Planting onions in open ground before winter

There are over 900 varieties of onions. This crop is popular with most gardeners due to its excellent taste and rich aroma. Planting onions in winter The process is similar in many ways to sowing winter garlic varieties, but it also has a number of special considerations that must be taken into account to ensure a bountiful harvest. Choosing the right variety for specific regions is also important.

Popular varieties

This vegetable is available in a wide variety of varieties, varying in growth season and flavor. The best varieties of onion sets for winter include:

• The Black Prince — bred by Russian breeders, this mid-season variety features dark purple bulbs with a semi-sharp flavor and long shelf life.
• Danilovsky — a variety resistant to downy mildew with juicy, flat-shaped bulbs of a light purple hue.
• "Robin" — a southern hybrid of bright red color, which tolerates drought well and produces a large harvest.
• Sturon — a variety resistant to bolting and disease. The bulbs are covered in a yellow husk, and the flesh is white and juicy.
• Lugansk — a late-ripening variety with a tangy flavor and flat bulbs.
• Buran — a universal variety that consistently produces a good harvest. The onions are yellow-brown, weighing approximately 110 g. This onion is weakly resistant to downy mildew.
• "Radar" — a Dutch vegetable variety that tolerates frosts and is resistant to pests. This variety produces large bulbs, growing up to 300-400 g.
• "Muzona" — is a mid-early variety, ripening in 90-110 days. The heads are round, firm, and white, weighing 100-120 g. This variety is cold-resistant and can be stored for up to two months.
• Siberian annual — an early-ripening variety, maturing in 60-70 days. It has dense foliage and a semi-sharp flavor. The bulbs are yellow and flat-round. This variety does not bolt, has a long shelf life, and yields approximately 4 kg per square meter.

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Landing in different regions

Planting onions for the winter in Ukraine is not much different from growing them in Belarus, the Moscow region, the Leningrad region, and other regions with relatively warm climates. Covered crops will easily survive the winter at temperatures no lower than -15°C. Severe frosts also won't cause significant damage if there's a lot of snow.

In the Urals, winter onions are planted from late September to mid-October. Only the most winter-hardy varieties are suitable for this region's climate. Onions also need to be covered for the winter.

But with good timing and good weather can the plant be planted in winter and get a bountiful harvest. If the seedlings fail, you can always replant a suitable variety in the spring.

Rules for placing crops

In regions with relatively warm winters, onion planting begins in late October and continues until November (at least 30-35 days before the first frost). A stable temperature of 5°C (41°F) is ideal for starting the plant.

It's best to time the planting based on the weather; onions need to establish roots before the cold weather sets in. However, the first sprouts should not appear. Early planting can lead to bolting and frost damage. Late planting will prevent the roots from developing properly, and the onions will freeze in the soil.

The order of plant replacement

It's important to know which crop to plant winter onions after to ensure a good harvest. Successful predecessors for the vegetable are the following plants:

• cereals (except oats);
• rape;
• beet;
• peas;
• corn;
• mustard;
• vetch;
• phacelia;
• beans;
• salad;
• cabbage of all kinds;
• tomatoes;
• cucumbers.

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Planting onions after some crops poses a risk of nematode infestation. These types of plants include:

• beans;
• celery;
• potato;
• red clover;
• parsley;
• alfalfa.

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Winter onions can also be sown after the first harvest of carrots, rapeseed, beans, radishes, winter barley, beets, and peas, but only before the third ten-day period of July. One location is suitable for growing for no more than two years, after which you must wait four years before planting again in the same area.

Preparation of soil and material

Small onions harvested for seed are about 1 cm in diameter. Sets are 1-3 cm in size. The largest planting material is a selection of bulbs larger than 3 cm. The latter is suitable for harvesting green onions, while smaller bulbs are used for harvesting turnips. Onions should be sorted by size; the necks should not be trimmed.

Choosing the right site for the crop is the key to a bountiful harvest. Light, well-drained soil with a humus-sandy composition, as well as loamy, humus-rich soil, are suitable. It's best to sow on a southwest- or south-facing slope, sheltered from the wind by tall plants.

Onion's weak roots require fertile soil. The most fertile sites are silt deposits in warm river valleys. Soil preparation is accomplished by digging it with humus (at a rate of 5-6 kg per square meter), superphosphate, and potassium salt (20-25 g and 10-15 g per square meter, respectively). Immediately before planting, the soil should be treated with ash (10 g per square meter).

The process of sowing and care

It's important to plant onions correctly for the winter. To do this, follow these planting guidelines:

1. The soil surface is compacted and leveled.
2. Furrows are made in the soil 5 cm deep and at intervals of 15-20 cm.
3. The onion bulbs are laid out in a hole at a distance of 5-7 cm from each other, sprinkled with dry soil and lightly compacted.
4. Do not water immediately after planting. If there is no rain, you can water the soil after 10 days.
5. Before the first frost, the area is mulched with dry leaves, pine needles, and spruce branches. Branches are laid on top to protect the covering material from the wind.
6. If little snow and significant frost are expected in winter, then the mulch is additionally covered with film.

The simple planting of onions in the fall before winter is complemented by equally simple care:

1. When the soil begins to warm up in spring, remove the protective film, and a week later, remove the mulch. Removing the cover too late can cause the onions to become wet and slow their growth.
2. The area should be loosened and sprinkled with ash (10 g per square meter). It's best to loosen the soil after each watering or rain, while also removing weeds.
3. Turnip formation begins with the emergence of four leaves on the sprout. At this stage, thin the plantings if necessary, then apply potassium fertilizer (10-15 g per square meter) and superphosphate (15-20 g per square meter). Liquid chicken manure is also suitable as a fertilizer.
4. Plants should be watered twice a week during dry and hot weather. During rainy springs, the frequency of watering can be reduced.

Planting calendula or marigolds around the perimeter of the garden bed will protect the plants from onion flies. Winter varieties harvest a month earlier than spring-planted varieties.

Sowing winter onions is a fairly simple and straightforward process. To ensure a good harvest, you need to select the right variety for the region and planting time. These onions produce stronger and more fleshy bulbs than summer varieties. The fruit can also be harvested much earlier, which is advantageous when growing commercially.