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Any owner of a personal plot will take care of growing onions, because, even if the plot is small, it is nice to have fresh onion greens always at hand. Yes, and some attractive varieties of onions cannot always be obtained in the market in the form of sets, but they can be grown from seeds, the variety of which is dazzling in the autumn-spring period of the counters of any garden store.
The method has become especially popular in recent years cultivation onions from sevka planting before winter. Previously, for some reason, it was believed that this is possible only in the southern regions of Russia with mild winters. But it turned out that this is not at all the case - in almost the entire territory of Russia, except for the most northern and eastern regions, planting onion sets before winter makes it possible to get a good harvest, and even 3-5 weeks earlier than usual. But in order to obtain a guaranteed result, it is quite important to choose a suitable variety of onion sets for planting before winter for a particular region.
Onions: criteria for choosing a variety
It is possible that for novice gardeners, onion varieties can differ only in color and in sharpness of taste. In fact, there are quite a few criteria by which one can distinguish and choose one or another type of onion. Therefore, before thinking about which variety is best for winter sowing, you need to familiarize yourself with them.
Ripening period
According to the ripening period, onions are usually divided into:
- early ripening (or early maturing) varieties - the growing season usually does not exceed 90 days;
- mid-ripening - the time from the appearance of the leaves to the full maturation of the bulbs is about 100-110 days;
- late - the bulbs ripen at least 120 days from the start of the growing season.
This can be beneficial if you are growing onions for sale.
The nature of the branching
On this basis, all onion varieties are divided into small-nested, medium-nested and multi-nested. In the first group, during the growing season, only one bulb is formed from the seedlings, maximum two. The varieties of the second group can form from two to four bulbs. Finally, multi-nested onion varieties often form five or more bulbs in one nest. A typical representative of such onions is the Pechora variety.
This criterion does not particularly affect the choice of a variety for winter planting. The most common varieties are small-breasted onions, but no one will stop you from planting other varieties.
Bulb size
The size of the bulbs grown often matters, especially for those who grow onions for sale. There are varieties in relation to which it is useless to apply various agricultural techniques - in any case, they will not grow large. Most often, the weight of one bulb does not exceed 50 grams. Typically, these are multi-nested onion varieties.
The weight of a ripe onion of medium-sized varieties ranges from 50 to 120 grams. And large onion varieties are distinguished by a weight of more than 120-130 grams.
The size of the onion also does not affect its planting; rather, it is a matter of habit and taste of the person who is going to grow the onion.
Long and short day varieties
But this criterion is one of the most important when choosing a suitable variety of winter onion sets. Cultivars that require long daylight hours for good growth are unlikely to be suitable for your purposes, since they will already grow in full force, while the daylight hours will still be quite short.
But for winter sowing, varieties with medium and short daylight hours are ideal. Already from the beginning to mid-April, they will begin to develop intensively and by June they will be able to practically ripen.
The taste and color of the bulbs
This criterion does not at all affect the choice of a variety for planting before winter, but it is very important for the gardener himself, since it is these characteristics that often determine a person's attachment to a particular variety of onions.
Onions are spicy, semi-sharp and sweet to taste. But as for the color, it is usually distinguished:
- Yellow-scaled bow;
- White onions;
- Raspberry or red onion;
- Onions with brown scales.
It is worth mentioning that there are varieties of onions that can be grown only from seeds or even using seedlings. Such, for example, is the famous Exhibition bow. Of course, this onion is completely unsuitable for winter planting, since it is a thermophilic plant.
The best winter varieties
Despite the fact that Dutch onion varieties are considered the best for planting before winter, some of the best Russian varieties will be mentioned in the following review. As a rule, in winter hardiness, they are in no way inferior to their Dutch comrades and have been grown in various regions of Russia for several centuries, and this is quite enough for them to be the most reliable contenders for planting for the winter.
Arzamas
The old Russian variety belongs to the mid-nesting and mid-season. The taste is spicy. The scales are dark yellow to brown. It is perfectly stored and withstands frosts, but it is unstable to peronosporosis and the onion fly loves it.
Bamberger
German variety, medium late. The bulbs themselves are small, elongated, have yellow scales and a semi-sharp taste.
Danilovsky
The old Russian onion variety belongs to the mid-season and small-breeding. Has a good yield and good keeping quality. The color is red-violet, the shape of the bulb is rather flat. In terms of size, it can be classified as medium, it grows to 150-160 grams. The taste is semi-sharp, with sweet undertones.
Radar
One of the most popular Dutch varieties for planting before winter, mid-season. The radar bow is resistant to any weather conditions, so it practically does not shoot. Bulbs are large, flat-round in shape with yellow scales. Has a semi-sharp taste.
Red baron
Onions are characterized by early maturity, ripening in 90 days. The bulbs are very beautiful, reddish-purple in color, almost round. The taste is semi-sharp, closer to sweet, the size is rather large, reaching 200 grams.
Senshui
An early maturing variety of Japanese selection, resistant to shooting and downy mildew. Differs in good yield indicators. Semicircular bulbs with dark golden scales are almost sweet in taste and very aromatic. But it is stored, like most sweet onions, for a short time.
Strigunovsky
It also belongs to the old Russian varieties of the small breeding type. Cold-resistant and well-kept. It is early maturing and has good yield indicators. The taste is spicy and not always resistant to certain diseases.
Sturon
Dutch breeders, based on the famous Stuttgarter Riesen, have developed this improved sample. Differs in resistance to both shooting and various diseases. Good indicators of productivity and shelf life. The taste is rather spicy, elliptical bulbs with dark yellow scales, reach large sizes, up to 190-200 grams.
Timiryazevsky
One of the oldest Russian varieties, best suited for cultivation in the northern regions of Russia. Small-nesting, early maturing, has good productivity indicators. Excellent keeping quality, can be stored until spring. The bulbs are small in size and have a pungent taste. Scales are yellowish-grayish.
Troy
A very early Dutch variety, ripens in 65-75 days. It is interesting in that it can be planted both in autumn, before winter, and in early spring. Withstands different weather conditions and is resistant to shooting. The yield is good, the bulbs are large, flat-round in shape with a semi-sharp taste and golden brown scales. Their form can be very diverse.
Centurion
Hybrid variety with medium early maturity. Shooting does not threaten him. Differs in high productivity, bulbs of spicy taste, semicircular shape, medium size. It is not stored for long, up to three months. The outer scales are golden brown, tight-fitting.
Shakespeare
It is considered the best onion among the latest Dutch varieties for winter planting. It is very cold-resistant and is not afraid of diseases and pests, it also has resistance to shooting. The bulbs are large and slightly flattened with a semi-sharp taste. Early ripening onions - the growing season can last as little as 2.5 months.
Stuttgarter Riesen
Another variety that can be planted at any time of the year. It is equally suitable for both autumn and spring planting. Since it differs in average ripening times and unpretentiousness, it will have time to ripen in almost any conditions. The bulbs are quite large, flattened with golden brown scales. The taste is semi-sharp. The bulbs are also stored quite well.
Ellan
The sweetest onion variety for winter plantings. It is distinguished by its early maturity and cold resistance. This is a typical representative of short-day varieties, and is able to ripen by early June, when other onions are still far from ripening. It has a good yield, the bulbs are round, with straw-colored scales.
Bulb selection and planting rules
Let's say you have chosen the best varieties for planting before winter. But that is not all. So that your efforts are not wasted, you must follow the following rules when selecting onion sets for planting.
- If you have even a little doubt about the resistance to shooting of the selected variety, plant only the smallest bulbs, no more than 1 cm in diameter.Moreover, if bulbs of such a small size have come to you in any way, then plant them for the winter, do not even thinking about their varietal affiliation. You will still not be able to save them until spring, but you will get at least some kind of harvest.
- Sevka - your planting material - should not emit the smell of rot, mold and dampness and it should rustle pleasantly.
- Sevok should not contain traces of infections, stains, scratches and other mechanical damage.
- Spread out the seedlings right away and plant only planting material of the same fraction in one place to avoid problems with uneven germination in the spring.
- All bulbs must be firm and firm.
Winter onions are planted to a depth of about 10 cm, there should also be about 10 cm between the bulbs, and the row spacing can be increased to 10-15 cm.The planting dates are determined depending on the weather conditions in the region, but 20-30 must still pass before the onset of stable frosts. days after disembarkation.
It is advisable to mulch winter ridges with straw or spruce branches or other organic material.
Planting onions before winter is not at all as difficult as it seems and allows you to save time and energy in the spring, when any gardener really needs them.
