ONIONS FOR USE AND SHOW

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22326, 28 July 1934, Page 7

ONIONS FOR USE AND SHOW

The proper preparation of the soil- is one of the main factors in successful onion growing, it must be attended to thorougnly, without stint of labour. As a rule, . the plot which will be devoted to large onions for exhibition will be comparatively small, so the. extra labour should not be begrudged, especially when it is considereed that the plot will be great.y improved for any crop' which follows the onions, or for onions again if the policy of growing them for several years on the same site is adopted. The latter is not a plan which should be followed where there bas been an attack of onion mildew or of the onion fly, or any of those several diseases to which onions are prone. Trenching of the soil is imperative. For exhibition, trenching to a depth of three feet is not too much. Unless deep digging has been done repeatedly and the subsoil is of a fertile character, the order of the various spits should not be reversed. Briefly, the work is done in the following manner: —At one end of the plot a width of two feet is marked with line and spade. From this strip the top soil is removed to w'here the work will be completed. Then the second spit of soil is also dug out and wheeled away, but is kept separate, so that it may be put in its proper place when the last trench is filled in. The soil being thus removed to a depth of about two feet, the line is again moved two feet, and the top soil is dug out and wheeled away .to the end of the plot. The tb.rd layer of soil in the first trench is dug and left in place. Usually this digging is done with a fork. Now the second layer of soil in the second trench is dug over on to the recently-broken third layer in the first trench, and the top soil of the third strip is turned on top so that one trench is dug and refilled to a depth of three feet. Manuring should be done at the same time as the trenching. Onions like plenty of rich food, and some well-rotted dung should be mixed with the third layer of soil, and also with the second layer. An attempt should be made during the trenching to get the manure well incorporated with the soil, instead of placing it all in layers on the sandwich system. Wood ashes may be applied freely, and especially to the top soil if the amount is limited. Soot is also good for onions, but this may be applied to the top soil just before planting. Usually several dressings are applied during growth. The manure in the lower layers of soil may be of a strawy character, and that nearer the surface more decayed. Give the seeds a good chance by preparing the boxes and soil well, and taking time in sowing the seeds and the subsequent pricking-olf. Get a good strain of seeds of such a variety as Ailsa Craig, Premier, or Al. Obtain some boxes, about five inches deep, 6nd put a layer of leaves in the bottom. Then nearly fill the box with soil passed through a quarter-inch sieve and made up of fibrous loam, with a little leaf soil and some well-decayed manure, such as is sometimes procurable from an old mushroom bed. Add sufficient sand to make the compost nicely open according to the character of the soil. Sow the seeds very thinly and cover by sifting another thin layer of fine soil over them. Press firmly with a piece of flat wood. Place the box in a temperature of about 55 degrees, water well through a line rose, cover the box with a sheet of glass, and shade with paper til! germination is seen to have started. Then the box should be placed in a light position dose to the glass and covers ought al] to be removed. The next item on the programme is the transplanting of the seedlings to another box. The soil in this should be prepared in precisely the same way as for the seeds, except that it might be a little coarser. The seecdlings will be ready for- this transplanting when they show signs of making a second leaf. Lift them carefully without breaking the tiny roots, and carefully sot them at three inches apart without burying much ot the stem part of Hie plant. Give a good watering, and leave the plants in the same temperature till it is seen that they are again starting into growth Occasionally, if the surface of the soil inclines to get set, loosen it with an old label. Lightly dew the plants over with tepid water during sunny weather, in addition to ordinary watering.

Hardening should be done by removing the boxes to a cold frame after giving the plants plenty of air in the greenhouse. Allow only a small amount of air at first when in the frame, but gradually increase this as the plants get more used to their new environment and the weather becomes warmer.

By the middle of October weather conditions should be sufficiently good for the seedlings to be planted out. When the soil is dry enough to be moved it should be raked down to a fine tilth as for seed sowing. Set the line and plant close against it. Be sure, by previous attention to the watering of the seedlings, that the soil in the box is moist, and lift them from it with a hand fork with as much soil as possible. , The less the plants are handled the better. Make a sufficiently capacious hole, press fine soil closely against the roots, see that the soil also is firmed against the stem, and after planting one row rake the soil in preparation for another. If the'seedlings have come along according to expectation they may be given the full distance from plant to plant of a foot, with 18 inches between the rows. Should the weather be dry it may be necessary to water them. This will also settle the fine soil close to the roots far better than can be done by pressure. Spraying the plants during dry weather is also a great help to get them going quickly. At the time of preparing the soil for planting, some soot and wood ashes may be scattered over the surface and raked in. . ‘ ... During growth the main part of cultivation is to keep the Dutch hoe in ire* quent use between the rows. Few amateurs will be able to mulch their onions, but if it can be done with some sifted horse manure or well-decayed farmyard manure, it will be repaid. During growth it will benefit the crop greatly if it be dusted occasionally with old soot. Artificial manure may also be spread along the rows, and hoed in. Towards the end of January a start may be made to ripen the bulbs. This may be done to a considerable extent during their stay in the ground by drawing the soil away from the bulb so as to expose it as much as possible. This will tend to harden the bulb. Well-ripened onions always stand a far better chance of a prize, as this is one of the items of cultivation which displays the skill of the cultivator. . When the bulb has approached full size, the growth must be stopped by bending down the tops. Later root growth may be checked by loosening the bulb by partly uplifting it with a handfork. After several days’ exposure in this way, the onions may be lifted and set with then bases towards the sun. In this uncertain climate it is scarcely safe to leave them outside for long, so a place should be found in the greenhouse or frame, where they may be allowed to remain. Exposure to sunshine should be continued for some time till the bulbs are quite dry and hard. Then the rough skin should be rubbed off. the tops tied down, and the bulbs placed in a cool store till they are required for exhibition. —W. F. R. in Amateur Gardening.