How to water onions outdoors and when to stop watering

Growing onions, at first glance, may seem simple and uncomplicated, but in reality the process requires adherence to basic gardening rules. You need to know how to water onions in the open field, how to process and feed them. The subtleties of agricultural technology allow you to grow a good and high-quality crop. A vegetable needs a lot of moisture, but its excess leads to the development of fungi, so it is necessary to follow the irrigation rules when growing onions.

When to start watering?

Watering onions outdoors is a must.After all, the plant quickly responds to any changes in the climate and, accordingly, the soil. If the bulb is in dry and unmoistened ground for a long time, it simply stops growing greens and starts feeding and growing the tuber itself.

For a vegetable, nutritious and moist soil is one of the main conditions for active growth.

Watering the onion is necessary from the moment it is planted on the beds. An important condition is moderate irrigation, as the plant is easily susceptible to fungi that multiply in dampness and excessive moisture.

In the spring, you should wait until the sun dries the ground after the winter period: as soon as greens and grasses appear, you can water it.

Irrigation features

Like any vegetable crop, onions require specific care. Irrigation plays an important role in this matter.

Experienced gardeners determine the time and amount of sprinkling according to the condition of the soil. Tips for watering onions:

1. The soil should be moderately moist.
2. It is worth avoiding drying out and waterlogging of the earth.
3. In order to determine how moist the soil is, you need a thin dry wooden torch. It is stuck into the ground to a depth of at least 10 cm and then they look to see if soil particles remain on it or if it is completely dry.

In early growth

In the first stage of cultivation, the irrigation of a young plant should be timely and special. Its specifics are as follows:

1. Water for irrigation at the beginning of growth should be warm and settled. It doesn't need to be heated up. If the days are sunny and warm, it is enough to fill a container with water and leave it in the sunlight.Possible precipitation will sink to the bottom, and the liquid itself will heat up to the required temperature.
2. There are standard norms for how much water to pour on the beds at the initial stage of onion growth. 10 liters of liquid are used per 1 m² of land. The number of irrigations and their volumes depend on the weather and soil conditions.
3. Growing onions on a feather has its own characteristics. It is important when watering to ensure that water does not remain between the feathers. Otherwise, the greens will start to deteriorate.
4. So that the green mass does not get burnt from the sun's rays, irrigation is carried out in the morning or evening.
5. The irrigation system is different for every grower. If the grooves between the rows are filled with water, it is important to monitor the pressure from the hose and the initial soil moisture. Strong pressure can expose the bulbs and wash the soil. Root crops will start to disappear.
6. The first watering is carried out immediately after planting. During irrigation, liquid fertilizers are applied, which allow the bulb to take root faster and adapt to the soil.

When ripe

Gardeners recommend at the ripening stage, which is about 2 months after planting, to reduce the amount of watering. If this is not done, then you can spoil the taste of the crop and its ability to be stored for a long time.

The bulb from this period can already be prepared for harvest. If she gained the desired mass and was saturated with useful substances, her feathers will fall on the ground. If the green tops lay down, it is necessary to halve irrigation.

When top dressing, you need to water the ground before and after applying the preparations to the soil. This will allow nutrients to penetrate deeper and more evenly into the desired soil layers. Fertilizers are applied every week during watering. The culture responds well to nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.

Before the harvest

Most gardeners believe that it is necessary to stop frequently irrigating the beds before harvesting. For at least 7-10 days, the number of waterings is reduced to 1 time per week. You can completely stop watering onions a couple of days before harvesting them.

If a vegetable is grown for the sake of greenery, it is recommended to focus on the length of the feather. For collection, the tops should reach 30-40 cm. Upon reaching the desired top parameters, watering is completely stopped a couple of days before the greens are removed. They do this to keep the feathers clean and dry.

When is water not required?

Recommendations from gardeners when not to water onion beds:

1. At least a week before harvest. This is a prerequisite. The vegetable must be removed from the soil dry, then it will be stored longer. If the weather is rainy and there is a threat of crop loss, wet bulbs are dried in a dry and well-ventilated area.
2. Opinions differ on whether to water onions in August. By this time, irrigation should be reduced, but it is not recommended to stop completely. Lack of moisture at the last stage of bulb ripening can affect the taste of the root crop.
3. Need to watch the nearest weather forecasts. Bad weather can disrupt plans for harvesting or fertilizing. It is worth fertilizing plants with mineral preparations a few days before the expected rainy period. Thus, useful substances will have time to be absorbed by the root system and their concentration will correspond to the required norm.
4. A lot of moisture in the soil for the crop is not required, so watering should be special at all stages of the growing season. When planting, it is important to regularly irrigate the beds so that the bulb wakes up and grows actively. During the ripening period, it needs less moisture, so the amount of watering is reduced. Immediately before harvesting, moisten the soil completely.

If you follow the basic rules of watering, the harvest will be good and of high quality.

How and why to water the onions with saline?

It is recommended to water the onions with saline, because such a liquid helps in the fight against the main pest of the vegetable - the onion fly. The insect lays larvae in the ground, and small worms eat the onion. In addition, the pest destroys the green mass. The plant dries up.

Irrigation with s alt water pluses are not only in the fight against the onion fly, but also a number of other pests that can damage the crop.

Carry out the procedure in 3 stages:

1. The first time you need to water the beds with a solution when the length of the onion feather is 5-7 cm.
2. 10 days after first irrigation.
3. Final watering is carried out 10 days after the second treatment.

For each stage, a s alt solution is prepared in different concentrations: for the first, 30 g of s alt is taken per 1 liter of water, for the second time - 40 g of s alt and the third - 60 g.

If the pest infestation is small, then all 3 irrigations can be carried out with a solution of 30 g of s alt. It is important after each wetting with a solution to water the beds on top with settled water.

The care and cultivation of onions is not difficult and troublesome. The main thing is to familiarize yourself with the specifics of agricultural technology in advance and follow the recommendations of gardeners.

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