The bow shoots. Why does the bow go into arrows? Main reasons

Onion sets are not easy to store, everyone knows this. If anything goes wrong, he immediately goes into the arrow. Let's discuss what and how to do to prevent this from happening.

To begin with, the onions are sorted into several groups. The smallest ones are suitable for planting in spring. The middle one (onion) is consumed as food. Large ones are used to obtain green feathers, and the so-called mother onion is used to obtain seeds.

The most important thing is that the planted seedlings do not go down the drain during the entire period of growth and development. Leaving or shooting onions greatly reduces the quantity and quality of the harvest. The formation of shoots in onions depends on the size of the bulb and its storage conditions. It is believed that the smaller the onion, the less shoots are formed, of course, under favorable growing conditions. For example, the smallest bulbs with a diameter of less than 1 cm (the so-called oat onions) never shoot at all at any storage temperature. The onion is larger, up to 3 cm in diameter; on the contrary, it easily fits into the arrow.

To get the greatest yield, the seeds should be stored in cold conditions at a temperature of minus 1 to 3 degrees. Negative values ​​are not scary here; onions tolerate exposure to minor subzero temperatures very well for a long time.

Onion sets can also be stored in a cold-heat method. It's done like this.

At first, when the weather is warm, the onions are stored at a temperature of plus 18-20 degrees. With the onset of winter, the onions are transferred indoors, where the temperature is raised to 1-3 degrees. In the spring, when warming sets in again, the seedlings are again kept warm. First, they are heated for 2-3 days at a temperature of 25-35 degrees, and then stored at 18-20 degrees immediately before planting in the ground.

Large onions used for harvesting are stored, just like sets, in a cold or cold-heat method.

Completely different conditions are created for mother onions, which, when planted in the beds, must shoot early and quickly. This means that the stages of development and formation of arrows on the bow must occur in a timely manner. It is known that plant development is delayed at low temperatures. Therefore, in order to shoot arrows together and obtain a high yield, such onions are stored at a positive temperature of 3 to 5 degrees. However, 2 weeks before planting it in the beds, the air temperature is raised to 10-20 degrees, thereby warming the onions. This temperature is maintained until disembarkation.

Warming up during the last 8-10 days accelerates the development of testes during the growing season of plants. At the same time, the quantity and usefulness of seeds increases significantly.

In addition to the temperature when storing onions, great importance should be paid to air humidity. With high humidity, onions quickly come out of dormancy and begin to sprout. In a humid environment, the bulbs may sweat, the neck becomes wet and rots. Therefore, you need to store onions in a dry place. To prevent cervical rot from appearing. It is also necessary to ensure good ventilation of the room where the onions are stored.

I, like probably many other gardeners and vegetable gardeners, have had to deal with such an unpleasant phenomenon as shooting onions, especially onion sets. It is clear that a shooting bow is, one might say, an already rejected bow. Since as a result of bolting, a full-fledged bulb is not formed. And all efforts to grow normal onions went to waste. Why is this happening?

Shooting of plants (including onions) is the result of improper storage of planting material in winter (at a temperature of +1...+15°C). Seeds with a diameter of 1.5-2.5 centimeters should be stored at +18...+25°C (warm storage) and a relative humidity of 50-70%. It can also be stored in the refrigerator at -1...-3°C and air humidity 80-90% or in snow in boxes (cold storage).

Plants from large sets stored warm or cold are not thrown away, and the onion harvest, provided the necessary agricultural practices are followed, is high and of good quality. At the same time, the seeds, well dried after harvesting, are stored in autumn and spring at +18...+25°C and a relative air humidity of 50-70%.

With the onset of stable frosty weather (during the winter months), the seedlings are stored at sub-zero temperatures (- 1 or - 3 ° C) and air humidity 80-90%. At the same time, seed waste is significantly reduced, and after planting in the ground, the plants do not bolt.

To prevent plant disease from downy mildew, two weeks before planting, the seedlings are heated for 8 hours at a temperature of +40...+42°C. It is necessary to take into account that during winter storage, seedlings, especially those harvested in rainy weather, are often affected by neck rot. To protect the onion from this disease, after drying it before storing it, it is heated for 8 hours at a temperature of +43°C. Properly stored and heated seedlings produce a high yield of good quality.

If you purchased a large set in the spring and do not know how it was stored, then, if possible, warm it up before planting at +25...+30°C for 15-20 days. At home, the sowing can be easily heated in a room on a heating radiator by spreading it on any tray in a layer of no more than 3 centimeters. Warming up the seedlings this way will significantly reduce the bolting of plants.

If it was not possible to warm up the seedlings and shoots appear on the plants, you need to break them out in their infancy. Plants that continue to throw out new arrows should be used first, since they will not produce full-fledged bulbs.

Small sets with a diameter of up to 1 centimeter, stored at any temperature, are not thrown away by the shooter after planting in the ground (regardless of the date). That is why it is recommended to use it for planting before winter. It should only be stored cold in winter, as it dries out greatly when stored warmly.

WHY THE BOW IS IN THE ARROW: REASONS AND SOLUTIONS TO THE PROBLEM Save so as not to lose! Experts identify a number of reasons that contribute to the appearance of arrows on the bow. This is, first of all, the large diameter of the bulb (more than three centimeters). This also includes poor storage conditions (humidity, sudden temperature fluctuations). Another reason is premature planting of onions, because... the ground is still cold. Storing onions Vegetable growers usually use two popular methods for storing onions. The first is in which the air temperature should vary from -1 to -3 degrees. The second method involves storing the bulbs at a temperature of 20 degrees (in warm weather) and at a temperature of 1-3 degrees (in winter). With the onset of spring, it is recommended to keep the bulbs at a temperature of +30 degrees for several days. You can put vegetables on the radiator. Next, the seed continues to be stored at a temperature of +20 degrees until the very moment of planting. It is worth noting that regardless of which storage method you choose, it is important to maintain low air humidity. Increasing the humidity level accelerates the flowering process of the bulbs, which leads to rotting of the vegetable. Do not forget that the storage area must be regularly ventilated to avoid the risk of rotting and destruction of the bulb. If the plant is frozen, then the probability of onion arrows appearing is quite high. Regular cardboard boxes or baskets are suitable for storing onions. Place them in the coolest place possible. It is also recommended to sort onions monthly. Use all spoiled, flowering bulbs for food, and leave the good ones for storage. Onion scythe Some vegetable growers harvest onions along with dry tops. Then braids are woven from the collected material, which are hung for further maturation and drying. To increase the shelf life of the bulbs, it is recommended to treat them with lime. This is done quite easily: the roots of the onion are cut off, the cut is smeared with lime paste, and then the bulbs are dried and stored as usual. There is another way to preserve the harvest for the winter - immediately after harvesting, burn the roots of the onion. Such an onion, of course, is not suitable for planting. But it is stored wonderfully. What are the secrets to successfully growing onions? Seed material. Many experienced vegetable growers already know how to deal with onion shoots. Today we will share them with you. Let's start with the fact that you need to select the right seed material. Bulbs should be sorted by size. Only sets (small bulbs) are suitable for planting. A medium-sized onion is perfect for eating. Use large bulbs to propagate feathers. Another secret is that you need to plant the bulbs in the ground at the end of April. If you bought the seed somewhere and do not know in what conditions it was stored, it is recommended to prepare the bulbs before planting. A month before planting, you should lay out the onions on a wooden board and place them on a radiator. Store bulbs with a diameter of less than a centimeter using the cold method, because small bulbs may dry out. What to do if the peduncles of the onion arrows have grown All you can do in this case is to remove the arrows as close to the base as possible. Unfortunately, a plant that has put out a flower stalk cannot form a good bulb. The bulb can grow to a large size, but it will have a shorter shelf life than others. Therefore, it would be wiser to use such a crop on salads as greens. Some vegetable growers use onion arrows for marinades or seaming.

Onions are a welcome guest on the table of every family, but growing them is accompanied by various problems. In this article we will look at why the bow goes into arrows and what to do about it.

Bolting is a fairly common phenomenon that makes the plant unfit for consumption. This should not be allowed also because such onions are poorly stored and the onion grows small. In general, we can say that the harvest will practically be lost if the necessary measures are not taken.

Reasons why the bow goes into the arrow

The formation of an arrow is only necessary when the task is to collect seeds. In all other cases it is removed. However, the bow does not always shoot, and below we will look at the main reasons why this happens. It is important to know them in order to obtain good planting material.

The main reasons why a bow goes into arrows:

  1. Violation of storage rules.
  2. Improper preparation and processing of onions before planting.
  3. Landing time. For example, winter onions shoot less often than onions planted in spring.

How to prevent shooting

Most often, the bow gives arrows due to violations in storage technology, but there are other known reasons.

How to store it correctly


There are two main ways to store onions – cold and cold-warm. In the first case, the temperature is constantly maintained within the range of -1ºС..-3ºС.

And in the second, two temperature regimes are used: +20ºС in warm weather and -1ºС..-3ºС in winter. In early spring, the bulbs are heated at a temperature of +30ºС for 2-3 days. Subsequently, until planting, store at +20ºС.

Regardless of the storage method, high humidity should not be allowed in the room, otherwise the onions will begin to rot and the flowering process will accelerate. It is also important to regularly ventilate and sort out the onions every month, removing any bulbs that have begun to rot. The risk of arrowheads appearing on frozen plants is very high.

Store onions in dry cardboard boxes or baskets. They are left in a cool, dark place.

How to process

If the seed was purchased in a store, then it needs to be dried for several days on a radiator. When purchasing in a store, it is impossible to control storage, which is not always carried out properly. Therefore, it is worth remembering the places of purchase and if there are problems, look for another seller.


Onions for greens are most often grown from sets, which also need to be processed before planting, soaking in hot water for 2 minutes at about 65ºC and then immediately in cold water for a minute.

A detailed description of the methods and its correct placement.

Onions are also treated with antifungal drugs. Helps against the formation of arrowheads and rot soaking the bulbs in a soda solution: a tablespoon of powder dissolves in a liter of water.

All these procedures will allow you to save the plant from bolting and get young onions for almost the entire season.

How to plant

The planting also determines whether the bow will shoot or not. Here it is important to correctly select and prepare seed material. Only the smallest seedlings are selected for planting.

It has long been known that bulbs with a diameter of no more than 1 cm practically do not bolt. Moreover, even if the storage rules were violated, the likelihood of this is small. But a larger one with a diameter of 3 cm or more produces an arrow much more often. This is especially true for onions planted before winter.


Planting technology:

  1. The best time to plant onions is at the end of April.
  2. Plant as far as possible from each other (6-10 cm) in furrows up to 2 cm deep. The heads are slightly pressed into the ground, covered and watered.
  3. Afterwards you need to cover the beds with film or glass. As the shoots appear, they are removed.
  4. Water at the beginning, while the green mass is gaining, abundantly - 2-3 times a week. Then the frequency is reduced and watering is stopped a few weeks before harvesting so that the ripening bulbs do not begin to rot.

What to do if the bow goes into arrows

If arrows do appear, then you need to determine the reason why this happened. It will be possible to eliminate it only next year, but this year the arrows are removed by breaking off or cutting off.

It is especially necessary to monitor perennial onions - they will definitely shoot arrows, which must be removed in a timely manner.

There is no need to throw away the arrows themselves; they can be prepared. The results are delicious dishes and salads - there are many recipes just for such occasions. You can also leave some and later collect the seeds for sowing next year.

Varieties of non-shooting onions


To prevent onions from shooting, you can select varieties that are less prone to this.

Winter onions have the following examples: Centurion and Shakespeare.

Examples of non-shooting varieties for spring sowing– Stuttgarten, Centurion F1 and Red Baron.

You can also plant onions as seedlings, for example, leeks in this case do not produce shoots at all. But family onions and shallots also hardly form them with this method of cultivation.

The main advice that experienced gardeners give is to grow onions yourself, going through all the stages. They plant seeds first to get a head of onions and then plant the best planting material next year.

In this case, the person controls all the stages himself and then it is easier to identify mistakes in order to prevent them from happening again. If you buy all the time, you won’t be able to be sure of the result.

Another way for gardeners to prepare seedlings for planting against bolting is as follows. Nets with heads are hung around a small fire and thus warmed up for several hours. Just don’t bring it close or light a strong fire. The method has proven itself very well and is gaining popularity.

Many gardeners, having once seen how the onion went into arrow, are puzzled what to do, how to protect and save the harvest. When growing onions, we sometimes encounter the problem of this vegetable bolting, which subsequently leads to poor yields.

Causes

What is an arrow

This is a biennial plant. Onions, like many other crops, produce flowers and then seeds. The arrow is nothing more than an onion flower. This is how it reproduces. Flowers appear first, then seeds. They are sown, and next year they get onion sets. It is planted through the winter and thus the onions that are used as food are obtained. It is probably difficult to name a dish that does not include this vegetable. Every gardener strives to do everything possible when growing it to get a high yield. But sometimes the unexpected happens - the vegetable begins to shoot out an arrow.

There are several reasons why greens go to the arrow:

  • Incorrectly selected variety - each type has its own temperature characteristics. If one species can grow in a certain region, under certain climatic conditions, then the second cannot. When buying seeds, you need to pay attention to the variety and choose an onion that will feel great in your region. The most universal varieties include shallots, chives, batun, multi-tiered, and onion. Shallots almost never form arrows;
  • Neglecting the correct storage conditions for onions - the optimal temperature for storing seeds is slightly above 0ºC. But don't overdo it. If it is too warm, the onion will begin to sprout, taking all the juices from the future plant. The same applies to high air humidity. Sprouted onions, after planting, will all send out arrows;
  • Onion seed size - if anyone thinks that the size of the planting material does not play any role, then he is mistaken. For planting, fractions 1 and 2 are best suited (there are 3 fractions of onions in total), that is, small, large and medium. Onions of the third fraction can be used to grow feathers, since there is a high probability that they will be used as arrows;
  • The timing of planting onions - not only whether the arrows will grow, but also the quality of the harvest as a whole will depend on how much time the earth has warmed up. If it is damp and cold, the onion may rot or begin to shoot arrows, and when it is too warm, the growth of the turnip will slow down. Some summer residents try to plant onions in the fall. In this case, they practically do not face the problem of arrows. The most optimal time to plant onions is considered to be the second half of April. The earth at this time is quite warm, warmed up, which will reduce the risk that the vegetable will shoot an arrow.

It would seem that the reasons are insignificant, but they are the ones that lead to the appearance of arrows. Separately, it is worth noting the purchase of seed material in specialized stores. In this case, it is difficult to determine under what conditions the onions were stored. The only thing you can do is play it safe a little. First you need to sort out the bulbs. Large ones, set aside for planting on a feather. Medium and small sizes are suitable for turnips. But, each of them will require different storage.

Prevention

A bow that has been shot is not at all suitable for long-term storage. There will be a tendency to rot. Therefore, it needs to be eaten fairly quickly, or simply not allowed to start sprouting arrows.

What measures can be taken:

  • If the set was purchased at the market, before planting, it is recommended to dry it near a radiator (approximately 12-14 days);
  • Some experienced summer residents advise soaking for 3-4 hours before planting in warm water 45%;
  • Change the location of planting onions - if a vegetable grows in the same bed for two or more years in a row, you should not count on a good harvest. The harvest will be small, and there is a high probability that it will go to waste;
  • Removing arrows - it happens that, out of ignorance, some of the nuances associated with storing the bow were missed. This is not a reason to despair. You can still save the harvest if you remove the arrows in a timely manner. Arrows should be pruned close to the stem. The main thing is to carry out this procedure when they are still young and have not had time to harden. A torn onion arrow is not necessarily thrown away. It makes a wonderful fertilizer and more. Onion arrows are used in cooking in many countries. There are many delicious dishes;
  • Choose the right variety for your region. Information can be obtained from the Internet, agricultural reference books, or ask the seller.

Having missed the moment with cutting off the arrows, it is worth remembering that such an onion, even if it has grown to normal size, cannot be stored for a long time. Therefore, it is better to use it for food or preserve it for the winter.

Many summer residents believe that this problem can be solved as it appears, but it is much easier to prevent this trouble than to cut off the arrows later throughout the season.

Storage - how to do it right

To ensure that the seeds are suitable for planting and do not sprout in the future, there are several simple storage rules that should be followed. These include:

  • Drying the onions - the heads are sorted out and spread on a pallet or in a box, after which you need to leave it in a dry, ventilated room (preferably in the sun). After which, the onion is put away in a cool, dark place;
  • You can store it on the floor, in boxes (layer no thicker than 30 cm). Boxes are best made of wood, since in plastic containers it will rot. It is recommended to cover the top with onion peels or newspapers. This must be done so that the onions do not dry out. Sevok feels great in indoor conditions, if it is not too warm and dry;
  • Temperature is also important. Onions are perfectly stored at zero temperatures, maybe -1-3 (winter storage). At the same time, the room must be ventilated. Humidity should be within normal limits, that is, not exceed the threshold of 50 - 60%, otherwise the vegetable will simply rot. Also, there is a combined method, so-called cold-thermal. In winter, onions must be left in a room with a temperature of -1-3 degrees, and in warmer seasons (autumn, early spring) +20ºC. Before this, with the onset of spring, you can keep the bow on the battery for several days at a temperature of +30ºC, and then return again to +20ºC. In addition, it will not be superfluous to ensure that the onion does not freeze; if this happens, it will definitely go into arrows;
  • If the crop was harvested with tops, you can make braids out of it and hang it in a well-ventilated room and store it like that;
  • When it comes to storing onions less than 3 cm in size, then only a temperature of -1 degree is suitable for it. At warmer temperatures, such onions will shrink;
  • Treating the bottoms with lime paste will increase the shelf life of onion turnips. This needs to be done like this: The roots of the selected crop are cut off, then you need to do the processing. Next, the crop is well dried.