Of course, everyone knows what a common onion looks like. But with the answer to the question "what is a shallot?" Many of us find it difficult to answer. And yet this bow is very popular both in our country and abroad. On the territory of Ukraine, the shallots are known as "kuschevka", in the vastness of Russia as a "family", and under the name "shallots" they know it in Europe. On the cultivation of shallots from seeds and the basics of his farming techniques and will be discussed in our article.
Varieties of shallots
Shallot is a group of multi-tiered onions. From the usual onions, it is distinguished by the ability to form from one mother bulb many daughter. Depending on the variety, the bulbs of the shallots have a different color and shape. The most popular are varieties of shallots:
- Chapaevsky;
- Sprint;
- Kunak;
- Kushchevka Kharkov;
- Albert;
- Aristarch;
- Star;
- Off-season.
Cultivation of shallots and care for them
Cultivation of shallots can be carried out in two ways: from seeds and bulbs. When cultivated onion (vegetatively), the patch for shallots is prepared in autumn, and planted in early spring, having sustained the planting material for some time in warm water. For planting, small bulbs (up to 4 cm in diameter) are selected and pressed into the ground in such a way that only the neck remains on the surface. Planting shallots are made according to the scheme 10 * 20: 10 cm between the bulbs and 20 cm between the rows.
From the seeds, shallots are grown as follows: they sow seeds in grooves about 3 cm deep, having sustained them in advance for 48 hours in a gauze bag moistened in water. After sowing the planting grooves must be strewed with compost or peat.
It should be noted that growing shallots vegetatively is much more convenient and effective, as this bow is pointed badly enough, and seeds often do not have time to ripen. A bed of shallots should be chosen on a sunny plot with loose and fertile soil. The best predecessors for the shallot will be legumes: peas, beans, beans, and a successful neighbor - carrots . At the selected spot, the canopy bed can be placed no more often than once every four years to observe the crop rotation rules.
Basics of agronomy of shallots
Having dealt with how to plant shallots, let's move on to how to take care of it. Care for this bow includes all the usual operations: weeding, watering, loosening the soil. Watering the onion is necessary as necessary, so that the soil is moistened, but not filled. Four weeks before the crop is removed, watering should be stopped.
In addition to watering, shallots also need supplementation, especially if planted on low-fertility soils. Fertilize it after growing the leaves, bringing into the ground nitrogen fertilizing: urea, slurry. In the period of the formation of the shallots, it is also possible to feed by injecting potash fertilizers into the soil.
To get larger bulbs, in the middle of summer, part of the onions from the nest is removed, leaving only the largest (5-6 pieces). Do it this way: gently rake the ground and pull out of it the smallest onions with the pen. In addition to growing outdoors, the shallots are suitable and for planting
Shallots - diseases and pests
For long periods of cold and rainy weather, shallots may suffer from fungal diseases: peronosporosa and cervical decay. To prevent the disease from affecting the entire bed, the affected plants must be removed and the beds treated with antifungal agents. Fight with the onion fly with ash, and from the worms in the leaves, shallots can be saved using a solution of salt (1 glass of salt per 1 bucket of water).