AUTUMN – SOWN ONIONS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 237, 7 October 1933, Page 6 (Supplement)

AUTUMN - SOWN ONIONS.

The autumn-sown onions which have been transplanted during the last fewweeks, and are now growing freely, should be carefully tended if they arc to producc the best. '.Hie hoe must be kept going, bo that the surface is loose and free from weeds. The we of soot which has stood exposed to the air for a few days is old-fashioned, but valuable for onion growing; soot, however, like horse manure, will soon l>e a memory. To supply the need, give a sprinkling of sulphate of ammonia about a month after planting, and another about a month later. Soot, although only supplying nitrogen, probably acts as a mild fungicide and insecticide, for the disuse of it has seen a large increase in disease. Probably a dusting of sulphur every fortnight or three weeks would help to keep down mildew. Sprayin.r with lime sulpliur, I—l2o, will be effective, but it should bo applied early, and a "spreader," such as casein, skim milk or flour paste, or a proprietary spreader which can be purchased, should be added, as it is difficult to "wet" the onion foliage. One of the worst points of autumn-sown onions is running to seed. Nothing can be done to rule this oat entirely, but to bring "bolting" down to a minimum avoid anything in the way of a check. That is best done by keeping the plants steadily growing from the start, and this means cultivation, a good food supply, and as far as possible elimination of disease. This is an aim worthy of trying for, even if difficult to attain, but a lot can be done towards it by prompt attention to the plants' needs in the early v-tages. Too o:;ten it is a case of getting them planted and then leaving them alor.e till weeds and other troubles force one to attend to them. If a flower stem does show itself, out it out promptly; the bulbs will divide, but for culinary purposes it will be quite usable. "Thick neck" is mostly due to deep planting; the bulb of the onion should "sit" on the soil, not in the soil. If the bulbs arc too deep, draw away the soil from the bulb. Later on, as the bulbs begin to form, fowl manure will be found very good, as also is a dressing of superphosphate. If growing onions for exhibition, feed with liquid fowl manure and superphosphate. _ Apply it weak, and give an application every week, allowing about a pint per plant.