Onions have been known for more than five millennia; they are rightfully considered one of the most ancient vegetable crops. And during this time, it has not lost its popularity at all, since it is both an indispensable addition to most dishes and a treatment for many common diseases. Of course, if there is even a small piece of land, everyone tries to grow onions on their own. But there are many varieties of onions.
But for all the simplicity of growing this vegetable crop, there are various factors that are important to consider in order to get a really good and bountiful harvest. In particular, as with any culture, there are favorable days for planting onions, which are determined by both weather conditions and the so-called lunar calendar. In recent years, many gardeners are increasingly turning to the experience of their ancestors, looking at folk signs, the popularity of the lunar calendar is also increasing. Indeed, with the correct and wise use of it, you can avoid mistakes associated with the incorrect use of natural rhythms. Those who have been working on the ground for a long time cannot but know and feel them.
Moon calendar
Many experienced gardeners are familiar with the lunar calendar, probably for a long time and, perhaps, actively use it in their practice. For beginners, it may not be entirely clear what favorable days are associated with for carrying out any work and why other days are prohibited.
In fact, there are not many days when it is really better to postpone all gardening worries. They are associated with the periods of the new moon and full moon, which in total are recruited about 6 days during each month. This is the day of the new moon or full moon and one day before and after it.
If we draw an analogy with breathing, then these are the moments when inhalation changes to exhalation and vice versa.
Everything in nature seems to freeze, so it is highly discouraged to carry out any important work related to sowing, planting and transplanting plants on these days.
Two other equally important periods are associated with the growing moon (from new moon to full moon), when all the juices of the earth rush up, and with the waning moon (from full moon to new moon), when forces go down to the roots. It is clear that all plants whose main part is the aboveground part, for example, onions on a feather, are best sown and planted when the moon is growing. But plants, in which the main thing for a person is its underground part, for example, turnip onions are planted and sown with the waning moon.
As for the passage of the zodiacal constellations by the moon, each group is known for its effect on a certain part of the plants.
| During this period, the moon has an effect |
|---|---|
Moon under the signs of Water (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces) | On the leaves |
Moon under the signs of the Earth (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn) | On the roots and fruits that are in the ground |
Moon under the signs of Air (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius) | On flowers |
Moon under the signs of Fire (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius) | On the fruits that are above the ground |
Thus, for sowing and planting green onions, the best days will be when the moon is under the signs of Water. But sowing and planting onions for growing turnips is desirable on days when the moon is under the signs of the Earth.
Basics of onion farming
In general, onions are a vegetable culture that is quite undemanding to growing conditions.It is quite cold-resistant, the seeds can germinate even at a temperature of + 2 ° C - + 3 ° C. And onion shoots can easily withstand short-term frosts down to -3 ° С-5 ° С. Therefore, onions can be grown in several ways:
- Within one year, in the southern regions, seeds (nigella) are sown directly into the ground and full-fledged bulbs grow by autumn.
- In a two-year culture, seeds are sown in the first year and at the end of summer small bulbs grow from them - onion sets. He gathers and in the second year in the spring is planted again in the ground. By the fall, full-sized bulbs already grow from it.
- Sometimes, to accelerate development, sowing onion seeds in the ground under indoor conditions in February or March is used, and slightly grown seedlings are planted in late spring in open ground. Often onion planting material, especially of small sizes, is planted in the ground in the fall, before winter - this allows you to get an earlier harvest next year.
- Finally, perennial onions are sown most often in the garden beds in the spring months, when the ground warms up a little. But it can grow without transplanting for up to five years in one place and grows one of the first in early spring, when there is still no greenery.
Landing dates
The most common onion crop is still onion, and few gardeners grow it from seeds. Most often planted in spring, onion sets bought in a store or at the market. But in order to get a good harvest, the choice of the right timing for planting onions on a turnip is decisive. After all, the bulb itself develops as much as possible only with a long daylight hours, not shorter than 12 hours. It is under these conditions that all nutrients pass without delay from onion greens to the underground part. In our latitudes, this time is from late June to early August. Until this moment, a good formation of the green deciduous part of the plant should still occur. Therefore, it is necessary to plant onion sets as early as possible.
On the other hand, onions planted too early can get frozen and go to the arrow as a result. It is necessary to find the most favorable period for planting onions and for a hint it is best to turn back to nature. After all, plants in nature always take into account all the vagaries of the weather of the current year, so the timing is not constant, and every year they shift slightly in one direction or another.
In most of the European territory of Russia, this time usually occurs in April - May.
But onion seeds can be sown much earlier. In the southern regions, depending on weather conditions, it is possible to sow in open ground even in March, perennial and annual onions will be able to germinate and grow quite enough greens by summer.
In other regions, sowing onion seeds is best done at home for seedlings or, in extreme cases, under a film. This is usually done either in February or March.
If we consider the optimal timing according to the lunar calendar, then when can plant onions in 2021? The table below shows the most favorable days for sowing and planting onions for both greens and turnips.
If it seems to you that there are too few favorable days, then you can use any days suitable for the weather conditions, taking into account only the periods of the waxing and waning moon.
Using all the information above, you can adjust the timing of planting onions yourself, and choose the most suitable days for your area. As a result, many problems in the cultivation of this valuable crop will be removed.
