Spring Onion Granada

Allium cepa - Grenada

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.

We know several types of onions - winter, shallot, pearl or the mentioned culinary 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 it. The plant has the greatest watering requirements after sowing and when the bulbs are forming. In wet weather, we do not recommend watering in the evening. There is a risk of onion downy mildew. We do not recommend growing onions in the same bed for 4-5 years to limit pest and disease infestation.

• Direct sowing: spring sowing begins from March to April. Rows should be 20-30 cm apart, sowing depth 15-20 mm. We sow winter varieties from August 20th to the end of the month. Onions should develop 3-4 leaves before winter. We harvest winter varieties from May to June.

  Planting sets: onions are not peeled. Before planting, they must be soaked, for example in Rovral 50WP or Rovral FLO. We plant at the end of March. Plant in rows 25-30 cm apart. The distance in rows should be 10 cm, planting 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 barnyard manure. Before sowing or planting, fertilize with 80g N, 30g P and 100g K. In the 2-3 leaf development phase, 30g N in saltpeter. 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-containing plants.

• Plants are attacked by onion flies, which lay eggs near the plant collar. The hatched larvae devour the plant. We eliminate them with Diazinon or Sumithion preparations. Onions grown from sets are sensitive to leek moth infestation. It lays eggs on the leaves of emerging onions. These then curl and the plant subsequently slowly dies. We preventively counteract this pest 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 wet weather, there is a risk of onion downy mildew. 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 begins to yellow. The stems begin to bend to the ground. Then we pull the onion by the foliage and can leave them to dry on the bed for one to two weeks.