How much is a jin of Welsh onion seeds? A detailed guide to variety selection and growing methods

Because Welsh onions are highly adaptable, the seedlings can safely overwinter even in winter, they do not go dormant in summer, and the growing cost is low and management is easy, so they are grown in many places. So how much is a jin of Welsh onion seeds? Which variety is good to grow? How do you grow them?

Welsh onion seed prices:

The price of Welsh onion seeds varies greatly depending on the variety. For example, Yamamoto Kongo high-yield, high-quality hard-stalk Welsh onion seeds cost about 240 yuan per box, and non-splitting Japanese imported Welsh onion seeds cost about 320 yuan per box. For raising Welsh onion seedlings, use new seeds from the current year. The sowing rate is 3 to 4 kg per mu, enough to plant 6 to 8 mu of land. If using old seeds stored for one year, the sowing rate should be increased by more than double. Seeds stored for more than two years can no longer be used.

Which variety is good to grow?

1. Water ditch onion: thick stalks, white stems, but the leaves are old and cannot be eaten.

2. Multiplying onion: deep leaf color, pure white stem, strong tillering ability, mild pungency, good quality.

3. Tower onion: pure white and sweet, strong tillering ability, short leaves, poor quality.

4. Small onion: white roots, green stems, green leaves, sweet when eaten raw, comes to market in April.

5. Green onion: an old onion that comes to market after Frost's Descent. This kind of onion is generally planted densely and is not earthed up or only lightly earthed up during growth.

6. Hu onion: mostly cultivated in the south, soft in texture and mild in taste, mainly grown for its leaves. According to the length of the growing period, Welsh onions in northern regions also include horn onion, ground horn onion, small onion, improved onion, water ditch onion, green onion, old onion and other varieties.

7. Horn onion (also known as yellow onion): grown from small old onions with the leaves trimmed evenly and stored in a greenhouse bed. The leaves are golden yellow, the stems white, and the taste fresh and tender.

8. Ground horn onion: an onion that did not grow mature enough the previous year and is kept until the following spring to be marketed. White stems, green leaves, thick leaves, very pungent when eaten raw.

9. Improved onion: grown by planting small onion seedlings from late autumn. After the small onions finish coming to market, improved onions come to market to fill the gap. Improved onions are fairly pungent, with long, dark green leaves.

How do you sow them?

1. Sowing time: The climate conditions in the north and south of the country differ, so sowing times also vary. The best time is determined by the size of the seedlings before overwintering. If too large, they easily undergo vernalization and bolt the following spring; if too small, they cannot safely overwinter. The standard for pre-winter seedlings is to grow to two leaves and one heart.

Autumn planting time: sow in early September of the first autumn, overwinter as seedlings, transplant in early to mid-May of the second summer, harvest before winter, store in cellars or overwinter in the open field, bolt and flower in spring of the third year, and harvest seeds in the second season. The seedlings at transplanting can be sold as small onions from early May to late June; they can also be planted before the Start of Summer in flat beds in clumps (clump onions) or with reduced row and plant spacing as ditch onions for autumn onion supply, or overwintered and supplied as early spring horn onions.

Spring planting time: sow after the soil thaws in early spring, supply as small onions before the hot summer arrives, or harvest in the same year after transplanting as dry onions or ditch onions. They can also be overwintered as horn onions or kept as seed plants for seed production.

Summer planting time: mostly sown from late July to early August, hence also called fu onion. By the time of overwintering that year the plants are relatively large. They easily complete vernalization, and the following spring they sprout early and quickly bolt and flower. They generally come to market after horn onions.

2. Preparing the seedbed: choose a plot that is level, fertile, close to a water source, and easy to drain. Plow shallowly and harrow finely, apply 50 kg of compound fertilizer per mu as base fertilizer, and at the same time apply 2.5 kg of carbofuran and 0.5 kg of carbendazim powder per mu to kill underground pests and pathogens.

3. Sowing method: before sowing, first take out the covering soil from the bed, then irrigate the bed thoroughly. After the water has seeped away, mix the seeds with sandy soil and scatter them twice over the bed, then cover with soil to a thickness of 1.5 to 2 cm. The seedbed uses 1.3 kg of seed per mu, enough to transplant 3 to 5 mu.

4. Timely transplanting: summer-sown Welsh onions are transplanted in early to mid-September, and autumn-sown Welsh onions in March to April of the following year. Use a row spacing of 80 cm and a plant spacing of 1.5 to 2 cm, and transplant in furrows. Before transplanting, first grade the onion seedlings strictly, then treat them with chemicals to eliminate root maggots and ensure a full stand.