In water or in land? What is the best way to harvest onions?
The simplest method, which most housewives use, is forcing already hatched bulbs in water. It has one significant drawback - the specific aroma of decay emanating from the integumentary scales in contact with water. And very often, during the germination of onions, midges appear on the windowsill, swarming over all the indoor plants.
For myself, I discovered another method of forcing feather onions - in a substrate. Bulbs immersed in moderately moist soil do not emit any special aroma and do not attract unpleasant midges.And with the proper use of planting containers, the sowing density of bulbs grown for greens increases significantly, thanks to which even on a small windowsill you can get good harvests of greens.
As a filler for germinating greens, I use ordinary garden soil. For city residents, I recommend buying universal soil for indoor flowers or vegetable seedlings (acidity 5.0 - 6.5 pH). Alternatively, to obtain greens, you can take sawdust soaked in water for 24 hours, as well as regular toilet paper.
If you want to start a mini garden on an ongoing basis, then it is best to put together nice wooden boxes that match the size of the window sill. In such containers you can cultivate any leafy vegetables all year round. It is enough just to regularly change the soil in them, and in winter, install additional lighting sources above the tops of the crops.
Planting containers
But I prefer to grow green onions in deep rectangular plastic trays, in which portioned pieces of chicken are usually sold.
As you can see, from 9 to 12 small onion heads are placed in one such container (size 2014 cm, depth 8 cm).
I line the bottom of such containers with eggshells crushed in my hands, making improvised drainage.
It effectively prevents moisture stagnation due to accidental overwatering and rotting of plant roots. You can plant onions in any container at your disposal, from flower boxes and pots to old dishes or children's buckets.
Planting material and harvest time
If you want to start cutting greenery in 10-12 days, then for planting you need to take only sprouted heads with feathers more than 5 cm. Such bulbs, as a rule, have not only green leaves, but also several long white roots.
But only the hatched heads will give the first harvest no earlier than in 3 weeks.
Well, the most long-term option is to sow regular onions. As practice has shown, dry and healthy bulbs that are properly stored in a vegetable storehouse and remain in a long-term dormant phase, especially in the canopy and early winter, germinate very slowly. Such heads can take up to 3 weeks to take root, and only after that enter the active growing season. Therefore, when planting ungerminated bulbs, you should not count on the first harvest earlier than after 5 weeks.
I buy bulbs with green tops in regular supermarkets, selecting them in containers with turnips, since they stand out against the general background with their green leaves. Sprouted onions can be found on sale en masse at the end of winter and spring, but this year I managed to find them already at the end of November.
I advise you to select the smallest heads for greens, which can be planted compactly in small trays. The more densely you arrange the bulbs, the greater the harvest you will reap. At the same time, I always cut off the top of the heads that have not hatched, thereby accelerating the process of formation of young seedlings.
For the convenience of later cutting greens, I try to plant sprouted and unsprouted bulbs in separate trays. And in order to organize a continuous conveyor for growing feather onions, I plant the heads every 7-10 days. Then you can eat succulent leaves grown in your mini garden all winter long.
Substrate
I fill the containers with loose, fertile soil from the garden. To disinfect the substrate, I always spill it with a solution of phytosporin or trichodermin a day before. You can also disinfect garden soil using a solution of potassium permanganate of medium concentration (pink-red color of the liquid).
If you use purchased soil, then there is no need to disinfect it. After filling the containers almost to the top, I thoroughly moisten the soil with a spray bottle or mini watering can and begin planting. I immerse the bulbs in soft soil up to about half their height.
Additional lighting
Onions produce the maximum increase in succulent greenery in conditions of long daylight hours (up to 14 hours). If you do not have additional lighting devices (phytolamps or LED sources), then I advise placing containers with plants on the brightest windowsill. Onions that are deficient in light will still produce greens, but their color will be much lighter than usual.
Care ha shoots
It is necessary to water green onions only after the top layer of soil has dried, using tap water that has stood for at least three days or has been softened with special means. The first watering is usually carried out no earlier than 10-12 days after planting.
The cutting of feathers begins when their height exceeds 25 cm. Onions planted in fertile soil with heads produce up to 3 harvests. That is, the leaves continue to grow even after being cut twice.
After the end of greenery production, the bulbs are thrown away, the substrate in the container is changed, leaving a drainage layer of eggshells at the bottom, and they begin to plant a new batch of vegetables on the feather.
Try growing onions in a substrate and you will appreciate the benefits of this method. Wishing you excellent harvests of leafy greens from autumn to spring!
