The onion needs a soil rich in nutrients and compost to be able to develop. It is advisable to place a good layer of compost before planting, both in pots and in the garden, and stop watering those 20 days before harvesting.
There is no doubt that onions are one of the most used foods in our kitchen. They help us add flavor to our meals and are present in countless recipes.
In addition, they have many properties for our health, such as the prevention of thrombi, their diuretic effect and their antioxidant properties.
Technical data for growing onions at home.
You can plant it both in the garden and in a pot, as long as you meet certain requirements that we explain below. First of all, you need to plant the onion directly into the ground.
The seasons with the highest onion production are spring, summer and winter.
You must bear in mind that the harvest time from planting to harvest is four months. Also, if you want to plant in pots, they must contain at least three liters of water or a minimum depth of 20 centimeters.
In the case of planting onions in the garden, the distance between each plant must be 15 centimeters and between the planting lines 40 cm.
On the other hand, in relation to the type of soil, it is necessary to know that the onion needs a soil rich in nutrients and fertilizer to be able to develop. The substances it acquires from the earth are, above all, potassium and phosphorus.
Other tips for harvesting onions at home.
- They grow best in sunny places, especially during the weeks when the bulbs are forming.
- During its entire life cycle, the onion requires little watering, except for the vegetative stage(before the bulb is formed). About 20 days before harvesting it is advisable to stop watering.
- Harvesting is done when the tops of the leaves are yellow. To do this, the leaves are twisted and broken. A fork is used to lift the bulbs so as not to damage the skin. Afterwards, they are left half-buried for a few days. Finally, they are dug up again and left to dry in the sun for two weeks.
- It is essential to free the onions from weeds and prevent them from undergoing sudden changes in humidity.
The ideal temperature for onions is 15 to 25 °C in the bulb growth stage. The cultivation of this vegetable is well associated with other crops: strawberries, carrots, cucumbers and tomatoes. It is not advisable to associate them with legumes.
How to plant onions in pots.
If you do not have space at home to create a garden, you can try planting them in pots or pots on the balcony, terrace or patio. It’s easier than you think, you don’t have to take a gardening course or become a farmer overnight. You just have to prepare the soil well, prepare the place and choose the pots.
The first thing you should do is have a good organic soil to place in the pots. You can buy it in a nursery (if so, choose the one that is blackest because it is the most fertilized). You should not add artificial fertilizers or fertilizers under any circumstances, because although they will make the plant grow faster, they are harmful to health.
If the soil is very dry, “caked” or is of a light color, it can be combined with a very dark black soil with compost. Let the nutrients settle for two weeks before planting.
The pots should be at least 20 cm deep and 30 cm wide. If you are going to plant the seed, you should leave 15 cm between each hole. If you are going to make almácigos (seedbeds), it is better to prepare them before and place them in the pot when they have reached 10 cm in height.
