With the arrival of spring, a difficult time comes for gardeners, who, among many questions, need to decide which crops to plant first. Most often, onions are included in this list. This culture is distinguished by a wide variety of varieties, which makes it difficult for inexperienced gardeners to find the right planting material. The difficulty of choosing is complicated by the fact that the gardener does not know what characteristics this or that variety has.
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How Do I Pick a Good Sevok?
You only need to buy for planting in a summer cottage that sevok that suits the gardener in terms of its qualities. The easiest way is to go to the nearest store and purchase it there. However, you can save money and prepare planting material yourself. Regardless of the option that you choose, you definitely need to know the criteria that you should be guided by when choosing seedlings.
Main parameters when choosing a set, the following are:
Taste properties. It is necessary to start considering the varieties of sevka from this parameter, since onions are intended for consumption.- The form. This characteristic may differ only due to the characteristics of a particular onion variety. Most often, gardeners do not focus on this, since for most it is not so important whether the onion is round;
- The variety's resistance to external conditions - temperature and humidity. If the planting material depends on these indicators, then it does not grow so actively. Therefore, when choosing a seed plant, it is necessary to take into account that it is not recommended to touch the planting material once again during storage, since this will accelerate its germination;
- The set should give off an onion-like smell. Therefore, special attention should be paid to ensure that it does not smell of rot, dampness and mold;
- If the set is of good quality, then there will definitely be a few dried onions in the batch - usually no more than 1%;
- You can determine high-quality planting material by the presence of rustling. This means that the onion was well dried;
- Each of the purchased bulbs must confirm with its shape and color, which belongs to the selected variety;
- Appearance. A sign of high-quality planting material is a dense structure and an even surface. The husk should not contain signs of disease, pest activity, rot or deterioration;
- A good set has a uniform color, any formations, for example, spots, should be absent;
- The presence of traces of mechanical damage is unacceptable;
- The most suitable set is considered to be well dried. In this case, the presence of wet bulbs in the batch is allowed. They will need to be selected and allowed to lie down to dry;
- When choosing planting material, you should be informed about the exact name of the variety, its characteristics and shelf life. It is imperative to get information, since each variety of onion sets has different characteristics, which, in turn, determine the germination and yield. Most often, this information is present on the packaging.
Bulb size
Among other criteria that should be considered when choosing a set, it is worth highlighting the size of the bulb. Based on this parameter, you can select the following groups of sets:
- Small breeding varieties. For clues representing this group, the usual size is 10-15 mm. They are used for planting before winter;
- Medium-nesting varieties. This group includes plants in which the bulb size is in the range of 15.1-22 mm;
- Multi-nested varieties. This group is represented by plants with a bulb size of 22.1-40 mm.
Plants representing the second and third group are laid for storage until spring, after which they are planted. Larger specimens are suitable for obtaining green feathers from them in winter and spring.
The best varieties
You can get a good harvest of onions not only by selecting high-quality planting material, but also by using a suitable variety of sets for planting. All of them have their own characteristics, including ripening times, cost and yield. Among all their diversity, one can distinguish most popular varieties onions for spring sowing:
Sturon... According to its quality characteristics, it is one of the most recommended varieties of onions. The advantage of the variety is the early ripening period. Possesses good taste, slight pungency is felt. Bulbs that have reached technical maturity are medium to large in size. Forms one nest during growth. By the time of harvest, one bulb can reach a weight from 90-100 to 140-150 g. Among other features of the variety, it is worth highlighting a high percentage of germination and yield. Not intended for greens. Unlike other varieties, they begin to harvest it 8 or 12 days before the usual deadlines. Can be cultivated in northern climatic zones - Russia, Northern Europe, Scandinavia. Demonstrates good resistance to various diseases. Many gardeners grow it for sale, which is facilitated by its excellent keeping quality;- Stuttgarter Riesen... It belongs to the number of popular early maturing varieties. Used for growing in our country. Bulbs can vary from medium to large in size, flat or flat round shape, dense structure. In terms of taste, it has a pronounced pungency. One bulb can weigh from 50-94 to 150-300 g. It is very rich in vitamin C. Assumes various methods of propagation - sowing, seedlings and seeds. Not able to withstand downy mildew and neck rot, which can lead to the death of the bulb. Allows you to collect a high yield, is characterized by high germination and long-term storage. To obtain a good harvest, it is necessary to regularly water, loosen and weed. Retains its commercial qualities for up to six months;
- Centurion... It is a novelty developed within the Stuttgarter Riesen selection variety. The bulb has a standard elongated shape. One onion can weigh about 110-150 g. It is distinguished by keeping quality. In terms of taste, spiciness can be felt. If planting is carried out under favorable conditions, then one hundred percent germination can be ensured. With proper care, you can get a high yield. The bulbs successfully resist many known diseases. It is a material for growing sevka, planting for forcing greens is not carried out. It rarely begins to grow into an arrow, it is distinguished by long storage. Is the object of cultivation for the purpose of sale;
- Hercules... Belongs to the number of mid-early varieties, the bulbs are round and stand out in large sizes. It can be used for cultivation in all regions of the country. At the stage of technical maturity, the bulbs acquire the shape of an ellipse, reaching a weight of about 160 g. Possesses good taste - spicy is felt. Allows you to harvest a high yield. Differs in high keeping quality. The bulbs perfectly resist fusarium, bottom and pink rot;
- Red Baron... Belongs to the early varieties, the bulbs are red or purple in color.By the time of harvest, they form a rounded shape, the weight ranges from 25-40 to 130-150 g. It is distinguished by excellent keeping quality. Possesses pleasant taste properties - slight spiciness is felt. Gardeners choose this variety because of its stable yield and excellent ripeness. To obtain a good harvest, it is necessary to regularly water, as well as to loosen and weed. Provides several methods of reproduction: using seedlings, seedlings and from seeds. The great taste of this onion variety has contributed to the fact that it is often used in salads or fresh consumption.
Other popular varieties
The onion varieties listed above are not the only ones that can be used for spring sowing.
Shtur BS-20... It belongs to the variety of medium-late ripening varieties. The characteristic shape of the bulbs is round and smoothed. Rich in various dry substances. Has a yellow husk. Differs in excellent keeping quality;- Orion... It belongs to the number of early-maturing hybrid English varieties. When grown, the bulbs are perfectly round in shape, the specimens are large. Weight can reach about 150-200 g. It has excellent keeping quality. This variety is one of the most popular among gardeners;
- Stardust... This onion is a mid-early variety. Differs in pleasant taste, there is a slight pungency. It is popular among gardeners because of its high germination and productivity. The bulbs have an even, rounded shape, many of which are very large. One onion can weigh about 30-50 grams. For reproduction, you can use in addition to seedlings and seeds. Differs in high keeping quality;
- Carmen... Forms red colored bulbs. The palatability is pleasant - a slight pungency is felt. Instances are characterized by medium density, have a rounded shape, which is slightly flattened. The bulbs are rich in vitamin C and dry matter. One onion can weigh from 50-80 to 100-120 g. It has a high ripening rate and long storage time. For reproduction, you can use not only the traditional method using sevka, but also seeds and seedlings.
Conclusion
Every gardener can grow a good harvest of onions in the Moscow region, regardless of experience. But for this you need to know how choose the right planting material... First of all, it is necessary to pay attention to the quality characteristics of the onion sets, since only planting material that has been properly stored allows you to get the bulbs of a presentation.
However, much also depends on the type of onion. In this regard, it is distinguished by a great variety, therefore, it allows you to choose a set taking into account the wishes of a particular gardener. The buyer can only decide what is more important for him: the ripening period, the storage period or the size of the bulbs.
