Onion-batun is a herbaceous perennial that grows in East Asia and in the temperate regions of Siberia. Currently, it is cultivated throughout Europe and America because of the edible leaves that can be grown during the winter, if it is warm enough in your area. As the batun grows, it forms small thickets - you can get up to 50 leaves 100 cm high from one bulb. About whether it is possible to transplant onions and when it is better to do this, read in this review.

Description and characteristics of the onion-batun

Batun is a perennial onion that can be eaten. It is also an excellent ornamental plant for the garden. It has several synonymous names: Chinese onion, dupe, Tatar.

The plant has very thick round stems, hollow inside. The height of these bluish stems reaches 0.6 m. In July, the onion throws out several pedicels, at the end of which a cap of small flowers forms. The pedicels are very beautiful, which makes it possible to use the plant in question as a decorative decoration of the garden.

Batun is a self-pollinated plant, as it contains both female and male flowers. Unlike other types of onions, it does not form a full onion: it has a slight thickening of the stem, next to which the children form. Gradually, due to them, the underground part of the plant grows, and after 5-6 years it can begin to be planted.Batun is used to flavor soups, cooked vegetables, french fries, salads. It is also used as a folk remedy in some Asian countries.

Methods of reproduction of a rod

Can multiply:

• dividing the bush;
• sowing seeds into the ground;
• sowing in soil through seedlings.

In the tropical zone, the batun breeds only by dividing the bush. This happens because peduncles with seeds are formed only when the plant is periodically exposed to low temperatures. This type of onion normally tolerates frosts down to –10 ° С.

Sowing with seeds is possible annually, including you can sow the seeds several times a season and at intervals of several days. By dividing in a temperate climate, only adult bushes that have reached the age of 3-5 years are propagated.

Important! Batun grows well with most plants, especially roses, carrots, beets and chamomiles, but inhibits the growth and development of legumes.

Features of transplanting onion-batun

Onions sprout easily from seeds if the soil warms up to + 10 ° C: just plant them in the ground and wait a couple of weeks. The depth of seed placement is 1 cm. In appearance, the seedlings will be very similar to ordinary grass, so they need to be planted so as not to be confused with weeds. So that seeds or young plants do not dry out, the soil is regularly moistened.As soon as seedlings appear, provide sufficient lighting on the sunny windowsill or grow seedlings up to 6 cm using fluorescent lamps. They need a 16-hour daylight and an 8-hour night break. Raise the lamps higher as the plants grow.

If onions are planted for eating greens, you can sow seeds every 4 weeks, and you will have excellent seasoning on your table daily. Harvest at any time without expecting full ripening.

Planting seeds for seedlings is possible in order to get an earlier crop. It is carried in containers 5 weeks before they can be put on the street: approximately this is March 1-10. In Siberia, the landing date may be the second decade of April.

Seeds can be sown quite densely. When the time comes to transfer the seedlings to a permanent place, you simply divide it into parts. Seeding depth - 3 cm.

Cover the containers with foil to speed up germination. The peculiarity of this method of planting is that the crop will be ready much earlier than from seeds planted in the garden. Seedlings are planted on beds at the age of 50-60 days.

By dividing the bush, onions are propagated in the fall. The optimal transplant time is from July to September. Having dug up the bush, it is carefully examined, the roots are cut and divided into parts, leaving 3-4 children in each. In this case, it is better to plant the bush with tape.

Fall

Autumn planting is carried out by dividing the bush - it can begin in September and last until November.

Did you know? Onion-batun grows best in areas where annual daily temperatures are within +12...25 ° C, but can withstand temperatures of +6...30 ° C.

In September, it is also possible to plant seeds in the ground. The peculiarity of the autumn planting of seeds is that they germinate only when weather conditions are acceptable.Young onions can be collected from the garden until the frost. And even if the tops die, in the spring the roots will produce new leaves.

In the spring

Spring planting is performed from the moment the soil is warmed up to + 10 ° C. You can speed up the heating by covering the garden bed with a film. The greenhouse effect will increase the temperature of the soil by 5 degrees.

Landing technology:

1. Choose a place brightly lit by the sun.
2. Observe crop rotation - onions were not supposed to grow on this site last year.
3. Check the acidity of the soil. Onions prefer an acidity of pH 6.0–7.0.
4. Apply balanced fertilizer (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in equal proportions). Mix it with soil before planting. If organic matter is introduced, the depth of fertilizer incorporation into the soil can be about 10 cm.
5. Start sowing if danger of frost is excluded.
6. Sow the seeds, covering them with a soil layer 1 cm thick.
7. Moisten the soil.
8. You can cover the area with a film to accelerate the germination of seeds.
9. Approximately seedlings will appear on 7-14 days after planting.

Onion Care

Onion care will consist of:

• regular watering;
• weed removal;
• fertilizer application.

Since weeds compete with plants for water and nutrients, you need to remove them regularly. Or use mulch made from lapnik, straw, agrofibre, or other material to prevent weeds from growing.

Onion growth does not require warm weather - it grows well at + 10 ° C. When planting using manure, growth occurs at a temperature of + 5 ° C. Further fertilizing of crops is not necessary, as the seedlings will have enough fertilizers before the end of the growing season.

Onions, like other plants, are attacked by pests. It is impossible to exclude their appearance, therefore, it is necessary to carefully monitor the appearance of traces of their vital activity (for example, damaged leaves) and treat the crops with insecticides if they are detected.

Did you know? In Chinese medicine, onion is used to improve the functioning of internal organs and metabolism, as well as to prolong life. It improves vision, promotes digestion and sweating, treats ordinary colds and headaches, and helps heal wounds and purulent ulcers.

Watering mode

The frequency of watering depends on how quickly the soil loses moisture - light and sandy water more often. Onions have very short roots, so they are watered every other day or immediately, as soon as the soil begins to dry out. For a rod, drip irrigation or furrow irrigation is used - pouring water in a ditch in the aisles.Both methods provide water to the roots, while keeping the tops dry. If you regularly moisten the stems, then the onion-batun will hurt.

Watering with cold water is stressful for plants, so you need to use water at room temperature, trying not to get on the leaves. The frequency of the procedure depends on the speed of soil drying. Watered daily in the heat.

Weeding and cultivating row spacing

Rowing aisles is a way of providing roots with oxygen, as well as removing weeds. Upright weeds are removed manually, and the roots of creeping plants are pruned with secateurs and removed as much root length as possible. It is impossible to completely remove such roots during the vegetation of useful plants.

Even if there are no weeds, loosening provides the roots with oxygen. The procedure is started as soon as moisture is absorbed after irrigation or rain. Depth - no more than 3-5 cm. Try not to loosen close to the roots.

Did you know? Onion juice is used as a remedy for moths. Some sources claim that it also drives insects and moles away.

Fertilizer application

Onions intensively consume nutrients during growth, so the first feeding is carried out approximately six weeks after planting. Apply root dressing with mineral or organic fertilizers - they can be applied dry to the soil or by pouring it with an aqueous solution of fertilizers.The composition necessarily includes:

• nitrogen - necessary for the growth of stems;
• phosphorus - provides root growth;
• potassium - provides resistance to diseases and normalizes intercellular metabolism.

It is recommended to use balanced fertilizers with an equal ratio of 3 main nutrients. Some farmers prefer to add organic matter such as manure or bird droppings. Beneficial substances from these fertilizers will be released gradually, providing plants with stable growth.

Diseases and pests of onion

With excessive moisture, soil fungi develop - this can lead to wilting of leaves, rotting and softening of the bulbs. As a result, the plant may die, as well as infect other plants due to the possibility of fungal spores spread through the air or with water in the soil.

The main onion diseases:

1. Fusarium basal rot damages leaves and the whole plant. After infection, the leaves are covered with whitish fluffy fungal growths. The ends of the leaves turn yellow, whole leaves fade, starting with the old outer leaves of the bush. If Fusarium is affected, the plants must be destroyed.
2. White rot manifested in the form of a white coating on the bulbs. It also affects the leaves - in the end they die off. For treatment, treat the plants with a solution of copper sulfate (2 g), urea (10 g) and zinc (1 g) dissolved in 10 l of water.
3. Rust onions are also capable of affecting all varieties. The disease manifests itself in the form of bright orange or brownish spots on the leaves, followed by their blackening and wilting. First of all, remove the infected leaves and spray the plantation with a 1% solution of Bordeaux fluid.

You may also encounter other diseases.

To prevent diseases or reduce the likelihood of their occurrence, you will need:

• comply with crop rotation rules and do not grow onions in the same place for many years in a row;
• after harvesting, do not leave leaves at the site, so as not to provide pests with a wintering place;
• do not thicken plantings, so as not to create conditions for the rapid infection and spread of fungi.

Important! The early grades of the batun ripen so quickly that they usually do not suffer from pests and diseases. But if they appear, treat the plants with insecticides.

Features of harvesting and storage of crops

Batun is fully edible. In early spring, they use greens "on the feather." In this case, you can trim only the feather, moving secateurs from the outer edge of the bush to the inside, or you can dig out the entire plant completely.

Cut individual leaves from the bulbs throughout the growing season as needed. The bulb will continue to grow and give foliage if you cut only one or two leaves at a time.

Choose plants that have reached a height of 20 cm for cutting - this is the optimal feather size. Do not wait until they grow to a meter high and become giants: the leaves will not be so tasty and tender.Store green onions at a temperature of 0 ° C and a humidity of 98-100% for 4 weeks. Storage at this temperature prevents discoloration and yellowing, so they stay fresh longer. If you increase the temperature to + 10 ° C, then you will only be able to store onions for 7–10 days: the higher the temperature, the faster the onion begins to turn yellow and decompose.

If a batun does not grow on your site, we advise you to definitely plant this tender and nutritious onion. Chinese medicine considers it not only tasty, but also healing.