A Detailed Guide to Growing Onions: Growing the "Queen of Vegetables" Well

The onion is one of the main vegetables grown in China, hailed as the “Queen of Vegetables.” It is rich in nutritional value, and growing onions also has high economic value. So, what are the methods for growing onions? Here is an introduction to them one by one.

1. Onion growing conditions

1. Soil

Onions have low soil requirements and strong adaptability. The best soil for growing onions is loose, well-aerated neutral soil, with sandy soil being preferable. In addition, the onion root system has a weak ability to absorb fertilizer, so regular fertilization is needed to ensure nutrient uptake.

2. Water

Onions have a high demand for water during the germination stage, seedling growth stage, and bulb expansion stage, but note that water must be controlled during overwintering and the seedling stage. Apart from that, soil moisture should be kept at 60%-70%.

3. Light

Onions like light and are long-day crops, especially during the bulb expansion stage and the bolting and flowering stage, when they need more than 14 hours of light. The longer the light duration, the better the onion root and stem growth.

4. Temperature

Onions have low temperature requirements for growth. The suitable growth temperature for seedlings is 10-20 degrees. Even in winter, at temperatures below zero, strong onion seedlings can survive the winter.

2. Onion seedling-raising techniques

1. Sowing time

Onion sowing time varies by region, but generally speaking, sowing too early or too late is not good for onion growth. Taking central China as an example, the best time to sow onions is in early to mid-September.

2. Sowing amount

Generally, to ensure onion yield, the sowing rate for onion seedling beds is 4-5 kg per mu, and it should not be too much.

3. Making beds and fertilizing

The bed height is 1.5 m and the bed width is 27 cm. After the beds are prepared, apply organic farmyard manure, phosphate fertilizer, and nitrogen fertilizer, then water. After the seedlings emerge, apply 10 kg of urea per mu.

4. Sowing method

The row spacing for onion sowing is about 10 cm. Sow the seeds evenly and cover them with a layer of soil about 1 cm thick, then irrigate moderately. After the seedlings emerge, water moderately once more. At the same time, spray some antibacterial and insect-resistant agents.

3. Field management of onions

1. Watering

When onion seedlings have just been transplanted, be sure to water frequently, using a smaller amount each time, so that the onion seedlings grow faster. Twenty days after transplanting, onions enter the seedling recovery stage. At this time, control the amount of watering and do not water too much, otherwise seedling growth will slow down.

2. Fertilizing

Onions need large amounts of fertilizer during the leaf growth stage and bulb expansion stage, so timely basal and topdressing applications are needed. Otherwise, a fertilizer shortage during onion growth will lead to thin, shriveled roots and stems. The fertilizer requirement for onions is 13-15 kg of nitrogen, 8-10 kg of phosphorus, and 10-12 kg of potassium per mu.

3. Loosening the soil

During the onion growing period, loosen the soil frequently to ensure soil aeration. During the seedling stage, loosen the soil 3-4 times, and during the stem and leaf growth stage, 3 times, until the plants close the rows, after which loosening the soil is not necessary.

4. Removing bolting stalks

For onions that bolt early, in order to reduce nutrient consumption, remove the bolting stalks before the flower buds form. This is done so that the onions can obtain more sufficient nutrients for later growth.

After onions are harvested, pay attention to storage. They can be stored in cold storage or hung indoors after drying.

The above is a brief introduction to onion growing methods. Do you understand now?