Even beginners can grow onions. But only experienced gardeners probably know when to harvest this crop. The timing of harvesting and planting directly depends on weather and climatic conditions. To correctly determine the technical ripeness of a crop, certain skills and experience are required, as well as a stock of theoretical knowledge.
Typical mistakes when determining collection dates
Onions are grown in the Urals with the same success as in other regions. Only the timing of collection and planting differs due to the characteristics of the climate.In this regard, novice gardeners make several basic mistakes related to harvesting. But the safety of the entire harvest depends on this.
Beginners, having read special literature on the proper cultivation of onions, wait for the moment when all the tops on the plants turn yellow and dry out. Before this, they are in no hurry to remove onions from the garden. This is done in vain, since each variety ripens at a different period. Even heads of the same variety do not ripen at the same time. Those bulbs that stay in the ground longer than expected begin to rot or sprout new roots and grow again. They will no longer be stored.
It is dangerous not only to overexpose, but also to underexpose onions in the garden. If the heads do not ripen, protective scales do not form on them. This is fraught with rotting during long-term storage. Such a crop is subject to immediate processing or consumption. Therefore, it is important to be able to correctly determine the technical ripeness of onions and know the peculiarities of their collection in the Urals.
Mathematical calculation of collection dates
When purchasing seed, the ripening period of the crop is indicated on the package. But these data are approximate, since they do not take into account the climatic and weather characteristics of the region. Experienced gardeners proceed from the fact that before onions ripen in the Urals, from the moment the sets are planted in the beds, 70 to 75 days pass.
In order to find out the harvest date, you need to write down the date of planting the onion sets and add 75 days to it. In the Urals, onions are planted approximately on May 10. In this case, the harvesting period determined by a mathematical method falls on July 20. But even this time is indicated approximately, because it is impossible to take into account the characteristics of all varieties, as well as the weather in summer.
The influence of weather on onion ripening time
Weather during the summer season has a strong impact on the ripening of all plants grown by gardeners. The timing of onion harvesting can completely coincide with the mathematical calculation, provided that sunny weather and moderate rains prevail in the summer. In cool and rainy weather, these periods are significantly extended.
To correctly determine the time for harvesting onions in the Urals, you need to monitor the weather forecast. It would be a good idea to learn how to conduct your own observations and determine the situation for the near future. If the ripening of the vegetable is extended and uneven, you can resort to partial harvesting.
External signs of onion ripeness
Mathematical methods for determining when to dig up onions are not always reliable. Experienced gardeners trust external signs more. The technical ripeness of onions is judged by the following characteristics:
- the stem and tops have turned yellow below;
- change in color of leaf tips;
- the neck becomes soft and is unable to hold the stem;
- the peel on the pulled out onion head is removed without effort, rustling.
If these signs are present together, you can remove the crop from the garden. The old people tried to collect onions before August 2 (Ilyin’s Day), since according to legend, after this holiday the rainy season began. Wet weather is extremely undesirable when carrying out harvesting work. The bulbs will have to dry for a long time, and the shelf life will be significantly reduced. In the worst case, the heads will rot right in the soil and will be unfit for consumption.
Acceleration of ripening time
In the Urals, rainy weather begins early, so removing turnips turns out to be problematic.Gardeners have learned to deal with this problem and speed up the ripening time of onions so as not to be left without a harvest. To accelerate the onset of the stage of technical maturity, two main methods are used:
- Forced bending of the tops to the soil.
- Digging and lifting soil using a small shovel.
With the first method, the supply of nutrients to the tops is significantly reduced, as a result of which it begins to turn yellow and quickly dries out. With the second method, the longest roots are cut off, nutrients from the tops enter the head, resulting in the ripening of the onion. When artificially accelerating the processes of the onset of technical ripeness, smaller heads are obtained than during their natural course. But you can harvest onions on time, which will be perfectly stored all winter.
Cleaning the sets
Incorrectly selected harvest time for onion sets are fraught with the fact that gardeners will destroy not only this year’s harvest, but also the next one. If it was planned to sell excess goods, then the profit will also be reduced to zero. A week before the intended harvest, watering is completely stopped.
They look at the weather forecast for the near future and select several sunny, fine days that will be devoted to collecting onions. The tops, which themselves have not turned yellow and have not fallen to the ground, are laid down forcibly.
The seedlings are harvested by digging. Otherwise, some heads may remain in the ground or become damaged. There is no need to rush or fuss, everything is done as carefully as possible. The bulbs are removed from the ground along with the tops and are not shaken off; the excess soil is wiped off. The harvest is placed in piles directly on the garden bed and left to dry for a short time.
You should not leave the collected onions in the beds until the morning, because the dew will greatly moisten them and you will have to dry them again. If cloudy or damp weather is expected, then leaving the seedlings to dry in the garden is pointless. It is better to place it under a well-ventilated canopy, where shelving has been pre-built.
Features of harvesting
Time spending harvesting onions in the Urals should be done on time. To do this, experienced gardeners recommend using all known methods for determining technical maturity in combination. Each of them separately has its own advantages and disadvantages, but cannot guarantee that you will not make a mistake. When used in an integrated manner, there is less chance of making mistakes.
After digging up an onion, you don’t need to immediately cut off the tops. As it dries, nutrients will flow into the head. The harvested crop should lie under a well-ventilated canopy for 2-3 weeks and ripen. Only after this can it be sorted out and sent to permanent storage. When harvesting late varieties, it is important to optimally calculate the timing so that the first frosts do not catch the onions as they ripen.
