Timing for harvesting onions for storage in central Russia and the region

Even experienced summer residents decide every year when it is best to harvest onions grown for winter storage in central Russia. The timing of harvesting is influenced by many different factors: variety, planting time, weather, quality of care. Under the same weather conditions, gardeners can harvest onions in neighboring summer cottages with a difference of 1–2 weeks.

Features of harvesting onions

The approximate start date for onion harvesting in central Russia is the end of July (from 20 to 30), the beginning of August (from 10 to 15). Turnip harvesting for summer residents in the Moscow region lasts from July 20 to mid-August. The weather has a strong influence on growing vegetables. In hot, dry weather, the heads ripen faster.

What does it depend on and how to determine the timing?

In the Russian Federation, the timing of harvesting onions in different regions differs little. In the Urals, Siberia, and central Russia, turnips are harvested for storage until mid-August. The exact timing of ripening of turnip heads depends on additional factors:

• weather conditions of the region;
• duration of the growing season, variety of seedlings planted;
• soil quality;
• time of planting sets or seeds.

For any region of the Russian Federation, the deadline for harvesting turnips is August 20, since prolonged rains may begin later. They negatively affect the quality of the harvested turnips and make it difficult to harvest and dry.

By external signs

There will be no problems with harvesting a turnip if you know the external signs of its ripeness. Onion leaves gradually lose their elasticity and their bright green color. They become tough, tasteless and begin to turn yellow. Towards mid-July, a new feather is no longer formed, and the old one dries out and falls to the ground. If 70% of the entire feather is lost, then it’s time to start cleaning.

There are other signs of ripe bulbs. Most gardeners determine the readiness of turnip heads for harvesting by the neck of the bulb. By the time of harvesting, it dries completely and becomes flat. All nutrients from the feather go to the head. It is covered with cover scales of a typical color for this variety.

Due to the cold and rainy summer, the onion harvest in Siberia, and even in central Russia, may be delayed.Gardeners have proven techniques that speed up the ripening of bulbs:

1. 7–10 days before the scheduled harvesting of the turnips, you need to walk along each bed and scrape off the soil from each head with your hand. This technique accelerates the formation of integumentary scales and drying of the neck.
2. You can stop feeding the bulbs and speed up their transition to a dormant state using a pitchfork. They need to lift the ground under the heads to undermine the roots.
3. Instead of a fork, you can use a shovel; you just need to trim the roots at the heads.

Some gardeners make a grave mistake - they cut off the feather to speed up ripening. The heads will ripen faster, but at the same time they will lose most of the nutrients and will be stored worse in winter.

Mathematical method

Fans of precise calculations can accurately calculate, when to harvest onions. The simplest formula, which rarely fails: take the planting date as a basis, for example, May 20, count 75 days from it and get the estimated date for harvesting the bulbs - August 3.

The ripening date of onion sets can be calculated more accurately if we take into account the length of the growing season of a particular variety. According to the ripening period, all varieties of sets are divided into 4 groups.

Using mathematical calculations, it is easy to determine the time when you need to stop watering the onion beds. Watering is completed 2 weeks before the start of harvesting the heads for storage; if it rains frequently, then 4 weeks. Simultaneously with watering, they finish loosening the rows.

According to the lunar calendar

For many summer residents, the lunar calendar serves as a guide in any gardening tasks (sowing, picking, replanting). They prefer to harvest bulbs on days marked on the calendar as favorable for harvesting bulb crops.

If you follow the lunar calendar, then in 2018, harvesting and storing turnips in central Russia should begin in early August. In this case, it is necessary to take into account important factors:

• weather;
• the ripening period of a specific variety of seedlings;
• the presence of external signs of ripened bulbs.

The lunar calendar should be taken as additional information to determine the timing of cleaning. Start cleaning based on the actual condition of your onions. If you remove unripe heads according to the lunar calendar, they will not be stored well and the entire turnip harvest may rot during the first months.

If at the beginning of August the tops fell down and began to dry out, then your onion has matured and according to the 2018 lunar calendar, it can be harvested starting on August 8, at which time the moon is waning. Unfavorable days for cleaning are August 4,5,6,7.

What is the danger of untimely harvesting of onions?

When onions are harvested ahead of schedule, problems arise during storage. In the middle zone, problems with storage may arise if the turnips were pulled out before July 20. Signs of bulbs pulled out ahead of schedule:

• absence or insufficient number of integumentary scales;
• thick neck;
• signs of early spoilage due to microbes (fungi) entering the head.

It is important to harvest onions for the winter on time; if you are late for a few days, the heads will be stored worse even at a temperature of 1 to 3 °C. When harvesting is delayed, the integumentary scales fall off, new roots begin to form on the bulbs, and the heads become infected.

When to trim onions for storage?

Well, if you're lucky with the weather, it should be dry and sunny on the day of cleaning. It is better to start work in the morning. During the day, the torn onions lie on the ridge and dry out. If weather forecasters promise dry weather, then you can leave the torn sets out of the garden for 2-3 days, but it’s better not to risk it and move it under a canopy on the first day, where the collected onions will dry for 10 days.

For drying, the heads are laid out in one layer, the feather is not cut off. During drying, the heads need to be periodically stirred and the condition of the neck checked. When it is completely closed, you can begin processing the turnips for winter storage:

• first, the onion must be cleaned by hand from any remaining soil;
• use a knife to shorten the roots;
• trim the feather, leaving a tail 5 cm long;
• processed onions, dry in the sun for 2-3 days.

Dry and clean onions can be placed in nets, baskets, plastic boxes, cardboard boxes and stored. Heads with signs of rot or with a damaged bottom should be discarded. There is no point in sending unripe onions with a thick neck for storage; it is better to use them for winter preparations or use them for preparing salads, first and second courses.

How to determine the ripeness of onions?

Everyone has varieties of onions identical signs of head maturation. The first sign is the yellow tips of the leaves of the set. When the feather begins to turn yellow, the size of the turnip no longer increases. Nutrients from the feather are transferred to the head. The neck begins to gradually dry out, and the time for harvesting the onions is approaching.

At this time, you need to carefully monitor the condition of the onion heads. If a ripe onion is kept on the ridge, it can sprout new roots and a green feather.This should not be allowed, since such onions lose their presentation and are stored worse in winter.

Harvesting should begin as soon as the neck bends and strong covering scales of yellow, white or red color form on the head.

Conclusion

Choose suitable varieties of seedlings for planting that are suitable for cultivation in your region.

A correctly selected onion variety guarantees the ripening of the bulbs, regardless of weather conditions. Successful varieties for the Moscow region: Belovezhsky, Spassky, Strigunovsky, Robusta. The following varieties grow well in the Urals and Siberia: Red Baron, Exhibition, Odinovets, Danilovsky 301. Varieties intended for cold regions are distinguished by good keeping quality and cold resistance.