Leeks are valued not by the bulb itself, but by the stems and leaves, which have a spicy, mildly spicy taste. This plant is not called pearl onion for nothing. It has a delicate white "leg" - a flexible slender stem and strong powerful leaves, towering over a meter above the ground. The gourmet onion has a very long growing season of several months. For this reason, in the middle lane, it is grown through seedlings for harvest in the same year.
If you follow the correct agricultural techniques, then this vegetable with a spicy taste will delight you for a long time.
Growing onions consists of several stages:
1. Sowing seeds for seedlings
Sow leeks in March. Place seeds purchased from trusted sellers for several minutes in water at a temperature of 40 degrees, and then hold them in cold water. Place the seeds bathed in different "pools" on wet gauze and leave alone for germination. When they swell and increase in size, it means that they wanted to "live" in the soil, in their element.
Place in containers, individual cups, or cassettes.
- In a box or container, make parallel grooves 5 cm apart and no more than 1 cm deep.
- Place the seeds in the grooves every 3 - 4 cm.
- Cover with soil and wet the surface with a sprayer.
- Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm place at a temperature of at least 23 degrees.
- When shoots appear, remove the film and leave for several days in a room with a temperature of 15 degrees.
Then again it is necessary to raise the temperature to 20 degrees. This amplitude of fluctuation is a very important feature for the cultivation of this onion variety.
2. Landing in the ground
From the moment of planting seeds to planting seedlings in the ground, it takes about two months. This means that you need to transplant it into the ground in May.
During this period, only 2 true leaves are formed and the "leg" begins to increase in thickness.
Until this moment, prepare a place of residence for a capricious tenant. Pour compost or humus on top of the beds at the rate of 3 kg per 1 sq. M, but do not dig, but level it over the surface. Make holes 16 - 18 cm deep for each sprout, 15 - 20 cm apart. Pour handfuls of wood ash into each hole and pour. This culture, like cucumbers, loves to "drink" a lot of water.
Before planting seedlings in the holes, cut the roots and leaves in half. Yes!!! And if possible, soak the roots in a mash of dung and clay. A young onion will sincerely enjoy such a treat. Plant the sprouts in the prepared holes, not forgetting to straighten the roots. Cover with earth, tamp and water again. If a cold snap is expected, cover with foil or other material.
3. Culture care
As the onions grow, loosen the soil around and remove weeds. When young plants are actively growing, they must be hilled, pouring the earth to the leaves.
Perform this procedure every 2 weeks. During the season, two feedings with a solution of cow or chicken feces in a ratio of 1: 8 and, respectively, 1:20 are sufficient. Onions love nutrition from nettle infusion, which will enrich the soil with useful trace elements. To retain moisture during hot periods, mulch the garden with dry grass.
Harvest in late September. To keep it safe, place in a container with wet sand and place in a cool place.
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