Spring Onion Delicacy Pompei

Allium cepa - Pompei

Onion is an ancient vegetable originating from Central Asia, known even to the ancient Egyptians and Sumerians. It contains many elements - iron, zinc, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, calcium, copper, sulfur, and even a little iodine. It also contains folic acid, vitamin C, E, and a range of B vitamins.

There are several types of onions - winter onions, shallots, pearl onions, and the common kitchen onion. Just choose and start growing!

How to Grow Onions

• Requires a sunny location, but not direct sunlight. The soil should be permeable, well-worked with a sufficient dose of nutrients. Shade does not suit them. The plant has the greatest watering requirements after sowing and during bulb formation. In humid weather, we do not recommend watering in the evening. There is a risk of downy mildew infection. We do not recommend growing onions in the same bed for 4-5 years to reduce pest and disease infestation.

• Direct sowing: spring sowing starts from March to April. Rows should be 20-30 cm apart, sowing depth 15-20 mm. Sowing of winter varieties is done from August 20th to the end of the month. Onions should develop 3-4 leaves before winter. Winter varieties are harvested from May to June.

  Sowing sets: onions do not peel. Before planting, they must be treated with, for example, Rovral 50WP or Rovral FLO. Planting is done at the end of March. Plant in rows 25-30 cm apart. The distance in rows should be 10 cm, sowing depth 4-6 cm.

• Onions thrive best in permeable, nutrient-rich sandy-loam soils. Optimal pH 6.5.

• Onions have a short growing season and therefore do not need many nutrients. They do not tolerate direct fertilization with farmyard manure. Before sowing or planting, fertilize with 80g N, 30g P, and 100g K. In the 2-3 leaf development phase, 30g N as nitrate. During the first fertilization - before sowing - we apply the most nitrogen, but the lowest proportion of P2O5 and K2O. Onions are demanding in sulfur, which we apply in the form of potassium sulfate. We can use special fertilizers designed for sulfur-requiring plants.

• Plants are attacked by onion flies, which lay eggs at the neck of the plants. The hatched larvae devour the plant. We eliminate them with Diazinon or Sumithion preparations. Onions grown from sets are sensitive to onion thrips infestation. They lay eggs on the leaves of emerging onions. These then curl and the plant subsequently dies slowly. We prevent this pest already during planting by covering the bed with non-woven fabric. If we have not applied fabric, one of the preparations Sumithion, Karate, or Dragon will help.

  In humid weather, there is a risk of downy mildew infection. It manifests as yellowing of leaves and brown spots. Leaves die and the onion rots. We eliminate the disease with Novozir or Kuprikol.

• We harvest onions when the foliage starts to yellow. The stems begin to bend to the ground. Then we pull out the onion by the foliage and can leave them to dry on the bed for one to two weeks.