Onion harvesting dates in central Russia and the region: when they dig

Even experienced summer residents decide every year when it is better to harvest onions grown for winter storage in central Russia. Many different factors influence the harvesting time: 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 onion harvesting

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

What determines and how to determine the timing?

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

• weather conditions of the region;
• duration of the growing season, planted variety sevka;
• soil quality;
• time to plant seeds or seeds.

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

By appearances

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

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

Due to the cold and rainy summer, onion harvesting 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 planned harvesting of the turnip, you need to walk along each bed and rake the earth from each head with your hand. This technique accelerates the formation of integumentary scales and the drying of the neck.
2. You can stop feeding the bulbs and speed up their transition to a dormant state with the help of a pitchfork. They need to raise the ground under the heads to undermine the roots.
3. Instead of a pitchfork, you can use a shovel, she just needs to cut the roots at the heads.

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

Math method

Fans of exact calculations can accurately calculate when to harvest onions. The simplest formula, which rarely fails: we 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 date of ripening 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 time, all varieties of sevka are divided into 4 groups. Duration of the growing season in days

premature90mid-season120 140late-ripening150

mid-late

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

According to the lunar calendar

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

If you follow the lunar calendar, then in 2022-2023, harvesting and storage of turnips in the central zone of the Russian Federation should begin in early August. In doing so, be sure to take into account important factors:

• weather conditions;
• the ripening period of a particular sevka variety;
• external signs of mature bulbs.

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

If, in early August, the tops fell and began to dry out, then your onion has ripened and, according to the lunar calendar of 2022-2023, it can be harvested starting from August 8, at which time the moon is waning. Unfavorable days for cleaning August 4,5,6,7.

What is the danger of untimely harvesting of onions?

When onions are harvested ahead of time, storage problems arise. In the middle lane, storage problems may arise if the turnip was pulled out before July 20. Signs of early-pulled bulbs:

• 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, it is worth being late for a few days and the heads will be stored worse even at temperatures from 1 to 3 °C. When belated harvesting, the integumentary scales crumble, new roots begin to form in the bulbs, and the heads become infected.

When to prune 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 onion lies on the ridge and dries up. If weather forecasters promise dry weather, then you can not remove the torn sevok from the garden for 2-3 days, but it’s better not to risk it and move it under a canopy on the very first day, where the harvested onion will dry for 10 days.

The heads for drying are laid out in one layer, the feather is not cut off. Heads during drying should be periodically stirred and check the condition of the neck. When it is completely closed, you can start processing the turnip for winter storage:

• first, the onion must be cleaned with hands from the remnants of the earth;
• cut the roots with a knife;
• cut the feather, leaving a tail 5 cm long;
• processed onions, dry 2-3 days in the sun.

Dry and clean onions can be put into nets, baskets, plastic boxes, cardboard boxes and put away for storage.Heads with signs of rot, with a damaged bottom should be discarded. It makes no sense to send unripe bulbs with a thick neck for storage, it is better to use them for winter harvesting or use for salads, first and second courses.

How to determine the maturity of the onion?

All varieties of onions have the same signs of ripening heads. 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 pen are transferred to the head. The neck begins to gradually dry out, the onion harvesting time is approaching.

At this time, you need to carefully monitor the condition of the onion heads. If the ripened onion is kept on the ridge, it can take on new roots and a green feather. This should not be allowed, since such a bow loses its presentation and is stored worse in winter.

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

Conclusion

Choose suitable seed varieties for planting that are suitable for growing in your area.

Properly selected variety of onions guarantees the ripening of bulbs regardless of weather conditions. For the Moscow region, successful varieties: Belovezhsky, Spassky, Strigunovsky, Robusta. Varieties grow well in the Urals and Siberia: Red Baron, Exhibition, Odinovets, Danilovsky 301. Varieties intended for cold regions have good keeping quality and cold resistance.

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