How to grow onion seedlings? A detailed explanation of planting and seedling methods
How to grow onion seedlings for onion planting? We would also like netizens with experience in growing onions to help explain. Onions are widely grown in various regions and have the characteristics of low input, high yield and easy management, making them one of the first choices for vegetable growers to optimize their planting structure and develop efficient agriculture. Therefore, Zhongdiwang has specially compiled the seedling steps before onion planting...
How to grow onion seedlings for onion planting? We would also like netizens with experience in growing onions to help explainOnions are widely grown in various regions and have the characteristics of low input, high yield and easy management, making them one of the first choices for vegetable growers to optimize their planting structure and develop efficient agriculture. Therefore, Zhongdiwang has specially compiled the seedling steps before onion planting, listed in detail below for netizens' reference.
Step 1. Select excellent onion varieties:
Onion varieties can be divided by color into two types: yellow-skinned and red-skinned. Different varieties have their own advantages. When selecting varieties, scientific arrangements should be made according to local planting habits and market demand. Yellow-skinned varieties have the advantages of tender flesh, sweet taste with a hint of spiciness, and tolerance to storage and transport, with good quality, but slightly lower yield. Liancong No. 4, Jinqiu No. 3, etc. can be selected; for red-skinned varieties, those with strong spiciness and high yield can be selected, such as Zixing, Shuangqiuhong, etc.
Step 2. Preparation of the onion seedling bed:
The onion seedling bed should be selected as a plot with loose, fertile soil and strong water retention that has not grown onion or garlic vegetables within 2-3 years. Each mu of field requires 0.5 fen of seedling bed (about 35 square meters), and the seed amount is 0.2 kg. Before sowing, apply sufficient decomposed base fertilizer, then add a ternary compound fertilizer containing nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Spread 2-3 kg per fen, then plow, finely prepare the land, make beds 1.5-2 m wide, water thoroughly, and wait for sowing.
Step 3. Determine the sowing time for onions:
The earlier or later onion sowing period directly affects the size of the seedlings, and thus ultimately affects the onion yield. With early sowing, the seedling growth period is extended, causing the nutritional area to be too large, and the seedlings are prone to bolting; with late sowing, the seedlings are weak and have low cold resistance, and are prone to dying during overwintering.
Therefore, to achieve high yield, it is necessary to grasp the optimal sowing period. According to vegetable growers' production experience, the most suitable sowing period is 3 days before and after White Dew (early September). Use dry seeds for broadcast sowing, and cover with fine soil after sowing, to the extent that the seeds are not visible. After covering with soil, each mu of seedling bed can be sprayed with 100 ml of 33% pendimethalin to control weeds in the seedling bed.
Step 4. Management during the onion seedling stage:
The central work of seedling stage management is to cultivate age-appropriate strong seedlings. After sowing, cover the bed surface with a layer of wheat straw or shade net, which helps retain moisture, prevent high temperatures and prevent rain. Before emergence, the soil should always be kept moist. When about 60% of the seedlings have emerged on the seedling bed, the covering can be removed, and water should be sprinkled promptly according to weather conditions to prevent the seedling bed from crusting. Combined with watering, 1% urea can be applied as a topdressing, and age-appropriate strong seedlings can be cultivated through fertilizer and water regulation.
It is necessary both to prevent onion seedlings from growing too large and causing early bolting, and to avoid seedlings growing thin and weak, which affects overwintering. Generally, when onion seedlings reach 4 true leaves, a plant height of 20-25 cm, and a leaf sheath diameter of 6-7 mm, they can be planted.
Step 5. Planting of onion seedlings:
When planting, onion seedlings should be transplanted separately according to size so that they grow uniformly, and large seedlings with a leaf sheath diameter over 8 mm, weak small seedlings below 3 mm, and diseased seedlings should be removed. Planting is generally completed from the end of October to the beginning of November, and should be carried out when the average temperature is 4-5°C.
Because it takes about 30 days for onions to recover growth after planting, they must be encouraged to develop a good root system before severe cold arrives, to prevent soil freezing and lifting the roots from causing seedling death. The planting density is generally about 20,000 plants per mu, with row and plant spacing of 20 x 15 cm. The planting depth should preferably not bury the five-fork part. After planting, water to promote the survival of onion seedlings. Never flood the entire field, which would cause soil crusting and be unfavorable for onion growth.
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