain. It happened that it got wet and dried several times - it is stored perfectly. In wetter regions, it is probably better to dry under a canopy. When the feather dries, but is not yet brittle, I cut the leaves, leaving 10-12 cm, and tie them into braids. I hang them on the veranda. There, the bow hangs until the onset of negative night temperatures. Then I bring it into the house. This bow does not need a special place for storage - I put some on the closet, some I place in a basket or net somewhere in a corner away from my eyes.

Then I bring it into the house. This bow does not need a special place for storage - I put some on the closet, some I place in a basket or net somewhere in a corner away from my eyes. I hang one or two braids near the stove - for immediate use.

Often, gardeners do not take family onions seriously - they will give birth to many small bulbs that you are tormented to clean. In some areas, even the names themselves speak for themselves: Shrike, Kushchevka, Kustovka. But family bows can differ greatly from each other in size, shape, taste, number of bulbs in the nest. From my mother at one time I got a family bow, without a name. Gave 8-16 medium and small onions. Of course, the onion is small. But it is stored until the new harvest, and if not eaten, then longer. Because of this quality, he was always planted little by little - "in the spring." At the end of winter and spring, onions are already over, stores are already expensive. And family just in time. It is this bow that is widely distributed in our area. Once I read in the newspaper about a family onion with large bulbs. The information is interesting. I began to pay attention to family onions in local markets. Bought several varieties. Their names are unknown. I bought a bow from Kurgan and Vologda by mail. Got something in exchange at the club. So for a few recent years several varieties of family onions have passed through my hands. Some had to be abandoned, leaving the best. But the fate of the rest is still being decided. I decided one thing for myself: this bow is worthy of the attention of gardeners.

Sometimes you have to hear that the onion has degenerated, one little thing is growing. Sometimes it happens because of illness, then it is difficult to help. But in most cases, “degeneration” is nothing more than the “selection activity” of the gardener himself. Only selection is aimed not at improvement, but at deterioration. For planting from the crop, small onions are taken according to the type of set. And the onion grows smaller from growing season to growing season.

Over time, I figured out how to get larger bulbs from any family onion. I use two methods. The first one is very simple. We plant the onion as usual. Then I look when the scales of the uterine bulb burst. When this moment comes, I look through the nests. In those nests where there are a lot of bulbs, I carefully remove the extra ones from the center. I hold the nest with one hand, with the other I take the false trunk as low as possible and twist it. I leave 3-4 onions in the nest. Larger bulbs grow in such a nest.

The second way is also not difficult. I cut the bulbs before planting. As in the photo. Multi-primary bulbs can also be cut into 4 parts. As a result, few bulbs grow in the nest. According to my observations, when using the second method, the bulbs are larger than in the first method. Cutting allows you to get twice as much planting material, without loss of yield. Not only are the bulbs much larger, but the overall yield is more significant.

The first way allows you to have a long green onion for food without additional boarding.

For planting next year, I select several of the largest bulbs - “for the tribe”. For planting on food, I take medium bulbs. In my conditions, from each part of the cut onion, the yield is greater than from a small onion.

I plant large bulbs "for the tribe" too different ways. Some I cut to get large bulbs, some I plant as is. Whole large bulbs produce many medium and small bulbs. These bulbs, as a rule, have few primordia, and a small number of large bulbs grow from them - for food. Of these, I again select the largest bulbs for the seed plot.

In our conditions, onions almost always fall under frost. Perhaps for this (by analogy with onion) there are single arrows. Their number is small, and they do not create a problem. I do not use seeds from arrows - most are not ripe. Connoisseurs write that it is good to use seeds for healing family onions. I have never done this - yields are easily maintained by simple selection.

Small bulbs of family onions (1-2 cm in diameter) can be planted before winter. If the onion has time to take root, it easily overwinter. Once, in November, the temperature was minus 20 degrees for 10 days, without snow. Onions wintered without loss. On my site, I plant onions before winter in the third decade of September - the first decade of October. When planting at a later date, the likelihood of freezing increases. Winter planting of very small bulbs allows you to get full-weight bulbs. In addition, during autumn planting, the feather appears 5-7 days earlier. Podzimnye onion plantings on my site do not play a big role, more for the experiment.

This bow can also be used for summer plantings - in July-August, then the greens are harvested in the fall. The feather of perennial bows is already stiff at this time.

Oleg Telepov , Omsk region

November 2009

Foreword

In order for the planting of shallots to be as successful as possible, you need to prepare the soil and planting material well. We tell you how to properly plant and care for the crop.

Family onion (shallot) is a cold-resistant plant. If you dry the bulbs well, they will not lose their viability even when freezing. True, it is necessary to exclude repeated freezing and thawing of the bulbs, since this can lead to their decay. In addition, shallots are moisture and photophilous, require regular watering, especially at the beginning of development.

Family Shallot

The root system of the culture is rather weak, while the bulk of the roots are in top layer soil, which is very important when loosening the soil - you need to be careful not to damage the root system. This onion also loves loose and fertile soils with a neutral reaction. On acidic soil, the family onion will turn yellow early, the bulbs will become small. It is advisable to plant shallots in beds where tomatoes, cucumbers or potatoes have grown before. Having removed the crops preceding the onion, the soil in the garden should be dug up on a shovel bayonet - this is about 15–20 cm. Apply organic or mineral fertilizers to the soil. If the area is close to ground water, you will have to plant the plant in a raised bed.

When choosing seed material, pay attention to its condition: the bulbs should not be damaged by diseases or pests, it is important to sort the seed material before planting. You also need to divide the planting material by size, on which the planting pattern will depend. The distance between rows of family onions should be approximately 30 cm, between plants when using small fraction bulbs - approximately 10 cm, medium - about 15 cm and large - up to 30 cm.

Highly milestone- preparation for planting onions. 7-10 days before planting, be sure to warm the bulbs at a temperature of +40 ° C for at least 8 hours. This will reduce the risk of diseases. Immediately before planting, you need to soak the bulbs in warm water(not more than +30 °C). And to avoid the appearance, treat the seed material in a solution of potassium permanganate (prepare a mixture of 1 g of potassium permanganate in 2 liters of water).

It is best to plant family onions in early spring, for example, at the end of April. The formation of the bulb should fall on a long daylight hours (about 15 hours). If the plant is planted later, when daylight hours decrease, this can lead to the fact that the bulbs do not ripen and, as a result, will not be stored for a long time. In addition, in early spring there is still enough moisture in the soil, and the average temperature, which has reached about +8 ° C, is ideal for the growth of the root system. Seedlings from early planting will appear in just 2 weeks.

Planting family onions in early spring

With a later planting, at a time when the soil dries quickly and the temperature exceeds +15 ° C, the growth of green mass exceeds the growth of the root system. In this case, it is likely that the bulbs simply do not ripen and cannot be stored. In addition, with late planting, the first shoots will appear only after a month, the plant itself will suffer from a lack of micronutrients and moisture. In order for the bulbs to take root better in the ground, they need to be planted to a depth of no more than 5 cm. The layer of earth above the seed itself should be about 3 cm.

Some choose to plant shallots in the fall. The benefits include:

1. No need for winter storage of bulbs;
2. Plants that are rooted in winter period, make the most efficient use of spring moisture reserves in the soil.
3. Bulbs ripen about 10 days earlier than during spring planting.
4. You can harvest greens after June 15th.

During active growth, it is often necessary to loosen and water the beds with onions. On average, family onions require about three waterings in the spring, especially in dry weather. If the culture lacks moisture and nutrients, the green mass will begin to grow more slowly, the bulbs will be very small, unsuitable for storage. Don't forget about feeding. In mid-June, add a solution of manure infusion or bird droppings to the soil. Alternatively, you can use complex mineral fertilizers - about 40–50 g per bucket of water.

After feeding the plants, be sure to water the beds with water. Throughout the growing season, you need to loosen the beds, especially during the growth of leaves, which will destroy the eggs of pests. Be sure to break out the arrows until they have reached a length of 10 cm. Otherwise, the green mass will grow and the bulb yield will decrease significantly. In early July, you need to ration the bulbs in the nest: carefully rake the soil from the plants and completely remove all shoots, leaving only 3 or 4 feathers. Thanks to this, the bulbs will become larger. Also in July, try not to feed the beds with fertilizers with a high nitrogen content, and also reduce the amount of watering. This is necessary so that the onion does not germinate in winter.

The main signal for the need for cleaning is lodging of leaves. If you delay with harvesting, this will lead to a decrease in the keeping quality of the crop and yield.

If you have chosen early-ripening varieties for planting, then it is better to start harvesting at the end of July. Harvesting of mid-season and mid-late varieties is carried out in the first decade of August. After harvesting, leave the bulbs to ripen in the garden for at least a few days.

After that, dry leaves can be very quickly separated from the bulbs by hand, some housewives braid them into braids for convenient storage in suspended form. It is best to store the onion family at temperatures from zero to +10 ° C and at a humidity of 70%. Seed material should be stored at +20 °C in a dark cellar.

On the plots of many gardeners, you can see a family onion, which is a variety of the familiar onion. It is valued for its aroma, excellent taste, while, subject to the rules of agricultural technology, the "family" gives excellent yields.

Description and characteristics of the family bow

Such a vegetable crop as onion has several varieties. Among them is a group of multi-bearing varieties with a large number of onions in the nest. Their number depends on the variety, on average, from 4 to 10 pieces are formed (but it can be much more). It is this category that includes the family onion, which has long been grown in the northern, northwestern and central regions of Russia.

What is the difference between a family onion and other varieties:

1. Several bulbs are formed in one nest, while the mass of each reaches approximately 30-50 grams. When carrying out special agricultural technology, it is possible to grow larger (up to 70-80 grams) onions.
2. The leaves are hollow, covered with a wax coating on top. Color - green, saturated. They have a mild and not too spicy taste.
3. Onions of the "family" are usually oblong in shape, the color of the covering scales depends on the variety. The taste of the pulp is pleasant, without bitterness. That is why such an onion is widely used in the preparation of various dishes.
4. Family onions are perfectly stored, without problems "surviving" until spring. The main thing is to observe the rules of storage (humidity and temperature regime).

IMPORTANT! Such onions are propagated vegetatively, taking some of the onions from the nest for food, and some for future planting.

"Family" is characterized by unpretentiousness, resistance to low temperatures, good yields. Growing it allows you to get good yields from a fairly small area.

The best varieties

In many regions of the country, family onions are grown without even knowing the names of the variety. The thing is that it was planted by previous generations, and because of the prescription of time, as well as due to constant updates of planting material, it is quite difficult to keep track of the purity of the variety.

Another feature is that, along with new varieties, gardeners successfully grow old ones, which have successfully proven themselves for many years.

Knyazhich

One of the best varieties"families" - fruitful, unpretentious in cultivation, perfectly preserved all winter. In one nest, usually up to 8-10 onions are formed, on average, the mass is 50-60 grams. The upper scales have a reddish color, the flesh is juicy, with a pink tint.

Veliky Ustyug

This family onion has long been grown in the Russian North. The bulbs are burgundy in color and have firm flesh. Weight on average - up to 70-80 grams. The peculiarity of the variety is a vigorous and spicy taste. In one nest grows up to 8-10 bulbs.

Old Believer

There are real legends about this bow, as it is believed that its bulbs have valuable medicinal properties. The variety was bred in the Old Believer sketes of the North, very unpretentious, with large bulbs. The covering scales have a copper tint, the flesh is white.

White Queen

An unusual variety of family onions, differing in color - the upper scales have a creamy tint. The pulp is white, has a sharp spicy taste. One plant forms up to 7-10 bulbs, each weighing up to 60-70 grams. The shape of the bulbs resembles a large chicken egg.

Grandee

Variety "family", which is suitable for both greens and bulbs. In the nest grows up to 6-11 onions, which have an original flat shape. Bulbs are yellow.

Prometheus

The Prometheus family onion is distinguished by its mild taste and high yield. This variety is quite large - up to 80 grams, in one nest with proper care grows up to 8-10 full mature bulbs.

Water lily

Those who love sweet onion varieties should pay attention to the Water Lily variety. Its bulbs, shaped like small beautiful jugs, have juicy, bitter-free flesh. One plant forms up to 5-6 bulbs, each weighing up to 70 grams.

IMPORTANT! Many people confuse family onions and perennial shallots. But although the shallot is a multi-germ, its bulbs are smaller, and the taste is completely different.

Almost all of the listed family onions are early ripe varieties that are suitable for growing in middle lane, regions of the North-West, the Urals and Siberia. Ripening time - an average of 80-90 days from the moment the first sprouts appear in the open field. There are no special rules for agricultural technology for each of these regions, usually gardeners are guided by the climatic conditions of the area. So, in the Moscow region and the middle lane, it is getting warmer faster than in Siberia, and therefore the landing dates for the "family" will be earlier.

Such onions are harvested from late July to mid-August, and again, they are guided by the weather and climate of the region.

Features of cultivation and planting dates

Agrotechnics of family onions is not difficult. All basic techniques are standard, the main thing is care and regular care.

Since this variety is a fairly cold-resistant plant, it is necessary to choose the optimal planting time correctly. Some gardeners plant a "family", waiting for warm spring days, and make a mistake. With such a planting, the onions begin to intensively “drive” the feather, and the roots will not be sufficiently developed. This will negatively affect the weight of the bulbs and the overall yield in the future.

Therefore, the best planting dates fall on the period when the temperature is set within +2 ... + 14ºС, and the soil warms up to about +5..6 ºС.

ON A NOTE! It has long been believed that it is best to plant family onions before May 5th. According to the folk calendar, this is the day of Luke.

In most regions of Russia, such a temperature regime falls on the middle or end of April. Much, of course, depends on the specific season, so you need to focus on the weather.

How to cut before planting

Planting material needs to be prepared, while, along with traditional disinfection, soaking in nutrient solutions and germination, it is customary to cut the onions at the “family”. This makes it possible to obtain not only a high yield, but also larger bulbs.

They are most often cut in half, vertically, but can also be divided into four parts. In this case, you need to know the following: the rudiments, like the roots in the lower part, are unevenly located in the bulb, therefore, when cutting, it is necessary to make sure that there are both rudiments and roots in each lobe.

ON A NOTE! The lower part of the onion "family" is covered with a hard "heel". It must be carefully cut so that the growth of the roots does not linger.

For disinfection, the "family" is soaked in a solution of potassium permanganate (the solution must have pink color) or in a solution of copper sulphate (one tablespoon of vitriol is taken in a bucket of water).

It is also advisable to soak the onions for about 10 hours in any growth stimulator. You can use a complex fertilizer, which will allow the bulbs to replenish the supply of nutrients they need for growth. After that, the onions are germinated for several days in a container, poured with water so that the roots appear. And only after that, just before planting, they are cut and planted on a ridge.

Soil preparation

The family onion loves light nutrient soils, but grows well on loam. It is advisable to prepare the bed in the fall, then fertilizers are also applied. You can use humus, compost by adding superphosphate (about 25 grams each) and potassium salt (15 grams). All application rates are given per square metre.

ON A NOTE! On acidic soils, any onion grows poorly. Therefore, it is imperative to make fluff lime or dolomite flour on such areas without fail.

The place should be chosen sunny, without winds. The best garden crops that grew before onions would be:

• carrot;
• potato;
• legumes.

It is unacceptable that groundwater passes close to the place where onions are grown, it is also undesirable that snow accumulates here and there is a lowland.

Is it possible to plant before winter?

Many gardeners successfully plant "family" bulbs before winter. In this case, earlier harvests are obtained, and the greens can be cut already in late May - early June.

At the same time, it must be remembered that planting onions before winter is carried out at such a time that the onions can take root, but do not grow. Usually - this happens in late September - early October.

Features of planting in the spring

If the bed has been prepared since autumn, then in the spring you only need to carefully loosen the soil, then make grooves for planting onions.

The furrows themselves are carefully shed, then wood ash can be added. Many gardeners simply cover the furrows with ash, while others lightly bury the fertilizer in the soil.

Landing pattern

The family onion loves space, so when cutting rows, it is important to observe certain distances:

• between rows - up to 20-25 cm;
• between bulbs - up to 10 cm.

Medium-sized onions should be selected for planting (if planting is in whole specimens), as well as cut slices of a large "family".

ON A NOTE! If distances are shortened, the bulbs will grow small, which will reduce the overall yield.

A trifle can be planted only for greenery, and a thickened planting is also suitable for such bulbs.

Harvest care

So, the onion is planted and now, for about 8-10 days, you can only watch the onion bed. It is not worth rushing to water the onions, let the roots of the plants themselves “find” moisture in the soil. This approach contributes to the growth of a strong root system, and hence the formation of high-quality full-fledged bulbs in the future.

As soon as the onion greens reach 8-10 centimeters, the plants can be mulched. It is best to use mowed grass or hay for this. Why is mulch useful? It retains moisture in the soil, provides air access, and also reliable protection from weeds.

top dressing

Many are interested in whether it is necessary to feed onions? If fertilizers were applied in accordance with the norms in the fall, then such a “lunch” for a family beam should be enough for the whole season. But it may also be that the onion grows slowly, its feather is too small and weak. So, you need to make top dressing:

• take 10 grams of ammonium nitrate and 15 grams of potassium salt per bucket of water;
• from organic matter, mullein or bird droppings are used, diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10 and 1:20.

Also good effect gives watering onions with infusion of wood ash.

Watering

The irrigation regime depends on the weather, rainfall, soil characteristics. General rule this: they water the family onions about once a week, the calculation is 20 liters per “square” of the garden.

Both waterlogging and severe drying of the soil are not allowed. Therefore, a good "helper" will be a mulch that provides onions optimal conditions for growth. Watering is needed in the first period of vegetation of plants, then they are stopped.

How to grow large family onions

Very many gardeners refuse to grow a "family", believing that they cannot get large and full-fledged bulbs with it. But in fact, this is not the case, and with proper care, as well as the selection of high-quality seed material, the results will be very good. 7. Some "secrets" from experienced gardeners who have been getting large onions for many years will also help.

• After harvesting and before planting, onions need to be sorted. Often, inexperienced gardeners select small family onions for planting. But this leads to the crushing of the variety and a significant decrease in the overall yield.
• Medium bulbs are selected for food, large ones for planting for the next season, small ones are usually planted for greenery.
• Large specimens are cut before planting, as a result, a small number of good full-fledged bulbs will grow in the nest.
• Another trick: during the formation of the nest, one or two smaller onions are removed from it, leaving 3-4 pieces there.
• In order for the bulbs to grow large, you can not cut the feather of these plants for greenery.

It is also important to choose the right place for the bow, good soil, since large bulbs cannot be obtained on heavy and poor soils.

Cleaning the family onion

In most Russian regions, already at the end of July, the feather of the family onion begins to fall. This is the main signal that the harvest time is coming.

ON A NOTE! During this period, one must not miss the moment of withering of the feather and lodging of the onion, removing the onion from the row in time. This will allow you to better store it in the winter.

If you delay with harvesting, then the bulbs will begin to become active again in growth, thereby violating their dormant period. Such an onion will not store well.

A sunny, clear day is chosen for harvesting. Onions are carefully dug out of the ground, shake off the soil from the bulbs, and lay on the bed to dry. If the weather does not allow drying the onion on the ridge, then you will have to remove it under a canopy and dry it there.

The time it takes to dry onions is about 15 days. Dry in attics, on the veranda, under canopies closed from the rain, laying out the bulbs in one layer and regularly turning them over.

The temperature should be in the range of + 20-30ºС. All damaged specimens are removed to prevent other onions from rotting.

In a well-dried onion, the neck becomes thin and completely dry. In addition, when sorting out, the bulbs make a pleasant rustle. Once you have made sure that your onion is dry, you can carefully trim the feather, leaving no more than 3-4 cm.

ON A NOTE! When storing onions in "braids", the leaves are not cut off. After drying, all the bulbs are tied into long garlands.

How to store

The family onion is perfectly stored at home, subject to the temperature regime. The optimum temperature is + 18 ... + 22 ºС, humidity is low.

Many people store onions right in the kitchen, scattering them in baskets, boxes, boxes. The “family” is unpretentious, well stored, but in winter, onions should still be occasionally inspected, discarding dried or soft specimens.