Time for harvesting onions in the Urals: the timing of when to dig

Even beginners can grow onions. But when to harvest this crop, only experienced gardeners know for sure. The timing of harvesting and planting is directly dependent on weather and climatic conditions. To correctly determine the technical ripeness of the crop, certain skills and experience are required, as well as a stock of theoretical knowledge.

Typical mistakes in determining the timing of collection

Onions in the Urals are grown with such success as in other regions. Only the dates of collection and planting differ due to the characteristic features of the climate.In this regard, novice gardeners make several basic mistakes related to the collection. But the safety of the entire crop depends on this.

Beginners, having read special literature on the proper cultivation of onions, are waiting for the moment when all the tops on the plants turn yellow and dry. Before that, onions are in no hurry to remove from the garden. This is done in vain, since each variety ripens in a different period. Even the heads of the same variety do not ripen at the same time. Those bulbs that are in the ground longer than the prescribed period begin to rot or start up new roots and grow again. They will no longer be stored.

It is dangerous not only to overexpose, but also underexpose onions in the garden. If the heads do not ripen, protective scales do not form on them. This is fraught with decay during long-term storage. Such a crop is subject to immediate processing or consumption. Therefore, it is important to be able to correctly determine the technical ripeness of onions and to know the features of its collection in the Urals.

Mathematical calculation of collection times

When buying seed, the packaging indicates the ripening period of the crop. But these data are approximate, since they do not take into account the climatic and weather features of the region. Experienced gardeners proceed from the fact that it takes from 70 to 75 days before the onion ripens in the Urals from the moment it is planted on the beds.

In order to find out the harvest time, you need to write down the date of planting the onion sets and add 75 days to it. In the Urals, onions are planted approximately on May 10th. At the same time, the harvesting period determined by the mathematical method falls on July 20. But this time is also approximate, because it is impossible to take into account the characteristics of all varieties, as well as the weather in summer.

The influence of weather on onion ripening dates

The weather during the summer season has a strong influence on the maturation of all plants grown by gardeners.The timing of onion harvesting can completely coincide with the mathematical calculation, provided that sunny weather and moderate rains prevail in summer. In cool and rainy weather, these terms are significantly extended.

To correctly determine the time of onion harvesting in the Urals, you need to follow the weather forecast. It will not be superfluous to learn how to make your own observations and determine the situation in the near future. With extended and non-simultaneous ripening of the vegetable, you can resort to partial harvesting.

External signs of onion maturity

Mathematical methods for determining when to dig up onions are not always reliable. Experienced gardeners trust external signs more. The technical ripeness of onions is judged by the following signs:

• stem and tops turned yellow at the bottom;
• changing the color of the tips of the leaves;
• the neck becomes soft and unable to hold the stem;
• the husk on the pulled out onion head is removed effortlessly, rustling.

If these signs are combined, you can harvest from the garden. The old people tried to collect onions before August 2 (Ilyin's day), because according to popular beliefs, after this holiday, the rainy season began. Wet weather is highly undesirable during harvesting. The bulbs will have to dry for a long time, and the shelf life will be significantly reduced. In the worst case, the heads will rot in the soil and be unfit for human consumption.

Acceleration of maturation

Rainy weather starts early in the Urals, so harvesting the turnip turns out to be problematic. Gardeners have learned to deal with this problem and speed up the ripening of onions so as not to be left without a crop. To accelerate the onset of the stage of technical maturity, two main methods are resorted to:

1. Forced haulm bending to the ground.
2. Dig in and raise the ground with a small shovel.

In the first method, the supply of nutrients to the tops is significantly reduced, as a result of which it begins to turn yellow and dries quickly. In the second method, the longest roots are cut off, nutrients from the tops enter the head, as a result of which the onion ripens. With the artificial acceleration of the processes of onset of technical ripeness, smaller heads are obtained than with their natural course. But you can harvest onions in time, which will be perfectly stored all winter.

Sevka harvesting

Incorrectly chosen dates for harvesting onion sets are fraught with the fact that gardeners will ruin not only this year's harvest, but also the next. If it was planned to sell surplus goods, then the profit will also be reduced to zero. Watering is completely stopped a week before the expected harvest.

They look at the weather forecast for the near future and choose a few sunny days to pick onions. The tops, which itself did not turn yellow and did not lie on the ground, are forcibly laid.

Sevka is harvested by digging. Otherwise, some heads may remain in the ground or be damaged. Do not rush and fuss, everything is done as carefully as possible. The bulbs are taken out of the ground along with the tops and are not shaken off, the excess earth is wiped off. The harvest is piled up right in the garden and left to dry for a while.

Do not leave the harvested onion in the beds until morning, because the dew will greatly moisten it and you will have to dry it again. If cloudy or damp weather is foreseen, then leaving the sevok to dry in the garden is pointless. It is better to place it under a well-ventilated shed, where shelving is pre-built.

Features of harvesting

The time for harvesting onions in the Urals should be done on time. To do this, experienced gardeners recommend using all known methods for determining technical maturity in the aggregate. Each of them individually has its own advantages and disadvantages, but cannot guarantee that you will not make a mistake. With complex use, there is less chance of making a mistake.

After digging up the onion, do not immediately cut off the tops from it. As it dries out, nutrients will flow into the head. The harvested crop should lie under a well-ventilated canopy for 2-3 weeks and ripen. Only then can it be iterated over and sent to persistent storage. When harvesting late varieties, it is worthwhile to optimally calculate the timing so that the onions do not catch the first frosts during ripening.

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