When should onions be planted and harvested?

Onion is a common vegetable with very high nutritional and health value. It has strong adaptability, simple cultivation and a long supply period. Currently, there are large quantities of onion cultivation distributed throughout China's north and south. So when should onions be planted and harvested? Let’s learn more about it below.

When should onions be planted and harvested?

Planting times vary for different varieties and regions. However, most of them are generally sown and raised in the open field in early September, and the suitable planting period is mid-to-late October to early November. After overwintering, the harvest is done in late May or early June of the following year.

How to grow onions?

1. Preparation before sowing

Onion roots are shallow and have weak absorption capacity, so the tillage should not be deep, but should be fine. When planting onions in autumn, the land needs to be plowed after the previous crop is harvested, with the plowing depth being about 15 cm. After the land is plowed, it can be made into ridges for sowing. In addition, when preparing the land, pay attention to applying enough base fertilizer. Generally, you can apply 2000 kg of high-quality farmyard manure, 15-20 kg of diammonium phosphate, and 10 kg of urea.

2. Seed treatment

New seeds of the current year should be used. Before sowing, soak them in 50℃ warm water for 30-60 minutes, continue stirring, take out the seeds, rinse them with water, place them in a cool place, and wait until they are half dry before sowing.

3. Sowing method

The sowing method can be row sowing or broadcast sowing. The sowing should be uniform, with a seed rate of about 1.8-2.25 kg per hectare (increase or decrease according to the germination rate). Each hectare of seedbed can provide about 15 hectares of seedlings for transplanting.

4. Transplant at the right time

It is generally advisable to transplant the onion seedlings after they have grown 3-4 true leaves. The seedlings should be planted straight and shallowly (about 2 cm) with the roots firmly integrated with the soil. If planted too deep, it will easily affect the expansion of the bulb. The transplanting standard is plant and row spacing of 15×16 cm or 16×16 cm. Transplant 8 rows per plot.

5. Post-planting management

The main thing is to strengthen the monitoring of seedlings in the fields. If dead or missing seedlings occur, they must be replanted in time to ensure the planting density in the field. Moreover, during the seedling acclimatization period, watering should be done more often and in small amounts to keep the soil moist.

6. Harvesting points

Harvest when more than 60% of the plants' pseudostems have lost water and become soft, the above-ground parts have fallen over, the lower 1-2 leaves have turned yellow, the 3rd-4th leaves are still green, and the outer scales of the bulb have become dry. When harvesting, pull up the plants by the roots and handle them with care to avoid mechanical damage.

In general, onion cultivation is relatively simple, but the specific planting time varies depending on the variety and planting area. At the same time, master the appropriate planting methods to ensure high quality and high yield of onions.