Growing onions is one of the most common jobs in the garden. The vegetable grows well in different regions if its agricultural practices are followed correctly.
For residents of northern latitudes, there are differences in when to harvest onions in the Urals and in other cold regions, how to store them, and what variety should be purchased for planting.
Climate features and variety selection
For Ural gardeners, growing high-quality onions in open ground is a difficult task. The climate here is quite cold, and the seasons have slightly different timing than in the southern regions.So, in June the air temperature may be completely unsuitable for sowing and growing vegetables, and in August the cold and rains already begin.
The period favorable for the growing season of vegetable crops is short. Therefore, onion varieties need to be chosen early ripening. Such varieties should ripen on average in 1-1.5 months.
Early and mid-ripening varieties are suitable for planting onions in the Urals. It is worth choosing from those species that are intended for cultivation in the northern regions. Their seeds are adapted to cold climates and have good germination rates.
The most popular onion varieties among Ural vegetable growers are:
- Odintsovets.
- Bessonovsky local.
- Stuttgarden Riesen.
- Karantalsky.
- Cabo.
- Strigunovsky.
They are the most productive and adapted to the climate in the Urals. The varieties have all the necessary taste and vitamin qualities. Onions have a short growing season and excellent immunity to fungi and pests.
Root crops differ for the most part in that they can be removed from the soil at the ripening stage. They are able to gain flavor and juiciness when picked.
Onions are obtained already at the beginning of August. The colder the climate and the shorter the growing season of a vegetable planted in the northern region, the earlier it is dug out of the ground. Some onion varieties this is provided for. Climate peculiarities force us to select the vegetable variety more carefully. The culture must be resistant to weather changes, high humidity and even slight frosts.
Depending on the weather conditions of the region, not only varieties are selected, but also agricultural techniques. In the northern regions, vegetable growers have long been using specific methods and methods for growing various root crops.
This includes the use of greenhouse buildings, a specific choice of fertilizing and soil fertilizers. For a gardener, it is important to adhere to simple rules for growing onions, or, as they are also called, turnips.
Newbie mistakes
Beginner gardeners quite often make the same mistakes when growing crops. Initially, you need to choose the right onion sets for planting. It is recommended to visually assess its integrity.
The onion should be hard and dense, the husk tightly envelops the underground shoot without much damage. The sevok is chosen dry. Wet planting material can immediately deteriorate in the soil without producing a harvest.
Common mistakes include the following:
- Late harvest. Most vegetable growers wait until the top part of the onion (feathers) turns yellow and withers, taking this as a signal that the root crop is ripe. It is recommended to take into account the specifics of the variety and adhere to its growing season. If you keep a vegetable in the ground, it will sprout roots and feathers again. The torch itself will begin to deteriorate. Family onions that are not harvested in time are not stored for long. In addition, its taste becomes much worse.
- It is a mistake to think that the heads of ripened onions should be clearly visible from the garden. Here, too, it is necessary to take into account the characteristics of the planting material. There is a type of culture where the root crop sits deep in the ground and grows wider.
- Digging up turnips early can cause damage to the crop. If the description of the variety does not provide for its early extraction from the soil, then there is no need to do this. Before planting a seedling, it is important to carefully read its characteristics and act in accordance with agricultural technology.
Deciding on deadlines
Onion harvesting in the Urals has its own characteristics. When deciding on the timing, you need to take into account many parameters and signs that the vegetable is ripe.
Mathematical calculations
If the characteristics of the set indicate a growing season of 65 to 95 days, then even taking into account the climate, it ripens in 70-75 days.
You should start counting the numbers from the moment you plant the onions. It is best to write down the date and add the appropriate number to it. The most suitable period for planting is the beginning of May. Let it be the 10th. We add the necessary time to it. It turns out that the harvest can be carried out as early as the 20th of July. It is more convenient to perform the calculation if in this case you use a calendar.
For a gardener, January, February and March are left blank on the calendar. During these months, work can only be performed in greenhouse structures. August, September and October are already considered unproductive months for the Urals. The last onion harvest takes place in August.
Weather
Weather conditions play a big role for a gardener. It depends on them how much the growing season of the vegetable will be shortened or, conversely, extended.
If summer in the Urals is early and the earth warms up, then the seedlings are planted in early May. After planting, rains and cold weather may begin, then the ripening of the root crop will be delayed.
Long summer rains in Siberia are a frequent occurrence, so it is important to carefully select the onion variety for cultivation.
External parameters
If weather conditions have disrupted all mathematical calculations of ripening dates, all that remains is to focus on external signs.
Parameters for the onset of the turnip harvest period:
- About 2 months after planting, full maturity occurs.Green feathers turn yellow at the bottom and dry out. Onion feathers begin to turn yellow at the end of July or at the beginning of August.
- You can observe that the feathers no longer stand straight as before. The onion stem becomes soft and flakes.
- Almost all onion crops are harvested based on the condition of the husk. It should be dry and make a rustling sound.
Is it possible to speed up the ripening process?
There are 2 ways that help speed up the ripening process:
- Green and juicy onion feathers need to be slightly broken and bent to the ground. This will allow the plant to devote all its strength to the formation and ripening of the root crop itself.
- Carefully make a dig with a shovel, trying to tear off the long roots of the onion, while trying not to touch the turnip. The method allows you to redirect juices and forces to speed up the ripening of the tuber. You can dig up root crops from the ground 1-2 weeks earlier than usual.
Cleaning Features
2 weeks before harvesting, completely stop watering the beds. Select onions by hand or using a pitchfork.
The harvest must be thoroughly dried before being sent for long-term storage. To do this, it is placed in a well-ventilated area for 2-3 weeks.
Gardeners in the Urals cannot always choose sunny days for digging up crops, so they have to especially carefully and for a long time prepare onions for storage.
