What are the main problems in growing onion seedlings?
Onion is a major side dish in our country, can be used for seasoning, and can also be directly stir-fried and eaten. The nutritional value of onion is very high, so its market demand is also very large. Therefore, there are still quite a lot of people growing onions now. When growing onions, the seedling raising work is very important. However, when raising seedlings, there are many problems. So what exactly are they? Below, the editor brings you the main problems in onion seedling raising. Let's take a look!
1. Temperature problems
Onion likes to grow in a cool and dry environment. Generally, the seeds can germinate at a temperature of about 4 degrees. However, the most suitable germination temperature is still around 16-17 degrees, among which the suitable growth temperature for seedlings is around 12-20 degrees. If the temperature exceeds 25 degrees, then the growth rate will decrease. And onion is a vegetable of the green-body vernalization type. When the diameter of the seedling's white stalk grows to about 0.8cm, it can be vernalized at a temperature of 9-10 degrees for a period of time. And the bulb expansion and flowering of onion both require warm and long-day conditions. Therefore, be sure to pay attention to the sowing period of onion and the management work during the seedling stage, to avoid premature bolting.
2. Sowing problems
Although onion can be grown in both the north and the south, its sowing time differs greatly. For example, when growing in South China, sowing is generally carried out near winter; when growing in the Yangtze River Basin, autumn sowing is mainly used; and when growing in Northeast China, spring sowing is mainly used. Except for spring sowing, the sowing time needs to be strictly controlled. Prevent excessive growth of seedlings during low winter temperatures, thereby causing them to sense low temperatures and pass through vernalization. Therefore, autumn sowing should not be too early. The farther north you go, the earlier the autumn sowing time should be, and vice versa, the later it should be.
3. Germination problems
Onion seeds are very small, and after sowing, the sprouts are not very easy to emerge from the soil. So it is necessary to maintain a very loose, fertile, and water-retentive soil. However, before sowing, the seeds usually do not need soaking and sprouting, and can be sown directly with dry seeds. At the same time, the lifespan of onion seeds is very short, so the seeds should mainly be new seeds, and the sowing rate per mu should be kept at about 250g. After sowing, keep the soil moist, and after about 9 days the seeds can emerge from the soil. After the seedlings are fully emerged, pay attention to thinning the seedlings.
After sowing, it takes about two months until transplanting. At this time, the height of the seedlings is generally about 20cm. When raising seedlings, in addition to paying attention to controlling the sowing period, there are two other points that also require our attention. First, during the seedling stage, pay attention to fertilization. Usually, no fertilization is needed before transplanting. Avoid the seedlings growing too large at the time of transplanting. Then pay attention to weeding work to prevent too many weeds from affecting the normal growth of onion seedlings.
The above is a brief introduction to the main problems in onion seedling raising. That's all for today's introduction. This article is for reference only, and I hope it can help everyone!