When and how to harvest onions in the northwest: recommendations for digging in different regions of Russia

Although it seems that the climate of the Leningrad or Arkhangelsk region is not at all suitable for growing vegetables, carrots, peas, cabbage and even onions are planted in fields and gardens. The weather in this region is not pleasant with a large number of sunny days, high temperatures, and warm nights. It happens that by the end of summer it does not stop raining, and the ripening time of agricultural crops is delayed. You can tell when it’s time to harvest onions in the northwest by paying attention to certain signs. It is important not to miss the moment of full ripening, otherwise the harvest, harvested at the wrong time, will not be stored, but will rot and deteriorate.

Peculiarities of onion harvesting in the northwest

The heat-loving crop can be grown in Siberia, and in the Pskov and Vologda regions. But autumn comes to these regions quickly, and, despite the fact that in August the sun is still shining and even warming, at night there is no longer any heat, thick fogs appear, and the gap between daytime temperatures increases. In the north-west, early varieties of onions are grown, which ripen in 90 days, and medium ones - within 120; late varieties do not ripen here.

In the Arkhangelsk region

In the northern part of the region, which has a significant territory, vegetables are planted somewhat later than in the south, and the harvesting dates also differ. Heat-loving tomatoes even ripen in open beds in the Arkhangelsk region. Onions are harvested here until mid-August; in sunny summers, harvesting the product for the winter begins in the last ten days of July. They are rushing to complete the work before the rains.

In the Leningrad region

Residents of St. Petersburg and its environs are not happy with the abundance of sun and warmth in summer; high humidity is constantly present. Summer residents plant on their plots onion onions, which are usually harvested in mid-August, but the period is adjusted taking into account:

• crop varieties;
• weather conditions;
• external signs;
• location of the site.

Cleaning is carried out on fine days, without waiting for bad weather. Otherwise, preparing onions for the winter becomes problematic.

In the Kaliningrad region

Growing crops from seedlings in regions where summers are short allows you to get a full harvest. In such climatic conditions as the Kaliningrad region is located in, varieties with a long growing season are selected.

The bulbs ripen faster and are stored well, unlike growing from seeds, which is possible in the southern regions and in the middle zone.

From the beginning, summer residents and gardeners in the Kaliningrad region are trying to harvest their crops before the rains begin. Onions are planted here when the soil warms up to 10 degrees, and this happens in late April - early May. From the third ten days of July, when the days are clear, they begin to harvest the bulbs for winter storage.

In the Novgorod region

Vegetable crops are grown in protected and open ground on the territory of the Valdai Upland and the Ilmen Lowland, which belong to the Novgorod region.

First, summer residents and gardeners plant local varieties from sets with bulbs 2 cm in diameter, and then use selections, which, with a short summer, ensures the best harvest, which begins to be dug in the last days of July. The work is completed by mid-August, although September in the Novgorod region is still pleasantly warm, but overripe heads will not be stored.

Timing for onion harvesting depending on the region

The period when you need to make preparations for the winter depends on the type of crop, time of planting in the ground, weather, and care characteristics. In the same region, crops ripen up to 2 weeks apart. In hot weather, dry heads ripen earlier.

For the north-west, center, Siberia, the deadline by which onions must be harvested is the 20th day of August. In most regions, after this date, prolonged and cold rains begin. Drying the heads for long-term storage becomes difficult.

How to determine the ripeness of root vegetables

Knowing exactly when to harvest is very important. The onions must not be allowed to become overripe, otherwise:

1. The upper scales fall off.
2. Roots form on the heads.
3. The product loses its taste.
4. The fetus is affected by diseases.

Unripe bulbs quickly rot because microbes are directed into them through the juicy neck.

You can determine when it’s time to harvest the crops using certain signs. The main one is yellowed and dried feathers. They begin to fall apart and lie down, and the outer scales change color, the neck becomes thinner and dries out. You can calculate the date of digging the bulbs by adding another 65 to 80 days to the planting day.

Preparatory work

Before harvesting vegetables for long-term storage, you need to use tips that can help reduce the number of damaged heads. About 20 days before harvesting, you need to stop loosening the soil and fertilizing. If rainy weather is forecast, the planting can be covered with polyethylene. A week before digging the bulbs, the top part is cleared of soil.

It is better to remove the heads in the morning and always when it is dry. There is no need to pull them out, you need to pry them off with a shovel or pitchfork. The bulbs are air dried by placing them on burlap.

How to speed up the ripening process

In the northwestern region, it often happens that the time to dig up the onions has already come, but the leaves are not even going to lie down. Rain and cold summers prevent the heads from ripening.

Stop watering

External scales dry out faster in dry weather. To speed up the ripening of the bulbs, 3 weeks before the due date for harvesting, the beds stop watering, which makes it possible to significantly reduce soil moisture.

Undermining the roots

Garden owners resort to certain procedures that help speed up the lodging of feathers and the ripening of vegetables. 15 days before harvesting for storage:

1. Trim the tips of the roots at a depth of 6 cm.
2. The heads are dug up and they stop receiving nutrients from the soil.
3. Rake the soil away from the bulbs.

Under no circumstances should feathers be mowed while the scales are still wet. Through them, bacteria are sent into the fruit, which leads to its rotting.

Exposure of bulbs

In the southern regions, vegetables ripen quickly. In the northwestern region, damp, cold weather prevents scales from drying out and feathers from lodging.

To speed up this process, the upper part of the heads is exposed; they cannot sufficiently receive nutrition from the ground and ripen.

Harvesting

You should start digging the bulbs out of the soil when more than half of the feathers have fallen. In 10 days they will all disintegrate, and during this time it is advisable to completely remove the heads that have time to ripen.

The cleaning period is determined by other criteria:

1. The neck of the onion, covered with scales, crunches when pressed.
2. The lower leaves have wilted.
3. The roots of some root crops have died.

In loose soil, you can not pry the bulbs with a pitchfork or shovel, but simply pull them by the bunch. In clay soil, they are dug up, and the soil is carefully cleaned with hands, and not with tools, so as not to damage the root crop.

The dug up bulbs along with the feathers need to be dried for at least a week; in clear weather, the heads are left in the fresh air all day, and in the evening they are taken to a ventilated barn or veranda.

Features of cleaning in rainy weather

In the northwestern regions, the sun does not always shine and the days are fine at the end of July, much less in August.In this region, you need to be prepared to harvest in wet weather, when it is difficult to determine whether the onions are ripe. Drying heads picked out in the rain should be done by placing them in one layer in a warm, well-ventilated room.

Once a day, the bulbs must be turned over; trimmed or spoiled ones are selected separately. There is no need to clear the soil until the soil begins to crumble on its own. Place the heads in wooden boxes and dry them for at least a week. If the bulbs are too dirty, they are washed in water and the scales are removed, which will appear again after three weeks, when the root crops have dried in a room with good ventilation.

How to prepare onions for storage

Feathers are not trimmed immediately after harvesting. During drying, the heads are turned over at least once a day to ensure even air flow. After 8 or 10 days, the roots and leaves are removed, the neck is cut off so that up to 5 cm remains.

After another 2 weeks, the bulbs are sorted, and if the scales are dry and rustling, this means that the vegetable is ready for storage. The heads are placed in baskets and boxes.

Summer residents and gardeners also collect seeds for the next planting from their beds. To do this, take dense bulbs, the diameter of which is approximately 10 cm. They are kept in a warm room for three months and sent to the ground in April, cutting off the neck. The distance between the bulbs is 15 cm, between the rows a little more. At the end of August, the leaves turn yellow and dry out, and the seeds ripen.

In a private house, the harvest is left in a dry basement or barn. It is also possible to store dried heads in an apartment until next spring. To do this, weave wreaths or braids, which are tied to the ceiling or wall in the pantry or kitchen.

On an insulated balcony or loggia, the bulbs are sent to baskets or wooden boxes, the height of which does not exceed 25 cm, and hung in a stocking or net.

To prevent the harvested crop from rotting or drying out, it must be stored in a room where the humidity is not lower than 55%, but not higher than 60. The temperature where turnips are kept for food should be in the range of 20–22, for feathers - at 5 degrees . Small sets, which are planted to produce fresh greens, are left in a room where the temperature is not higher than 5 ºС. To prevent small bulbs from drying out, they are sown for the winter. In spring, sprouts appear, develop quickly, and young leaves are formed.