The passion for archery in our country arose relatively recently and almost spontaneously, mainly after the appearance on the screens of the saga about the adventures of the hobbits. Judging by the amount of materials on the RuNet about bows and shooting from this ancient throwing weapon, the number of followers of Robin Hood and William Tell is growing at an exponential rate.
The most burning question among neophytes is where to start, how and which bow to choose? There is no definite answer to it, so we will try to tell you a little about everything: types of bows, their advantages and disadvantages, selection criteria - the process in which the last word will be left to you. So, let's find out what types of bows there are for shooting, which one to choose for hunting, and in general, what to choose, a bow or a crossbow?
The design of the weapon for throwing a feathered stick with a sharp tip has been refined over thousands of years, refuting the adage about the futility of the invention of the bicycle. Therefore, today we have three types of bows.
Basic rules for choosing bows are presented in this video:
Traditional
Those that were used by our ancestors until the moment firearms fell into their hands. These are bows of Indians, Papuans, Eskimos, Chukchi and other autochthonous peoples. These are also replicas of military weapons of the peoples of Europe and Asia.
They are made using known and restored technologies, using natural materials - wood, leather, natural adhesives. There can be no question of any mass production of such products; each bow will have its own characteristics, style of behavior, one might say, character. Mastering a traditional bow requires daily training that lasts for years.
We will talk about which traditional onion to choose later in this article.
Classic
These are bows used in sports competitions and are therefore called “Olympic”. What they have in common with traditional ones is the method of accumulating energy for a shot - by bending the elastic branches (shoulders) of the bow. Most of These bows have a recurve shape - a double bend of the shoulder.
This design allows you to accumulate twice as much energy with the same length of the elastic beam. Everything is very simple - one arc works in compression, the other in tension. Europe owes the appearance of recurve bows to the Huns, a nomadic people who came from the Steppe.
The sporting purpose of the classic bow predetermined the fact that they began to install elements on it that could significantly increase shooting accuracy and eliminate elements of chance from the training process as much as possible. These are sights, balancers, shelves for arrows from which they come off without hitting the handle, vibration dampers.
They are similar to traditional ones and the method of holding the arrow while pulling the bowstring. The most famous are two of them: English - the shank of an arrow between the index and middle fingers, and also Indian - the bowstring is held with the index (the shank lies on it), middle and ring fingers.
The most essential element of a classic bow, despite its outward insignificance, is the shelf on which the arrow is held. An ingenious design, of which there are countless types, allows the arrow to leave the string without hitting the handle with its feathers. This made it possible to abandon natural feathers, replace them with rigid stabilizers and significantly increase accuracy.
Sports rules prohibit the installation of devices on a classic bow that can be used to build an aiming line based on more than one point.
In addition, pulling the bowstring is always a strength exercise, because as the shoulders bend, their resistance increases. Therefore, learning to shoot with such bows is almost as difficult as with traditional ones. But training can be systematized and achieve good results much faster.
Block
We owe their appearance in 1969 to Holles Allen, who lived in Missouri (USA). The design is based on a system of blocks (pulley hoists), which increase the force applied to the running end as many times as there are these blocks.
The energy for throwing an arrow is accumulated not only in the shoulders, but also in the system of cables, one of the branches of which is the bowstring. A special feature of these bows is the “wall” effect – force release when the maximum draw point is reached. It reaches 80 percent. If, for example, the MK-SV75 compound bow has a maximum draw force of 27 kilograms, then at the moment of aiming the shooter needs a force of 4 kilograms to hold the bowstring.
The force diagram when tensioning the “block” is mirror image the same process for the classic onion. First comes the overcoming (peak force) of the elasticity of the shoulder, which has potential energy. As tension increases, it accumulates in the cables (becomes kinetic), and the force applied by the archer to the bowstring drops. Athletes recognized this phenomenon as cheating, so compound bows are not allowed in the Olympic Games. But it became possible to equip it with elements that made its effectiveness equal to that of a firearm.
In addition to shelves for arrows, balancers and vibration dampers (optional), complexes are installed on compound bows for building an aiming line. This is a sight with a ring frame and a peep-sight - a ring in the bowstring through which the shooter can see the target.
But the most interesting detail was the release - a device thanks to which the shooter pulls the bowstring with the shoulder and elbow joint, like a lever. The fingers are not involved in this process, the hand is relaxed. Choosing a compound bow is not an easy task.
The most popular block models are:
How to choose a bow for shooting for beginners, a compound bow for hunting, a sports bow or another - you will learn all this below.
Problems of choice
When choosing a throwing weapon, they usually focus on compliance with historical truth (aesthetics), combat effectiveness, ease of ownership, and price.
Truth and aesthetics
Many people are drawn to archery by the desire to be like the elf Legolas or other fantasy or historical characters. Although archaeologists have proven the fact that English archers suffered from monstrous scoliosis.
- Most faithfully repeat the contours and design traditional bows products from Samik (pr.). The handle is made of laminated solid wood, and the removable arms are laminated, with an external plastic coating. The only thing that can be installed on them without damaging the structure is a shelf, which allows you to use arrows not only with natural feathers. A model similar to them (Sebastian Flute). The bows are also good.
- Real olympic recurve bows produced by SF company. The series starts with the Axiom model. They have an aluminum handle on which you can install a sight, balancer, plunger, or shako. This is a transitional option between tradition and classic: their shoulders are laminated - wood, covered with plastic. There are variants of classic bows made entirely from modern materials. For example, the Blue Knight Bow (), which has fiberglass limbs and an aluminum handle.
- Compound bows- This is an industrial aesthetic, they are a machine for throwing arrows.
This video will tell you how to choose a bow for a novice archer for hunting:
Combat effectiveness
- Classic bows give all the energy to the arrow during the release of the bowstring. Due to the short duration of the force impulse, the arrow flies at a speed of no more than 50 m/s and does not have much penetrating force. However, this allows you to increase the rate of fire if you do not draw the bow at full strength or do it with a jerk.
- U blocker the arrow accelerates relatively slowly, and the peak of force occurs at the moment it leaves the shelf. The arrow's flight speed reaches 90 m/s; it is possible to use heavy arrows with great penetrating force. That is why such bows are most often positioned as hunting bows. Partial tension of the bowstring is impossible, the rate of fire is low. But the accuracy and accuracy of hits is comparable to firearms.
Ease of ownership
First of all, this is an opportunity to customize the bow to suit you.
- Classic It’s not for nothing that models are made collapsible. And because to adjust it you need to change the shoulders - shorter or longer, stiffer or elastic. When choosing such a bow, it is customary to focus on the height of the shooter. Although the British proceeded from a different consideration: a long bow with the same tension force is less deformed and therefore lasts longer.
- Blocky the bow is adjusted by changing the position of the blocks on the eccentrics. This does not require high qualifications from the owner or additional costs for the purchase of shoulders and bowstrings.
Wherein:
- According to the current standard, a classic hunting bow cannot be longer than 60 inches (150 cm). Sports bows reach a length of 70 inches. The length of the blocker does not exceed 90 cm, making it through the forest wilds is less problematic.
- In terms of weight, only the classics, used in the barebow version, outperform blockers - without a modern body kit, including sights.
Price
This is the most controversial criterion. If you evaluate a bow in combination with combat effectiveness and richness of equipment, then compound bows turn out to be cheaper.
- For example, Samik Polaris, which the manufacturer positions as a bow for beginners, is a good choice, costs more than 11 thousand rubles, and the package includes only a string and a simple shelf. Its tension force is no more than 36 pounds (16.3 kg). A set of replacement shoulders costs at least five thousand.
- Compare it to the same level Barnett Vortex compound bow, which costs 15 grand. Tension force from 19 to 45 pounds (9 to 21 kg), no investment required for adjustment. The delivery set includes three arrows, a sight with three pins, a shelf, and a shako.
Conclusion
If you want to master archery as an art, your aesthetic taste is pleased with shapes and lines, then buy the classics, which, by the way, can be done.
Compound bows are for those who primarily value practicality, who don’t have the time to visit training rooms, and want to achieve good results quickly. But if you want to switch to classic bows, you will have to learn them again.
This video will tell you how to choose arrows for a bow:
In our gardens we grow ordinary and even less - 3-4 species. And we need more! Because they are all good for health. And many are also very beautiful. So much so that they can be safely planted in flower beds.
Bulb onions (Allium cepa)
The most popular type of onion. The bulbs that are eaten are white or purple, spicy or sweet. It is cultivated in a two-year crop: in the first year, nigella seeds are sown, and in the second year, seedlings are sown. Feathers onions edible, but rough.
Onion (Allium fistulosum)
Another name is pipe onion. Perennial species. It grows wild in Siberia, and in cultivation everywhere except in the Far North. It is grown for its leaves - they taste like onion feathers, but are more vitamin-rich and delicate.
Slime Bow (Allium nutans)
The botanical name is drooping onion. Perennial. Very frost-resistant. It grows quickly, blooms beautifully and profusely with pale pink heads. Young leaves are eaten - they appear early in the spring, when there is no other greenery in the garden.
Chives (Allium schoenoprasum)
Perennial species. And very decorative: it is often planted in flower beds for its lilac inflorescence heads, which, by the way, are edible - they are added to salads, but the leaves are most often used. Very frost-resistant, can grow even in the Far North. Other names for this species: skoroda, chive, Siberian onion.
Sweet onion (Allium ramosum)
This species is well known in Central Asia - there it is called jusai, in our country it is more often called Chinese garlic. And this is no coincidence, because it tastes like both onion and garlic. Perennial. For food I use leaves, which are added to salads, main courses and stewed as a side dish, as well as flower arrows - they are pickled like wild garlic.
It is very unpretentious and incredibly frost-resistant - it can withstand cold temperatures down to -45 ° C.
Leek (Allium porrum)
They are grown for their greenery, or more precisely, for the sake of the “leg” - the thickened stem at the base of the plant. Its taste is subtler and sweeter, and its aroma is more delicate than that of onions. Young leaves are also eaten (they become coarser with age). Annual, it takes a long time to ripen, so it is grown through seedlings. It stays great in the basement all winter, and during storage, unlike other vegetables, it does not lose vitamin C.
Shallot (Allium ascalonicum)
Perennial. It forms nests of 4-10 bulbs, which is why it is also called family onion. Ripens very quickly, gives high yields and is well stored. Shallot bulbs are small, weighing 20-50 g, with a delicate, sweetish, mild taste. It can be dried and removed in the spring for the sake of lush greenery.
Cheremsha (Allium ursinum)
The second name is bear bow. It grows wild throughout Europe, but does well in gardens provided it is planted in the shade under trees. Leaves are used for food, which are collected in the spring, while it is still cool; as the weather gets warmer, they become coarser and become tasteless. Their taste and smell are strong and garlicky. The plant is perennial.
Rockambole (Allium scorodoprasum)
Aka Egyptian onions, Spanish, horse and elephant garlic. Botanists call it “hairbow.” Perennial. It is similar in appearance to leeks, but, unlike it, it has large bulbs, which, like traditional garlic, are divided into cloves. The leaves and bulbs are used for food - they are less pungent than garlic, and the smell is not as strong. The species is very productive - even a small garden bed can provide for a family.
Garlic (Allium sativum)
The second most popular type of onion, after onions. Yes, yes, exactly onions! Its botanical Latin name translates as onion. Perennial, but requires digging and replanting. Bulbs, leaves and flower shoots are used for food.
Varieties and types of onions, photos and descriptionsIn Russian gardens you can find two types of onions: onions and green. In varieties grown “for greens” the bulb is small or practically absent. Many varieties of onions that are planted “on turnips” also produce modified leaves called “arrows” - they are also eaten and used for preservation, but to the detriment of the development of the bulb.
Annual varieties of onions
Onions (lat. Allium cepa) are a perennial plant that is used by chefs all over the world. It is added to all kinds of dishes, consumed both raw and cooked, and used as medicine. Let's look at annual onion varieties with photos and descriptions that are grown "for turnips."
Yellow onion Krasnodar
The bulb is yellowish-pink, large 100-200 grams. Recommended for annual cultivation.
Productivity from 2 to 4 kg per square meter. m. It deteriorates quickly, does not withstand physical damage, and is not transportable.
The taste of Krasnodar onion is slightly pungent, the aroma is bright. Used in canning and cooking.
Onion Jurzek
The surface scales are yellow with a straw tint, up to 70-90 grams. An early ripening variety with good frost resistance, can be used for pre-winter planting. It is grown from seeds as an annual crop, and from sets as a biennial crop.
Yurzhek onion has a high yield of 2.5-3 kg per square meter. m., has excellent keeping quality.
It has a sweetish taste and is used in cooking. Most often refers to salad varieties.
Chalcedony onions
The husk is brown in color, with a bronze tint. Large annual variety with bulbs weighing 80-130 grams. For growing, it is recommended to choose a sunny, dry and open place. Resistant to cold, germinates at temperatures from 5 degrees Celsius when planted before winter.
It stands out for its high yield - up to 8 kg per square meter. m. Has high shelf life.
Mainly used in industrial canning, and suitable for preparing savory dishes.
Karatalsky
The color of the bulb is golden yellow. Late-ripening variety with large fruits. It is grown only as an annual crop from seeds. It does not tolerate frost well, so it is planted in beds only at a stable air temperature of 15-20 degrees Celsius.
Productivity reaches 3-4 kg per square meter. m., dense bulbs, weighing up to 120 g. It can be stored for up to 8 months, but is poorly transported.
The taste is semi-sharp, used in salads and dishes without heat treatment, in the preparation of hot dishes, and in canning.
Early ripening onion Guess
The color is yellow, a brown or purple tint may appear. The onion is strong, medium size, 30-90 g. The variety is grown by seed or seedlings.
The bright aroma and pungent taste make this variety indispensable for lovers of spicy preserves. The average yield is 1.8 kg; if favorable conditions for growing are created, up to 3 kg per square meter can be harvested. m. The Guess variety has excellent shelf life and is well transported.
To get maximum yield when growing onions, you must follow the watering rules.
Perennial onions: varieties, photos and descriptions
Onions for turnips and greens can be grown from sets - small onions that grow in the first year of sowing seeds. The bulbs are stored at a temperature not lower than 0 degrees Celsius in boxes, the bottom of which is sprinkled with peat or garden soil. Planting material is selected according to appearance, the germination and productivity of future plantings depends on its quality.
Onion sets grow quickly, require minimal care, and ripe bulbs are stored well. With this seed material You can grow varieties Sturon, Centurion, Carmen, Shetana, Shalott, Hercules, Shakespeare, Alpha, Senshui.
You will find information about planting onion sets in our article.
Yellow onion Apogee
The bulb is yellow, with a golden sheen. The average weight of the bulb varies between 80-130 grams. Sowing of seeds is carried out in the second half of March, onion sets are planted in early April. They are grown both annual and perennial. Tolerates winter well.
Average yield: 3-3.5 kg per square meter. m. Easily transported and stored.
The variety has a sharp taste and can become bitter if there is a lack of moisture. It is considered universal, used in all types of cooking and preservation.
White onion Snowball
Covered with white scales. Quite large, average bulb weight 120-200 g. They are grown by seed or seedlings in an annual crop, or by sowing in a perennial crop.
The average yield is 2-3 kg per square meter. m. Keeping quality is average, transportability is good.
It has a sweetish, semi-sharp taste and is used in cooking. It is added to preserves only when preparing quick marinades and mild salads.
Red Baron onion
The bulb is dark purple, covered with a bright red husk, grows to 110-150 g. Red Baron is an early ripening variety, grown by seed and seedlings, but it is also possible to sow sets when long-term planting.
Average yield up to 4 kg per square meter. m. Has excellent keeping quality and is easily transported.
It has a pronounced aroma and semi-sharp taste. Used in salads and canning, does not taste bitter.
Regardless of what varieties of onions you choose to grow, you must change the planting location annually. Without additional measures, useful material It takes 3-4 years to recover in the soil.
Onions love nitrogen-rich soil, so it is not recommended to grow them in beds after cabbage or potatoes. Good harvest can be obtained in the beds after zucchini, tomatoes, cucumbers, pumpkins, peas, parsley or dill.
To get the maximum onion yield, you can use the recommendations of our readers.
Types of green onions
Green onions are an excellent seasoning for salads, main and first courses. It contains calcium and phosphorus - elements that improve the condition of teeth, and zinc, which improves immunity and promotes the growth of hair and nails.
Green onions contain virtually no calories. In average climatic zones, gardeners grow the following types of onions for greens.
Green onion Batun
It does not produce bulbs; the fistula leaves are used for food. Medium spiciness, pronounced aroma. Batun is added to salads and used for cooking. It is not added to canned food, only to quick marinades.
Schnitt
Reproduction is carried out by seeds and dividing the bush. The plant is edible, but is considered ornamental and is used in flower beds. It is not used in canned food or hot dishes, as it has a mildly spicy taste. The leaves reach commercial quality by September in the second year.
Green onion variety Slizun
A fragrant plant with a high content of iron and vitamins. Mainly used for cooking fresh salads.
The crop is propagated by dividing bushes, seeds and seedlings. Leaves grow in early spring.
Multi-tiered green onion
It reproduces exclusively by vegetative means, grows quickly, and does not enter a dormant state. In the spring, basal bulbs are planted, and in the fall - aerial bulbs. Planting requires homogeneous, loose, fertile soil.
The bases of the tubular leaves are used for food, and the bulbs (aerial seed pods) are pickled in brine. Greens are used in salads and canning.
Leek
Biennial culture containing essential oils in the leaves. The stem is suitable for eating raw, boiled, or stewed.
For temperate climates, the Karantan variety, which is grown by seedlings, is most suitable. IN open ground young plants are transferred in early May, watered abundantly in summer and periodically hilled. Partial harvesting is allowed at the 4-5 leaf stage and can continue until late autumn.
Shallot Pervomaisky
This variety is a bulb variety, but it is grown for greens, since its bulb is small and does not have a pronounced taste. The crop is quite cold-resistant, so it is planted in the first ten days of spring, after the snow melts. Before planting, the soil is well fertilized.
It is used fresh and for preparing various dishes. Used for quick marinades.
Green onion variety Angular
Perennial species with fragrant inflorescences. It is distinguished by the active growth of new buds and produces juicy greens in late autumn.
Green onions oblique
In appearance, taste and aroma it resembles garlic, and can replace it when preserving vegetables. This is a perennial crop, but it is recommended to grow it for no more than 3 years in one place.
Application and storage
Onions are used both raw in salads and in cooking. Greens are used as a seasoning in dried form, added to meat dishes, pies, and side dishes. It improves taste and saturates the body with vitamins and minerals.
Onions are often recommended traditional medicine as a preventative against colds, exhaustion, and constant fatigue. In combination with aloe, radish, honey or dried apricots, onions are used to treat the upper and lower respiratory tract and fungal skin infections.
Detailed information the benefits of green and onions can be found in our material.
To prevent the bulbs from losing their properties during wintering, they must be stored correctly. For these purposes, only ripe fruits without mechanical damage or putrefactive lesions are suitable.
Before storing in a breathable container, the crop should be thoroughly dried. During the winter, you need to periodically sort through stocks, removing rotten bulbs. To prevent germination, you can burn the root lobes or cover them with lime paste.
You will find information about the rules for storing onions in our article.
Bottom line
The onions, the varieties of which we examined, are the best in terms of yield, keeping quality, or taste, which is why they are most often chosen by Russian gardeners to grow on their plots. Everyone decides for themselves which variety is best suited to their needs. Most often, both types of onions are grown - green and turnip, since they have completely different taste qualities and are used in various dishes, marinades, and preservation recipes.
Young onion leaves are tasty and healthy; they should always be present on our table. To get green tops, many people plant onions, but their perennial relatives have much more interesting feathers. It is not only richer in vitamins, but also softer in taste. It is equally important that the prime time for perennial onions is early spring, when nothing has yet grown in the garden. Growing perennial onions does not require any special care; they are unpretentious and frost-resistant. They all grow well in fertile, non-acidic soils. In my garden, four are held in high esteem: the batun, the slug, the chives, and the multi-tiered one walking along the beds.
Perennial onions - types
Batun - onion on a bun
Batun is one of the most popular among perennial onions.
It is also called winter, Russian or Siberian. By the end of the first year of life, the plant forms small clumps of 3-5 branches. Then, every year the bushes grow and can have from 30 to 60 branches. However, already in the 3-4th year the yield decreases, the leaves become coarser, and the plant begins to bolt at an earlier date.
The first feathers of this onion appear immediately after the snow melts. Over the entire season, with good care, you can harvest 3-4 crops from the garden. Early cuttings do not harm the plant (if after them the plantings are fed, watered, and loosened). Within a month, the plants have grown so much that they cannot be distinguished from those that were not cut.
In summer you need to make sure that the onions do not bloom. All flower stalks are cut off with a sharp knife.
By winter, the arrows of the onion dry out. They must be removed, because pests can overwinter in them.
On personal plots Onion onions are most often propagated by dividing the bush. This is best done in the summer, after flowering. With this planting, the first harvest can be harvested next spring. If you sow onion seeds in mid-June, the harvest will be in the second year.
The green feather of the batun usually remains tender and tasty until it begins to shoot arrows. Therefore in last years I started growing it by sowing nigella. I will spend it in two terms.
In March - April, as soon as the soil allows, I sow very thickly, then the leaves are more tender. I begin harvesting at the end of July, thinning out the plants and tearing them out entirely. If I don’t have time to pull out all the bushes before frost and some of them remain until winter, I cover the plantings with film in the spring. As soon as the feathers grow well, I dig them up by the roots.
In July, then the plants go into winter in the phase of 3-4 leaves. In the spring, I select the largest ones and plant them in a separate bed in cut furrows at a distance of 15 cm from each other, burying the leaves in the soil. As soon as new ones grow, I spud them. And so three times over the summer. When watering the plantings, I always add herbal infusion to the water. I pull out the bushes entirely with a bleached thick juicy stem, almost like a leek.
With such accelerated cultivation, hybrids work well Parade F1, Performer F1, Green Banner F1. Early ripening varieties performed well in the “long-lasting” Russian Winter and Welsh. Hybrids without shelter can freeze in winter.
Keep in mind
If you plan to grow spring onions in one place for 3-4 years, you should not sow the seeds early in the spring. This practically does not speed up the supply of products, but in the next season the number of bolting plants increases significantly.
Slizun - perennial onion for a children's garden
Multi-tiered (walking) onions - also from perennials
Chives - the most beautiful of the perennial onions
From personal experience
I have given a place to the luxurious chives bushes in the flower garden; their neat lilac bouquets are painfully beautiful during flowering. I only cut off his feathers in early spring. In summer, the remaining leaves become coarser, and there is plenty of other greenery in the beds.
The leaves of chives are thin, aromatic, not too spicy in taste, with small tender 
white onions, tightly covered with a dry jacket. They are consumed only fresh and are under no circumstances subjected to heat treatment.
Chives are grown only in perennial crops. If its curtains are not clogged with weeds, then it can grow in one place for 5-7 years or more. But I plant it once every 3-4 years, then the leaves and flowers are larger and the bushes are neater.
Chives are also good for forcing. It is early ripening - it is ready for cutting within two weeks after the start of regrowth. To do this, I dig up 3-4-year-old bushes, divide them into parts so that they fit well in a pot, or plant them entirely in a box, deepening them by 4-5 cm.
My family loves green onion pie. I also use the delicate feathers of perennial onions for it.
Multi-tiered onions do not have a rest period. As soon as he gets into favorable conditions, immediately begins to germinate, so it is very good for forcing. I prefer to get green feathers in winter from underground bulbs, for which I store this onion in a whole nest in the cellar until planting. Then I divide it into bulbs and plant them tightly one to one in pots. In warm weather, greenery grows within a month. You can also plant bulbs, but even with a very dense planting, the feather will turn out to be more modest.
Onion (Latin Allium) belongs to the subfamily Allium, which is part of the Amaryllidaceae family. There are about nine hundred species of onions that grow naturally in the Northern Hemisphere. By their biological nature, these are perennial, sometimes biennial, plants with a pungent odor and taste. There are varieties that form a bulb and herbaceous plants in which the bulb is almost not developed; they are perennial. How garden culture herbaceous onions are used to produce green feathers.
Varieties of perennial onions
Perennial onions are frost-resistant and produce early greens. The following types of onions are most often grown for greens:
Ramson loves moist, fertile soils and a shady location. It is necessary to loosen the soil and fertilize complex fertilizer twice a season.
Bear onion is propagated by dividing the bush and by seeds, which require mandatory stratification. The best varieties: Bear ear, Bear delicacy.
There is another representative of the onion family that does not form a bulb. This is leek or pearl onion. Its development cycle is two years. For human consumption, leek is grown in an annual crop. Valued for its thick white false bulb with a diameter of up to 8 cm and a weight of up to 400 g.
Leeks have a milder taste than onions and have a rich mineral composition, contains vitamins: thiamine, PP, carotene, ascorbic acid. Leek has a unique feature: if its roots are sprinkled with damp sand in a basement, it will not only be well stored, but also accumulate vitamin C, its content increases by one and a half times.
Leek loves loamy soils with a high content of humus, watering and fertilizing. In order for the false bulb to grow thick and snow-white, it must be hilled. Leek has a long growing season, at least 150 days, so to obtain a significant harvest it is grown through seedlings.
Depending on the timing of ripening, leek varieties can be divided into:
There are old and time-tested varieties, for example, Karatalsky, Myachkovsky, Bessonovsky, Strigunovsky onions. There are also new varieties that were developed not so long ago, but have already gained popularity, for example, the well-loved onion variety Stuttgarten Riesen. The variety of onion varieties can be summarized in a table.
Varieties of onions with yellow colored upper scales:
| Name | Ripening time | Bulb weight in grams |
|---|---|---|
| Azelros | Mid-season | 70-120 |
| Alice Greig | Early | 800-1500 |
| Bessonovsky local | Early | 35-46, multi-cavity |
| Delight | Late | 120-330 |
| Zolotnichok | Mid-season | 70, 2-3 nest |
| Iris | Early | Up to 200, 2 nest |
| Karatalsky | Early | 120 |
| Christina | Mid-late | 100-130 |
| Myachkovsky 300 | Early | 80-110, small-cavity |
| Oval | Mid-late | Up to 250 |
| Odintsovets | Mid-season | 60-80 |
| Oporto | Mid-season | 100 |
| Penguin | Early | 300 |
| Senator | Mid-late | 200 |
| Supra | Mid-late | 250 |
| Farmer | Mid-season | 350 |
| Chalcedony | Mid-season | Up to 300 |
| Shaman | Precocious | 65 |
| Shetana MS | Early | 46-88 |
| Stuttgarten Riesen | Early | Up to 95 |
| Exhibition | Mid-late | 800 |
| Effect | Late ripening | 300 |
Red, purple and white onions
Red or purple onions are usually classified as salad varieties due to their semi-sharp or sweet taste. The most popular varieties of these shades are the following:
All varieties of onions with red and purple colored scales contain anthocyanins - powerful antioxidants. They must be consumed raw to get the most out of the nutrients.
There are not many varieties of onions with white scales. Almost all of them are salad, have a semi-sharp taste and are not stored for a long time:
There are varieties of onions that produce very large bulbs, among them the most popular are:
Agricultural technology of onions
Onions are represented by the following types:
Growing onion sets
Onions are a cold-resistant vegetable that easily tolerates light frosts, so you can sow them early, as soon as the ground thaws. Nigella sprouts in about three weeks. To speed up this process, the seeds need to be prepared. To do this, they are kept in a damp cloth in a warm place for two days. During this time, the seeds will swell, and some will even have time to hatch.
Bulb sets with a diameter of less than 0.5 cm dry out during storage, so it is better to plant them in beds in the fall to obtain an early harvest next summer. In a sunny area with rich soil, filled with humus, ash and fertilizers, prepared nigella is sown. Sow in furrows 2-3 cm deep. The distance between furrows is 8 cm, and between seeds is 1.5-2 cm. The furrows are covered with earth, and the beds are covered with spunbond. After a week and a half, shoots appear and the spunbond is removed.
Basic care is weeding and watering. At the end of June, watering is stopped. After lodging the feathers, the sets are selected, thoroughly dried in the shade and stored at a constant temperature not exceeding +18°C.
Growing onion turnips from sets
The soil for planting turnips is sandy and loamy, which has a neutral or slightly alkaline reaction. When preparing it, add at least one bucket of humus per square meter, ash in a 0.5 liter jar, complex fertilizer according to the standards on the packaging. The ridges are marked.
The seedlings need to be prepared before planting: they are heated near heating devices for 4 days to avoid bolting. Then soak in a growth stimulator for 12 hours. After this, place it in a solution of copper sulfate for 10 minutes at the rate of one teaspoon per 10 liters of water. After washing with clean water, the sets can be planted.
The bulbs are planted when the ground warms up to +12°C. Earlier planting leads to bolting of plants. The bulbs are planted in furrows 4 cm deep, the distance between them should be approximately 25 cm, between the bulbs - 10 cm. The layer of soil above the bulb should not exceed 3 cm.
Shoots appear after a week. Further care consists of weeding, loosening and feeding three times:
- The first is done 2-3 weeks after germination with nitrogen fertilizer at the rate of a tablespoon of urea per 10 liters of water. For every square meter there are 2-3 liters of solution.
- The second feeding is done two weeks after the first with complete complex fertilizer at the rate of 2 tbsp. l. for 10 liters of water. Consumption rate is up to five liters per square meter.
- The last feeding is done when forming bulbs with a diameter of 2 cm with a solution of superphosphate at the rate of 2 tbsp. l. for 10 liters of water. Consumption rates are the same as for the second feeding.
Throughout the first half of the growing season, onions need moist soil. Therefore, in the absence of rain, it must be watered. Water for irrigation should not be cold. The last watering is carried out 20 days before harvesting. Onions are harvested in dry weather after the feathers have completely fallen. You cannot be late with cleaning. The harvested bulbs are dried in the shade for two weeks and sent for storage.
There are varieties of onion sets suitable for winter planting. Onion sets of the Elan variety are suitable for this, as well as Radar and Shakespeare.
The planting technology is no different from that done in the spring. The timing is chosen so that the bulbs have time to take root, but not germinate. Planted beds must be mulched. Early in spring, the mulch is removed so that the beds warm up faster.
Growing onions from seeds
Most varieties of onions can be grown from seeds in one season. If you sow the seeds directly into the soil, the bulbs will not be very large. The best result will be if you first grow the seedlings. This method is especially good for large-fruited varieties. Seedlings are ready for planting at the age of 60 days.
When planted in the ground in early May, the seeds are sown for seedlings at the end of February, beginning of March. Prepare the seeds in the same way as for sowing nigella for sowing. Seeds are sown quite densely in nutrient soil. Caring for seedlings consists of feeding once every two weeks and watering if necessary. Seedlings are planted in beds in the same way as onion sets. The roots of the seedlings cannot be bent.
When growing varieties with especially large bulbs, the feeding area per plant is increased to 30 cm in a row and the same amount between rows. For a Russian size hybrid, the feeding area should be approximately 50x50 cm. Caring for onions grown from seedlings is no different from that when grown from sets.
All types of onions are useful for humans and are not only a valuable food product, but also a multivitamin medicinal plant.
The phytoncides that this garden crop contains are especially valuable. Growing onions is something every gardener can do, and a large number of varieties and hybrids allows you to choose the ones you need most.