Timing for harvesting onions for storage. When to remove onion sets from the garden in the open ground for storage, ripening time and drying

Onions are a vegetable without which it is difficult to imagine our lives. In almost every dish, with the exception of dessert, we use this healthy root vegetable: rolls, salads, gravies, soups and borscht. It is not surprising that many gardeners prefer to grow onions themselves in their dachas and garden plots. Although the vegetable cannot be called demanding care, there are still some features. This also applies to the question of when to remove onions from the garden. By the way, this can be a problem for inexperienced gardeners. Our article will help.

When should you harvest onions and why is it important to know?

It is no secret that only truly ripe onions need to be harvested, but it is important not to let the root crop become overripe. These two conditions are the guarantee that your harvest will be stored for a long time. Otherwise, pathogens will easily penetrate early-harvested onions. As a result, the bulbs will begin to rot. Overripe onions also do not store well, as their scales will begin to fall off early. As a result, the roots will soon begin to grow, which does not have the best effect on storage.

So, to guarantee a long-lasting harvest, you need to know when to harvest onions. Typically, onion beds are harvested at the end of July - August (depending on the climate zone). But, you see, this is a rather long period of time. There are several ways to determine the ripening time of a vegetable. Let's take a closer look at them.

When to harvest onions from the garden - a mathematical method

The proposed mathematical method is based on knowledge of the average ripening period. To calculate the time when you need to harvest onions, you need to add from 68 to 83 days to the planting date. By counting on the calendar, you will get the approximate date of ripening of the root crop. However, as you can see, this is not a very accurate method, since climatic conditions, characteristics of the variety, weather and much more must be taken into account. In addition, not every summer resident will be able to remember the planting date.

When is the best time to harvest onions: determined by appearance

This is the most effective way to determine; it is suitable for any climate zone in your region. Firstly, you need to immediately pay attention when you notice that the leaves in the beds begin to turn yellow, the stems have become dry and lay flat on the ground. This is a kind of signal that the onion is beginning to ripen. Moreover, it is important that tracking occurs for the majority of planted plants. At this time, you can dig up a few bulbs to assess their maturation. Do this carefully so as not to damage the bulbs. It is best to dig with a pitchfork, then there is less chance of hitting the vegetable. Carefully inspect the onion - it should be firm, with a soft and dry neck, dry scales and the same roots.

It happens that a gardener simply needs to speed up the ripening of the crop in the onion bed. In this case, experienced summer residents recommend mowing the tops a week before the intended harvest. There is another option - lift the onion with a shovel or pitchfork to the surface of the ground, which will limit access to moisture.

Almost the same recommendations can be given on the question of when to harvest winter onions. It, however, ripens a little earlier (in mid-late July), because it is planted in late autumn. The main signs of ripening, in addition to lodging and yellowing of the tops, is the appearance of the characteristic color of the outer scales - red, orange or blue.

The tips and tricks described above are suitable for onion turnips. If we talk about when to harvest leeks, or chives, which are less commonly grown here, then mid-to-late August is optimal. This time can be used to cut greens and prepare them for storage.

Not everyone is able to grow onions on their own plot, but time passes, they ripen and the time comes to harvest. To do this, the summer resident needs to know when to remove onion sets from the garden for storage, what conditions should be observed in order to get large, healthy turnip heads next year.

What are onion sets?

These are small onions, measuring one to three centimeters in diameter, which are obtained from seeds. If planted dry, they will sprout within three weeks. To speed up germination, seeds are germinated by soaking for a day in water or a nutrient solution. They are then kept moist at room temperature. As soon as a tenth of the seeds have hatched, they are ready for sowing. The soil must be moist; if it is dry, they will die. If the weather outside is unfavorable, the seed material is stored in the refrigerator before sowing.

The area is well prepared for planting. It should be dug up, and the soil should be cultivated until it becomes crumbly. To obtain a high-quality seed, after sowing it is regularly watered, weeded, shoots are removed, and the row spacing is loosened.

Optimal harvest time

The time to harvest onion sets is affected not only by weather conditions during the growing season of the plant. In dry summers it is removed - after the twentieth of August. If weather forecasters predicted a rainy August, the collection should be planned for the last days of July.

According to breeders, the optimal ripening time for onion sets, that is, the average that everyone adheres to, is seventy days after sowing the seeds. But again, you should take into account the planting date, growing conditions, climate, and care.

In addition, the selected crop variety must correspond to the growing zone. In Siberia and the Urals, vegetables are harvested at different times, because the climate in these areas is different from other zones. The summer months here are unpredictable. If it is hot and dry during this period, vegetable harvesting begins earlier.

In the middle zone, summers are often cool and rainy, so onions take longer to ripen. If nigella is sown in winter, then when the snow melts, the plant will begin to develop, and seedlings will appear much earlier than when sown in May or June. This means the harvest will have to be harvested earlier.

There is no exact date suitable for all regions. We have to take into account all factors - weather, climate, soil composition, seed grade. The correct calculation is made in advance to determine the ripening of the vegetable and here we must start from the sowing date.

The future turnip depends on the quality of the seedlings, and many people buy them in stores. Again, you need to know the purchased variety (whether it can ripen in a given area) and its maximum shelf life. For example:

• Red Baron - early ripening with stable yield, excellent ripening

• Sturon is a popular, stable variety with excellent germination, productivity, and disease resistance. Compared to others, it is harvested ten days earlier, and also behaves well during long-term storage.

• Stuttgarter Risen - early ripening, adapted to our zones, has excellent productivity, germination, and is well stored for six months

• Centurion - has excellent qualities for sets, is resistant to bolting, and has a long shelf life

• Hercules - successfully used throughout the Russian territory, resistant to diseases, produces high yields

In any case, you can try to grow such a crop yourself, and determine the harvesting time according to the lunar calendar. It offers favorable phases for harvesting various crops, including sowing. If this is not possible, you can harvest it during the full moon, since in this phase the plants have the greatest nutritional value.

Calculating by month, the harvesting period most often falls in August-September. More experienced gardeners have long known the time to dig up onion sets. They rely on the main and obvious signs - the greenery has turned yellow, is completely dry and lies on the ground. At this time, you should arm yourself with forks and get to work.

If you keep it in the ground for a week or two, it will begin to grow new roots and grow. Such bulbs will begin a new growing season - they will grow into turnips, and besides, such specimens are not stored for a long time.

If you rush, without waiting for the indicated signs, the seed will not form the correct onion, an outer garment of two scales. Its still green neck will begin to rot, but it should dry out and become thinner. Otherwise, the seedlings will be affected by neck rot, and they will not survive until they are planted in the ground.

The main indicator of a high-quality set is its size. The best is an onion with a diameter of two centimeters. But it depends on how fertile the soil is, as well as the method, sowing density, and care for it. Dense planting allows the seedlings to form a small onion within forty days.

Preparatory work for cleaning

Proper harvesting and on time is half the battle, a guarantee of high-quality preservation, but first you need to carry out some preparatory measures:

• During the growth of the vegetable, it is necessary to remove the arrows in time

• In July, watering should be stopped, then the beneficial substances from the green above-ground part of the plant will be used to form the bulb

• Check the planting a few days in advance to make sure all the onion tops are on the ground; harvest only in dry, sunny weather.

• The soil must be dry. If the weather is damp, you should postpone the event, because wet onions will immediately begin to rot.

• prepare equipment, because the sets must be dug out carefully so as not to injure small onions

Digging up bulb sets

Their storage duration depends on how they are dug up; damaged ones quickly deteriorate and also infect others. This trouble can be avoided by following simple rules:

• The best time for such an event is in the morning

• the most suitable tool is a fork, which minimizes the likelihood of mechanical damage; it is better not to use a shovel

• Since the soil surface will become very compacted during the summer, you should not pull out the seeds from soil that is too dry, so that the torn stem does not injure the bulb

You should not immediately store the crop; it should be dried thoroughly. Experienced gardeners do this.

Detailed drying process

Onion sets are laid out on the bed for ripening and final drying. Due to the fact that heavy dew falls on the last summer nights, it needs to be covered with film in the evening. If the weather worsens, it is better to bring it in and spread it in a thin layer in a room with good ventilation or under a canopy.

To ensure that the seed material dries evenly, the onions must be stirred regularly. It takes two weeks for them to dry completely. After that, roots and dry vegetation are cut off with a sharp instrument (scissors, pruning shears). The neck is not cut short; it is better to leave one or two centimeters to avoid unwanted infection getting into it.

It is important to remember that only the first drying phase is carried out in the garden bed.

After cutting, the sets are left to dry for another week at a temperature of thirty degrees. Then, for disinfection and storage resistance to rot and disease, it must be kept for twelve hours at a temperature of forty degrees. This is the final stage of drying. But do not overdo it so as not to dry out the onions. The scales may peel off and the storage period will be shortened.

A well-dried onion should meet the following characteristics:

be uniform in color, without extraneous stains

have a fairly dense, solid husk; when tossed, it does not remain in the hands, but simply rustles

have no foreign odors - dampness, rot, mold

correspond in color and shape to the characteristics of a particular variety

have a smooth surface, without signs of damage, rot, or exposure to pests

Completely dried, empty specimens should not exceed one percent of the harvest. Among other things, the onion sets must be sorted before storing.

When growing seedlings of one fraction, the gardener receives benefits. This means that such planting material increases the yield by twenty percent and you can get the expected size of the turnip.

What is necessary for quality storage?

After the timing has already been determined when to remove onion sets from the garden, it is important to take care of the conditions for their storage and prepare an appropriate place where the fruits would retain their quality properties until spring.

The room should be warm, dry and dark, that is, without access to sunlight. It is better to place the harvest in wooden boxes, drawers, or special nets. It is better not to use cardboard boxes, they become damp.

The quality of storage is affected by air humidity and temperature. Humidity, which will not lead to spoilage of the onions, should be maintained at seventy to eighty percent.

If turnips for food can be stored at minus three degrees, then set needs heat, but not higher than plus twenty degrees. The optimal parameters are plus ten to fifteen degrees.

Changes in temperatures are possible, but within one to two degrees. When there are sudden changes, the bow gets stressed and goes straight into storage.

By creating proper storage, losses can be reduced to a minimum. Before storing the crop, you should check each bulb for damage, otherwise everything will rot before the planting season begins. It is necessary to regularly check the condition of the seedlings, remove sprouted, lethargic, dried out, and disease-affected ones. If the required temperature is not maintained, bolting occurs.

Small onions that overwinter at low temperatures above zero do not form shoots and do not dry out. Seeds two centimeters in size shoot up to twenty percent, and large specimens shoot up to sixty percent.

Storage options and their features

There are several options for storing sevka: warm, cold, combined. It is important to remember that planting material begins to shoot at temperatures ranging from zero to eighteen degrees. Therefore, storage should be carried out either only in room conditions, or only at minus temperatures. Gardeners also practice a combined option, combining the previous two.

With the warm method, the sowing is placed in a heated room with good ventilation, where a constant temperature of plus eighteen to twenty-five degrees is maintained. As a result, shooting will not occur. If the limits decrease, arrows appear; if they increase, the onions dry out prematurely.

For the cold storage method, use the bottom shelf of the refrigerator, an unheated basement, or a cellar, where the temperature is kept from minus one degree to minus three. Before storing for such storage, the onions are preheated at plus thirty-five for two weeks. With the onset of the spring season, in twenty-five days they are taken out and the same warming procedure is done with them, and only then they are planted in the ground.

With the combined method, the onions are first stored in room conditions, as with the warm method. Then the storage is cooled, when the mode is set from minus one to minus three, the seeds are stored in a cold way. With the arrival of spring, the seed material is transferred to a warm storage method, and the degrees are raised to plus twenty-five. When the onions warm up, and this is in five days, the temperature is lowered to plus twenty. This is how they are kept until the seed is planted in the ground.

Now we know what signs can be used to determine the readiness of onion sets for harvesting and if you follow the conditions of its storage, a 100% guarantee of the future harvest is provided.

In central Russia, many people grow onions in their garden beds. For maximum benefit, you need to know the time to dig onions. Today we will tell you when to dig up onions so that you get a wonderful harvest.

Before we talk about when to harvest onions, we will outline the main features that every farmer must observe when the harvest time comes. If you do everything correctly, the quality of your harvest will be excellent, and there will be very few spoiled vegetables (or none at all).

1. Two weeks before harvesting the onions, stop watering them. This way you will give the vegetable time to dry slightly, which will have an extremely positive effect on the quality of the vegetables themselves and increase their shelf life.
2. It is best to harvest vegetables in the morning, when the sun has just come out (or even a little earlier). In this case, it will be much easier for you to dry the onion, since just when you finish cleaning, you can immediately dry the onion in the sun.
3. It is not recommended to simply pick up and pull the vegetable out of the ground. The necessary method is not to pull out, but to dig up the onion. You can also dig up the ground slightly first, and then carefully pull out the vegetable. If you dig using a fork (rather than a shovel), this will reduce the risk of possible damage to the vegetable if it were simply pulled out.
4. Immediately after the onion has been dug up, it is necessary to lay it out on a cloth and let it dry under the warm rays of the sun. You can dry vegetables in an electric dryer, as well as on the balcony or loggia. Also take into account the fact that if the weather is rainy, you just need to place the onion under a canopy to dry it properly. For convenience, you can tie vegetables in a pigtail.
5. It is not at all necessary to harvest the entire crop in one day. Although keep in mind that the harvesting itself should last no more than 10 days so that the crop does not become overripe.

What does it depend on and how to determine the timing

So, you planted onions. When to clean is a natural question. Collection times depend on several factors:

1. Variety This factor is the most important, since there are varieties that ripen in record time, and there are also those that, once planted, must wait quite a long time for harvest.
2. Weather. It also depends a lot on how hot or cold the summer is in your region and what the humidity level is. For example, if the weather is cold, then you will have to wait longer to pick onions.

You can determine when to harvest onions based on external indicators, using the mathematical method and the lunar calendar. Next we will look at all three methods.

By external signs

You can determine the timing of onion harvesting based on external signs. These include the following:

1. The stems, which were green and succulent back in the summer, begin to dry out and turn yellow.
2. The neck of the onion becomes thinner and softens. You may also notice how it is slowly drying out.
3. Feathers that previously stood upright will fall on the bed. Here it is worth making a reservation and saying that if the summer turned out to be cool, you should not focus on this sign, since it will appear later than the bulb itself has ripened.
4. You can also try to determine the degree of maturation of the crop based on the condition of the scales. To do this, you need to dig one onion from the ground and remove several scales from it. If they are completely dry and easily removed, this indicates the ripeness of the onion.

Mathematical method

If you are afraid of making a mistake about when to dig up onions, many farmers advise using the so-called mathematical method. It consists of adding 70 to 80 days to the date when the onions were planted.

It is important to consider the weather in your area during the summer: if the summer was dry and warm, the onions will ripen a little faster, but if the summer was rainy and damp, they will ripen a little longer. It is also necessary to take into account the ripening characteristics of each variety. For example, if you planted a late-ripening variety, you need to wait a little longer than 80 days.

If you purchased onion seeds, where the bag says that harvesting should be done on days 68–83, then you need to choose the average value (about 70–75 days). And with all this, do not forget to focus on the above external signs of maturity.

According to the lunar calendar

If you rely on the lunar calendar, you can harvest according to it. In this case, collection is carried out from mid-July to the first half of August. The moon must be waning at this time, and if there is a sudden deterioration in the weather, it is recommended not to delay and carry out the harvest.

In fact, the timing of onion harvesting in accordance with the lunar calendar is not much different from the usual harvesting timing. The only peculiarity is that harvesting procedures must be carried out on the waning moon. Also take into account the fact that in different years the dates will shift slightly, so to get more accurate data, check out the lunar calendar for the current year.

In general, we can conclude that if you focus either on the lunar calendar or on the mathematical method, and at the same time carefully monitor external signs, the training will take place at the right time.

What is the danger of untimely harvesting of onions?

Why is it so important to harvest on time and not miss harvest deadlines? If you rush and harvest too early, it will store very poorly. The shelf life will be noticeably reduced because the vegetables will be unripe.

If you delay harvesting too much, you may encounter such an unpleasant phenomenon as rotting of the bulbs. When you dig the bulbs out of the ground and place them in the cellar, there is a very high probability that the rotting process will continue and the entire crop will deteriorate.

Therefore, do not rush to harvest in advance, but do not wait until the last minute. Collect onions on time, and they will be stored in your cellar for a long time.

When to trim onions for storage

Where to put the onions after harvesting? After the vegetables have been collected, they are sent for storage, but before that it is necessary to trim the onions to protect the crop from diseases and sprouting. This also makes storing onions much more convenient.

Usually this procedure is carried out after the onion is completely dry. On average, complete drying takes about two weeks, during which all pathogens are destroyed. You can periodically check whether the onion is dry using this method: you need to put it in one big pile and stick your hand in there, if it goes through, everything is fine.

The pruning method directly depends on what method you will use when storing vegetables during the winter. However, in any case, you need to trim the roots; everything else is removed if necessary. For example, if you plan to store the crop in a box, you will also need to trim the feather when the bulb has only a small tail, about 5 cm long.

Video “How to determine the ripeness of onions”

From this video you will learn when you can start harvesting onions.

Onion sets are small bulbs with a diameter of 1-3 cm, grown from seeds in the first year after sowing. To obtain large and healthy heads of onions next year, it is necessary to carry out timely harvesting and comply with all storage conditions before planting the seed material.

The following measures will help preserve the seedlings until the next sowing season:

• proper preparation for its collection;
• timely collection;
• careful preparation of the seeds for long-term storage;
• compliance with storage conditions for young bulbs.

Features of harvesting sets

Ensuring long-term preservation of onion sets must begin at the stage of preparation for harvesting. This stage consists of stopping watering young plants approximately 3-4 weeks before harvesting. Harvesting can begin when small bulbs have formed and the leaves have begun to yellow and lie down.

The timing of harvesting seedlings largely depends on weather conditions. Usually it is harvested in August, but if the weather is damp and rainy, then harvesting should begin at the end of July. You can’t hesitate here, since in rainy weather the bulb sets in the soil can begin to grow a second time, which will significantly worsen their subsequent storage. If you see that a small turnip is fully formed, then you don’t have to wait for the leaves to lie down and start collecting. In this case, the seed material will ripen gradually as nutrients pass from the leaves.

To do this, the formed onions are dug up with a shovel or scoop, removed from the soil, and then laid out to dry. The best results will be when dried in warm sunny weather in fresh open air at a temperature of +25...30°C. Traditionally drying takes 2-3 weeks. From time to time, the sowing needs to be stirred and completely turned over.

General recommendations for preparing seedlings for long-term storage

When storing seedlings until spring, it is necessary to carefully sort them and sort them by size. In this case, the bulbs are placed in a container that can provide unobstructed air access, thereby ensuring good ventilation. Suitable for these purposes:

• Baskets;
• Low boxes;
• Boxes;
• Small bags made of canvas, paper, burlap;
• Grids, etc.

The seeds are poured into the prepared container in a layer of about 25 cm, no more. This will keep the onion from fogging and prevent rotting. When storing bulbs in a suspended state, choose narrow meshes that provide adequate ventilation for the crop. Hang them on hooks in well-ventilated areas.

ATTENTION! When storing the seedlings, periodically check and monitor its condition. If the bulbs become wet, they must be sent to dry.

Methods and features of storing onion sets

Depending on the possibility, one of the methods of storing collected onion sets is used:

• warm;
• cold;
• combined.

Here it is very important to take into account the fact that the bolting process of the seed begins at a temperature of 0...+18°C, so the bulb sets should be stored either at sub-zero temperatures - this will be a cold storage method, or at room temperature - a warm storage method. A combined method is also practiced, successfully combining both previous methods.

Features of indoor storage

Using the warm method, onion sets are stored in a heated and well-ventilated room, maintaining the temperature in the range of +18 o C...25 o C. Seed material stored in such conditions does not bolt.

IMPORTANT! Reducing the lower limit of the temperature range causes premature bolting; when it increases, the small heads of onion sets dry out.

Features of cold storage

The cold method is used in the temperature range -1°C...-3°C. This can be achieved by placing seed on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator or in an unheated dry cellar. Before storing, dried onion sets are kept for 14 days at a temperature of +30°С…35°С. With the onset of spring, approximately 20-25 days before planting, the bulbs are removed and heated at the same temperature +30...35°C and only after that they begin to plant in the ground.

The cold method of preserving onion sets is also possible under snow or in an earthen pit. Usually, to do this, dry sawdust or several layers of paper are poured into the bottom of a simple plastic bucket, and then well-dried seedlings are placed in it. The top layer above the set is also covered with sawdust or covered with paper. Cover the bucket tightly with a plastic lid and place it in an earthen pit. The hole should be dug on a small hill or in a dry place with a depth of 15-20 cm more than the top edge of the bucket. The hole is filled with a small slide on top so that the water does not flow in and stagnate. With the onset of spring, the planting material is removed from the bucket, strong and juicy, and after 2 weeks it is planted in the ground.

Using a combined method

How to store onion sets using a combined method? First, the warm method is used. In winter, with the onset of cold weather, the storage is cooled down, and onion seed material is stored in accordance with the cold method in the temperature range of -1...-3°C. With the arrival of spring, the storage temperature is gradually increased to +25...30°C, thus switching to a warm storage method. After a few days, approximately 3 to 5, when the bulbs warm up, the temperature drops to 20°C and is maintained until the seed is planted in the soil.