Onions are a popular vegetable crop that many gardeners try to grow in their own area. Usually they select varieties that give the crop as early as possible so that the gap between last year's harvest and the new one is minimal. But at the same time, they often forget that many garden crops have winter varieties, planting of which in the winter will make it possible to get a crop in early summer. One of these varieties is Shakespeare onion. It will be discussed further.
Did you know? Archaeologists have discovered one of the first images of onions in the tomb of Tutankhamun, dated 1352 BC. e.
Description and characteristics of the variety
Onions Shakespeare belongs to the early varieties that ripen in 75 days. Its fruits, bulbs, have a pronounced round shape. The color of their upper scales ranges from yellow to brown. The inner scales are densely arranged. The average weight of one onion is 100 g, but specimens weighing 150 and even 250 grams are not uncommon. With these parameters, about 3.5 kg of crop can be harvested from one square meter of beds.
Shakespeare onions are a rare variety, but some characteristics can be distinguished that distinguish it from the rest:
- gives a quality crop in a short time;
- bulbs mature in about 2.5 months;
- bulbs are large and perfectly rounded;
- the pulp is juicy, dense, white in color and has a semi-sharp taste;
- a dense integumentary cover makes the variety more resistant to frost (up to -18 ° C) compared to other winter varieties;
- high resistance to most diseases.
Important! It is advisable that on days of planting, the temperature be kept at + 5 ° C, and about 14 days remain before the temperature drops to 0 ° C.
Pros and cons of the variety
- The advantages of the variety are:
- getting the crop as soon as possible;
- ideal bulb shape;
- dense and juicy pulp;
- semi-sharp taste;
- high frost resistance;
- resistant to disease.
Among the shortcomings, only a not very good stubbornness is noted, which is inherent in all winter varieties.
How to grow at home in the winter
To get a quality crop, you need to follow certain rules for planting crops.
Optimum seeding time
For sowing, sowing of seeds is carried out at the end of August, and sowing for receiving a new crop is carried out in early October. When planting a crop in the fall, you need to be guided by the temperature characteristics of the region to determine the exact date of planting work. It is necessary to have time to plant onions before frost so that it can take root.
Growing conditions
You need to choose a bed for a bow in a sunny and sheltered from the wind. The culture does not like high humidity, so the area should not be flooded in the spring with melt and groundwater.
Soil and fertilizer
The culture prefers nutritious soil with neutral acidity. It will be nice to grow on sandy, well-fertilized and drained soils. Fertilizers are introduced before planting (humus with ash). A bed of onions is formed with a depth of 15–20 cm. Potatoes, legumes, cucumbers and tomatoes are good predecessors.
Important! To allow the drying out of the garden, as well as its overmoistening, is undesirable.
Planting Sevka
How to plant Shakespeare onions - step by step description:
- Sort planting material. Bulbs 1-2 cm in size are suitable for planting.
- Soak prepared sevs for 10 minutes in potassium permanganate.
- Dry the seed thoroughly after processing.
- Bulbs can be planted in rows or in a nesting manner. Wells should be dug at a distance of at least 10 cm. Between the rows should be 15–20 cm.
- Dip three or four onions into each hole so that their neck is 2-3 cm underground.
- Sprinkle the bulbs with peat or humus peat.
Variety Care Features
The technology for caring for winter onions is slightly different from caring for a common crop. The difference is that after planting, the winter crop only needs to be prepared for winter. Other procedures, such as watering, cultivation and weed control, are carried out in the spring.
Watering and feeding
After planting, Shakespeare's onion does not need to be watered, since the amount of moisture that the earth can get in the fall will be enough to root the seed. It will rain in the spring, and before that it will snow, saturate the soil with sufficient moisture, so the first watering can be done no earlier than the second half of May. With heavy spring rains, the first watering is postponed almost to June.
Top dressing is introduced after the emergence of seedlings. For these purposes, water mixed with nitrogen fertilizers is used. When the plant is 14 days old, the bed is fertilized again. Potash and phosphate fertilizers are used.
Soil loosening
The soil in the garden loosens after watering. You need to remove the thin top layer of the soil, since the bulbs are located close to the surface and are easy to hook on.
Weeding
Weed weeding is carried out as needed. While the onions are small, weeds should be pulled out by hand. When the feathers are a little older, weeds can be removed with a chopper.
Preparing for the winter
For wintering, a bed with a crop is prepared immediately after planting. It is necessary to mulch it; for this, hay, dry foliage is used. It is better to refuse film and agrofibre since in spring the bed will be steamed under these materials. So that the layer of mulch does not fly away with a gust of wind, it is desirable to crush it with branches and spruce branches. After lining the layer of mulch, you need to sprinkle wood ash on the bed. When a stable high temperature is established in the spring, the mulch layer is removed.
Did you know? Onion came to America thanks to Columbus. Its distribution began on the island of Isabella in the Caribbean.
Diseases and Pests
Shakespeare's onion variety is resistant to most diseases. For preventive purposes, the plant is treated with fungicide solutions. If you do not want to use chemicals, you can spray with wood ash diluted in water. To scare the onion fly, tobacco dust is scattered between the rows.
Harvesting and storage
Harvesting occurs 2.5 months after emergence. It is desirable to carry out cleaning in dry windy weather. If the soil is light, then the bulbs can be carefully pulled out of the ground with your hands by the feather. From heavy soil it is better not to pull them, but to dig them with a pitchfork - otherwise you can leave the tip in the ground, and without it the bulbs will not be stored for long. The selected crop must be laid out in the sun to dry. After that, it is laid out on wooden crates and placed in a dry, well-ventilated place.
Useful recommendations from gardeners
Some tips for growing winter crops:
- Harvest is necessary when the scales are dry and the feather turns yellow.
- Those regions where a large amount of snow falls in winter are ideal for growing winter crops.
- You need to cover the beds for the winter before the onset of frost. If you cover the garden before stable frosts, the culture will not tolerate wintering.
- The beds should be located on the south and southwest sides of the site.
- During autumn planting, 1/3 dose of nitrogen fertilizers should be introduced into the soil, and in spring - 2/3 dose.
As you can see, Shakespeare onions are a great option for those who want to get a vegetable crop as early as possible. In the care culture is not whimsical. The main thing is to qualitatively prepare it for wintering, since the quality of the future crop directly depends on it.
