How to plant onions in winter?

Onions are one of the vegetables that are planted before winter to ensure an early harvest. But to do this, you need to know a few rules—about selecting seeds, preparing the soil and beds, and much more. Read on to learn about these rules and what you need to do.

The pros and cons of planting onions in the fall before winter

Planting onions in autumn has its advantages and disadvantages.

Pros:

But there are also cons:

Which varieties are suitable for winter planting?

Not all varieties of onions are suitable for planting winter onions, even if they include local varieties zoned for a given area, or those grown from seed. It's best to choose hybrid varieties or those suitable for medium and short daylight hours.

Winter onion varieties must meet the following requirements:

• to endure cold;
• provide maximum germination;
• grow quickly and actively in spring;
• form a healthy, strong bulb.

If you are planning to plant a crop for the winter, choose from the following varieties:

• Shakespeare;
  
• Arzamas;
  
• Stuttgarter Riesen;
  
• Senshui;
  
• Kip-Vel;
  
• Bessonovsky;
  
• Red Baron;
  
• Ellan;
  
• Carmen MC;
  
• Danilovsky;
  
• Strigunovsky;
  
• Radar;
  
• Myagkovsky-300;
  
• Odintsovets;
  
• Chalcedony.
  

Pay special attention to Bessonovsky and Strigunovsky varieties – they are considered more resistant to bolting and are early-ripening, meaning the harvest will be ready by the end of June.

For autumn planting before winter in northern regions, one cannot use varieties that are planted in southern regions, and vice versa.

Landing conditions

It's best to plant winter onions before the first frost sets in. This usually occurs in October. Some gardeners recommend planting at the end of November, but this is incorrect – time your planting so the seedlings have time to take root but not sprout.

To determine the exact time, monitor the air temperature - if it remains at 6 degrees for a week, and a cold snap is expected, then this is the ideal time for planting.

For planting, select onion varieties zoned for the given region, with a dormant period lasting from December 15 to January 15. The diameter of the planted sets should not exceed 1 cm, and prepare the soil for planting in advance by adding humus, ash, and fertilizer, then digging the area deeply.

The beds should be raised, as onions grown in low soil can freeze in winter or become waterlogged in spring. The onions should be covered with at least 4 cm of soil once planted.

Planting dates

Until recently, planting onions before winter was not very common, especially in colder regions of our country. If you decide to undertake this procedure, you should be aware of the timing of planting winter onions.

Depending on the region

Russia's vast territory means that weather conditions vary across the regions. For this same reason, onion planting times vary.

Depending on the region, the deadlines vary as follows:

1. Ural. Winters here are cold and snowy, so frost-hardy varieties are used for planting. Planting occurs at the turn of September and October, so the bulbs have time to root before frost sets in, but before sprouts begin to form.
2. Siberia. The region is known for its frosts, and gardeners often avoid planting winter onions altogether. Planting is typically done around September. Be sure to select a frost-resistant variety and cover the beds for the winter.
3. Krasnodar Krai. The weather is unstable: October can be rainy, frosts can hit at the end of the month, and then warmer weather can begin in November. It's important to stay on track and remember that winter onion planting can be done on any favorable day between October 20 and November 20.
4. Moscow region. Here, gardeners delay planting until the very last minute, leaving only a month to plant onions—from September 20th to October 20th. During this period, the weather is usually warm and dry, making it ideal for winter onion planting.
5. South. The favorable period for planting is considered to be the period from October 20 to November 15.
6. Leningrad region. Here, winter onions are planted in the first ten days of October, and the best varieties are considered to be those that are zoned for a given region.

According to the lunar calendar

It's important to understand that the lunar calendar changes slightly each year, as the lunar phase, which is used to calculate favorable and unfavorable days, shifts each year. According to the lunar phases, sowing in 2019 should be done on the following favorable days:

• September – 9, 13, 19;
• October – 6-7, 16;
• November – 7, 12, 14;
• December – 6,17.

Favorable days for harvesting early greens:

• September – 5, 23, 25-27;
• October – 3-4, 20-22, 25, 30;
• November – 1-3, 19-20, 25, 30.

Planting technology

Once you've decided on the timing, you need to begin planting. To do this, familiarize yourself with the technology for planting winter onions.

Choosing a location

Before planting onions, you need to decide the most important question: where exactly to plant them? Onions prefer loose, neutral soil (pH 6.0).

You can determine your soil's pH by purchasing a jar of litmus paper and a scale from any gardening store. Stir the soil in a glass of water for 15 minutes and then add the litmus paper. Wait 5 seconds and compare the color of the indicator with the scale. Depending on the result, you'll know whether you need to add lime at a rate of 250 grams per square meter or whether you can plant the plant immediately.

To ensure full onion development and a high yield, pay attention to the following factors:

• study what plants were grown in this place last season;
• Onions are a light-loving vegetable and require sunny areas protected from the wind by tall plants;
• Onion beds need to be cleared of weeds, as pests survive in them during the winter, and the plants themselves take away moisture and nutrients.

Before fall planting, it's recommended to disinfect the soil with a copper sulfate solution and fertilize it. Strong bulbs grow when a mixture of peat, wood ash, humus, potassium salt, and superphosphate is added to loose soil.

Arrangement of beds

Regardless of the onion variety, plant it in prepared and tilled soil. After the soil has been tilled, allow it to settle and compact before planting. The bed should be about 18-20 cm high, as a low bed will not provide protection from frost.

Crop rotation rules

To ensure a good harvest, follow planting and care guidelines. Poorly chosen neighboring plants or predecessors can harm the vegetable, while some, on the contrary, can help it thrive.

It is better to plant onions after crops that loosen the soil and saturate it with nutrients:

• mustard;
• phacelia;
• peas;
• any grains except oats;
• rape;
• vetch;
• beans.

It is also permissible to plant onions after the following vegetables:

• tomatoes;
• corn;
• salad;
• cabbage;
• cucumbers.

Since onions are root vegetables, it is believed that it is better to plant them after crops with a root system that goes deep into the ground.

Winter onions can also be planted after radishes, carrots, and beets, but only if these crops are fully harvested by the end of July. Many gardeners recommend planting winter onions after potatoes, but this can lead to damage from nematodes or wireworms.

There are many crop rotation schemes, such as a three-year cycle where leafy vegetables are grown in the same bed first, followed by fruit-bearing vegetables in the second year, and root vegetables in the third.

It is not recommended to plant winter onions after:

• celery;
• beans;
• alfalfa;
• radishes;
• parsley;
• red clover.

Planting winter onions in beds where the crop grew in the summer is only possible when there are no other options, and only if it has grown in the same place for no more than 2 years.

Preparation of seed material

Before sowing, the planting material is sorted, divided by size into:

• wild oats - with a bulb diameter of 1 cm;
• 1st category onion sets – 1-1.5 cm in size;
• 2nd category onion sets – 1.5-3 cm;
• onion selection – more than 3 cm in diameter.

The smallest seeds produce the largest bulbs. These "small" seeds have a limited supply of nutrients, not enough for bolting, which significantly reduces the risk of crop damage, even during spring frosts.

The issue of disinfecting and subsequently drying seed material remains controversial. Proper drying is challenging – sowing raw bulbs risks freezing in the event of an unexpected frost before rooting, and overdrying leads to the loss of a future harvest.

Onion planting procedure

Planting onions has its own unique challenges. First, you need to sort the planting material to ensure uniform plantings. Arrange the bulbs by size, then you can begin the main steps:

1. Dig up the area. Don't sow onions in the same spot for more than two years in a row—the soil needs to rest for two to three years. Follow the crop rotation rules discussed above.
2. The soil should be drained, add humus and minerals when digging. fertilizersIt is recommended to sprinkle ash or dolomite flour immediately before planting.
3. After the soil has settled, level the area with a rake and make furrows approximately 5-7 cm deep. The distance between furrows should be at least 20 cm.
4. Place or plant the onion sets so that the collar is 1.5-2 cm below ground level. The distance between furrows should be 7-10 cm.
5. To obtain early greens, the onion sets are planted in nests of 4-6 bulbs.
6. Before planting, the onions are not soaked or the neck is trimmed, as is done in the case of spring planting.
7. Sprinkle soil on top, compact it a little, and if desired, you can sprinkle it with humus or sawdust.
8. 10 days after planting, provided there has been no rain, you can water the onions.
9. When frost sets in, mulch the soil.

If the procedure is performed correctly, seedlings will appear in late February – early March.

Caring for onions after planting in autumn

Caring for winter onions in spring and summer is fairly simple: water, feed, weed, and occasionally thin them. Proper planting and subsequent care ensure a high-quality harvest.

How to cover garden beds?

Two weeks after planting the onions, the beds should be mulched with fallen leaves, hay, spruce branches, and peat. Don't cover them any earlier, otherwise the onion sets will be too warm and will sprout if the autumn is dry, but if it's damp, they'll get soggy.

If winters are very cold and snowless, the mulch layer should be thicker. If the beds are covered with lightweight material, place branches on top to prevent it from blowing away.

Covering a bed covered with fallen leaves with plastic is not recommended, as it doesn't allow air to pass through and condensation will form underneath. In winter, the onion sets will either freeze or rot.

If the winter is mild, you don't need to mulch the bed—everything adapts to the weather conditions of a particular region. For winter onions, the most important thing is that the soil doesn't freeze before rooting.

Once the cold weather ends, do not delay removing the insulation, as the bulbs will rot under the film, but the soil will warm up more slowly.

Protection from diseases and pests

After winter, onions are susceptible to a wide variety of diseases. This can be caused by poor-quality planting material or improper crop rotation.

To prevent diseases, the harvested crop is dried for several days in the sun or indoors at a temperature of +40 degrees.

But it’s not only diseases that are dangerous for onions – pests eat the pulp, leaves, lay eggs, and often carry the same diseases.

Top dressing

Start applying fertilizer as soon as the first shoots appear, using the following scheme:

• when the first feathers appear, use nitrogen fertilizer (a mixture of superphosphate, urea and potassium chloride in a ratio of 3:2:1);
• 2-3 weeks after the first fertilization, add a solution of nitrophoska (2 tablespoons per 10 liters of water);
• If the head has grown to a diameter of 3 cm, add a superphosphate solution or Effecton O fertilizer.

Watering

Onions should not be under-watered during the leaf-emerging and bulb-forming stages. Watering should be moderate and frequent, but reduce it while the onions are ripening for bulbing, and stop completely a month before harvest. Excess watering inhibits fruit ripening and promotes leaf growth.

Harvesting and storage of crops

Harvest timing depends on the variety. Climate, soil, weather, and other factors also play a role. The earliest harvest is by the end of May, but the average time is June or July. Gardeners leave the dug-up bulbs in the beds for 2-3 days. They need to be turned periodically to ensure all sides dry.

Once dried, you can trim the bulbs and store them. Use mesh bags, pantyhose, or containers with holes for storage. Humidity levels should not exceed 80%.

Reviews of autumn onion planting

Growing Winter Onions (Video Tips)

In the following video, you'll find a wealth of helpful practical tips on planting onions in the fall before winter from an experienced gardener:

The timing of onion planting in the fall before winter is determined by the weather. Growing a winter crop reduces the amount of work required in the spring and allows for an early harvest. Selecting a good variety, preparing the planting site, and knowing the planting procedure are essential.

Frequently Asked Questions