Many gardeners are interested in whether it is possible to grow Shallot shrimp on their beds. To succeed in this matter, you need to familiarize yourself with the description of this variety and the process of growing it, as well as with the nuances of planting, care, harvesting and storage.
Description and characteristics of the variety Shrike
The shrike is a variety of shallots, which at the present stage of development of gardening is gaining more and more popularity. This is due to the fact that its composition includes many useful substances. So, its leaves and the fruit itself contain essential oils, sugars and vitamins C and B.
Did you know? India exports the largest amount of onions annually - 1,009 thousand tons. The lion's share of imports falls on Russia - 600–800 thousand tons
In addition, shallots are saturated with mineral salts of potassium, iron, calcium and phosphorus, as well as nickel, cobalt, chromium, vanadium, titanium, silicon, germanium and other substances. Thanks to this chemical composition, the Shrike helps normalize blood pressure and digestion, and heals wounds from insect bites. Let us describe in more detail how it looks and when you can harvest.
What does it look like
The shrike visually resembles onions, but in miniature. Its fruits are oblong in shape, reach a mass of 25–75 g and a length of 10 cm, have a dense structure and a pronounced taste. They are covered with a puff dry peel of an orange-golden hue. Its leaves are narrow in shape of a bright green color, covered with a faintly waxy coating.
Ripening dates and productivity
Being a precocious crop, this variety of onions ripens quickly enough, therefore, you can start harvesting only 70–80 days after planting. Green leaves of the plant can be collected on the 25-30th day.
As for yield, from 1 fruit you can get 6-12 pieces, and in some cases 20-25 bulbs. Also from 1 m² it is possible to collect up to 4–5 kg of Shrike.
Landing time
The most suitable time for planting onions is spring, namely mid-April. As soon as the soil warms up, you can begin the procedure. The air temperature should be + 18 ... + 20 ° С.
The choice of planting dates also depends on how carefully you have carried out preparatory work for the territory where you plan to grow crops. Some gardeners plant this vegetable in the fall. Below we describe this process in more detail.
Important! Seeds begin to germinate in the soil when the soil reaches + 4 ° C.
How to Grow Shallot Shredder
In order to grow shallots, it is necessary not only to carry out preparatory work before planting, but also to adhere to the process technology. In addition, during cultivation, some care features should be considered, such as watering, loosening and fertilizing the soil.
Preparatory work before landing
First you need to prepare for planting a plant. To do this, you need to choose the right place, taking into account which plants grew on this area before. At the last stage of preparation it is necessary to process the seeds.
Seat selection
Before planting shallots, it is necessary to determine the location of the beds. So, this culture will bring a good harvest if you place it in a quiet, well-lit place with moderate humidity. The soil should be loose, rich in humus and aerated (saturated with air). Do not plant this variety of onions in the same place for more than 3 consecutive years. In this case, the soil should have low or neutral acidity (6–7 pH).
Important! If groundwater flows too close to the topsoil in your area, then reliable drainage is recommended.
Predecessors
It is imperative to observe crop rotation and to select a place for sowing, on which suitable vegetables were previously grown as precursors.
A distinctive property of shallots is that it can be planted between rows of already growing crops, such as:
- carrot,
- potatoes,
- Tomatoes
- cucumbers
- cabbage.
These vegetables are suitable precursors to shallots. In addition, this greens are recommended to be grown next to lettuce, radishes and strawberries.
But there are also unfavorable "neighbors", these include:
- dill,
- parsley,
- spinach,
- corn,
- beet,
- garlic,
- beans
- green pea.
Seed preparation
When selecting seeds, you should pay attention to the fact that the material must be visually attractive and not have damage. It is recommended to choose a fruit 3.5 cm in size and weighing 35–40 g. Next, they must be decontaminated by heating the planting material for 8 hours at a temperature of + 40 ° С.
Seeds are washed before planting for 3 days, changing the water 3 times a day. In addition, they should be disinfected by washing in a solution of potassium permanganate or fungicide and soaking in it for 7 minutes. Seeds must be dried before planting.
Landing technology
Leeks are planted in spring. We describe in more detail the landing technology. So, having decided on the location of the beds, they dig holes with a depth of 5–6 cm, observing a distance of 20–30 cm between rows and an interval of 8–10 cm between the bulbs themselves. Then they put on the onion in each recess, deepening it by 2–3 cm. After that, fill the shallots with soil containing wood ash (3: 1), water all the beds and mulch.
If you decide to plant onions in the winter, then the most suitable time will be the end of August - the beginning of September. After the procedure, a reliable shelter should be provided, which can be peat or lapnik. Ignoring this instruction can lead to a decrease in productivity by 3 times, that is, part of the vegetables can freeze.
Important! If the bulbs are deepened too much, this will extend the harvest time.
Care Features
In order to get a good harvest, you must adhere to some rules of watering. You should also timely destroy weeds and loosen the soil. In addition, it is recommended to regularly fertilize. Let us describe in more detail all these processes.
Watering
Until the first seedlings appear, the plant is not watered. Then, when the greens begin to peck through the soil, water procedures are carried out once a week, directing the stream under the root of the plant. The water consumption should be 20 liters per 1 m² 3 times per season.
Watering is recommended not often, but with high quality. Onions love heavy watering, but do not accept stagnant water. Irrigation fluid may be salty. This helps to prevent the appearance of harmful insects. Stop watering the month before the harvest.
Soil cultivation and weeding
The first loosening of the soil should be carried out before starting onion planting. Further, this manipulation is carried out 3-4 times during the growing season. In addition, weeds should be disposed of in a timely manner, since they drown out the entire crop with their vegetation, eating from the soil useful substances designed to produce a good shallot crop.
Did you know? In 2011, a new coin in honor of a bow of 10 francs was issued in Switzerland. It depicts onion braids as the main symbol of the festival "Swiss Traditions".
Feeding
The first feeding is also carried out before planting. So, after digging in the soil, rotted organic fertilizer (humus) is added, and it is also enriched with ammonium nitrate, potassium chloride, superphosphates. For the first time it is recommended to use bird droppings or mullein. In this case, it must be diluted with water (1:10). The fertilizer consumption should be 1 bucket per 1 m².
The first dressing of the plant is carried out 2 weeks after its germination. In the future, onions are fertilized 2 times per season. For this, a mixture of potassium chloride (10–15 g / m²) and superphosphate (15–20 g / m²) is used. In spring, after loosening the soil, nitrogen fertilizers should be applied.
Plant pests and diseases
Shallots can be affected by various diseases, such as:
- Neck rot. Its development, as a rule, begins in the second half of summer. Getting on the leaves of the plant, the disease penetrates directly into the neck of the bulb, softening its tissue. The fetus becomes watery and starts to emit an unpleasant odor. It is recommended to treat the plant with "Mikosan", "Quadrice" or "Pentophagus".
- Downy mildew. May be triggered by too heavy watering. It is characterized by the appearance of pale green spots of an oval shape, which gradually increase in size and affect the entire area of the leaf. When the first signs of the disease appear, it is recommended to spray the plant with Profit Gold every 12-15 days, until the symptoms disappear.
- Rust. Formed in spring and affects onion leaves with small warts, blackening in early summer. This leads to drying out of the plant and a decrease in fruit size. To combat rust, the plant should be sprayed with copper chloride, diluting it with water in a ratio of 40 g of the drug per 10 l of water. Before manipulation to the solution add 1 tbsp. l liquid soap, which prolongs the effect of the drug, fixing it on the affected surface in need of healing.
- Green mold rot. Appears during storage of the vegetable in the form of brown spots on the skin. High humidity contributes to the spread of this disease. Use fungicides to stop this process.
In addition, the Shrike is also susceptible to attack by insects such as an onion fly. It slows the growth of the plant, causes wilting, the leaves at the same time change their shade to yellow-gray. The fruit softens and begins to rot, producing an unpleasant odor. In order to get rid of this insect, it is recommended to use "Alatar", "Fly-eater", "Aktar" or "Sochva".
Did you know? One of the first onion images was discovered in the tomb of Tutankhamun. The find was made in 1352 BC. e.
To prevent the occurrence of diseases, it is necessary to adhere to the rules for the disinfection of seed material, as well as to make special preparations along with top dressing, such as Bazudin, Pochin, or Zemlin. In addition, it is also recommended that before planting, immerse planting material in a solution with Maxim.
Harvesting and storage
Harvesting is recommended when its green leaves begin to lean towards the ground. In addition, the plant is cut off when its height reaches 30 cm. Harvesting takes place at a time when most of the leaves have dried up and the bulbs have not yet begun to sprout. At the same time, ripened fruits should be dug up in August. Then they should be dried, after removing the dry tops. Bulbs themselves are sorted, sorted according to the selected parameters (size, integrity, etc.) and left for storage in a dark, cool place with a low level of humidity.
The temperature in the room should vary between 0 ... + 10 ° C. After ripening, before laying the onions for storage, the seed should be heated at a temperature of at least + 30 ... + 40 ° C for 14 days. It is recommended to store it at a temperature of + 18 ... + 20 ° С in a dark place. In order to extend the shelf life of onions, do not trim the feather and roots on it, but allow them to dry naturally. Thus, the crop can be stored for six months.
In cut form, it is permissible to store it for 30 days in the refrigerator and up to 6 months in the freezer. Growing shallots on their beds, each gardener must comply with certain conditions. So, a correctly selected place and prepared seeds, as well as the observed norms of watering, cultivating and fertilizing the soil will allow you to get a good harvest.
