How to easily store onion sets until planting: they won’t dry out, rot or sprout

19.11.2023 10:12

What troubles await summer residents who “mess up” with storing onion sets?

According to the expert of the online publication BelNovosti, scientist-agronomist, landscape designer Anastasia Kovrizhnykh , mistakes are fraught with the fact that the planting material will dry out, rot, or show roots prematurely.

Moreover, experienced gardeners are sure that it is the improper storage of seed onions that leads to their subsequent bolting.

What can be done to avoid such troubles?

There are two methods suitable for storing onion sets: cold and warm. In the first case, you need to ensure that the temperature does not rise above +25 degrees, in the second - does not fall below 1-2 degrees with a minus sign. Let's talk about everything in more detail.

Onion
Photo: © Belnovosti

Warm storage method

The optimum temperature for storing onion sets in this case fluctuates between +14..16 degrees and +18..20 degrees. The air humidity is from 50 to 60 percent.

These conditions are suitable for onions of fractions II and III, that is, bulbs with a diameter of 14-21 and 21-24 mm, respectively.

Cold storage method

In this case, it is worth maintaining the temperature from -1..3 degrees to zero, and the air humidity in the region of 85-90 percent.

The method is suitable for the smallest sets with a diameter of 8-14 mm. But it will still be better for such onions if you plant them in the fall.

Author: Elena Shimanovskaya Editor of Internet resources
 
Expert: Anastasia Kovrizhnykh Expert / Belnovosti

Content
  1. Warm storage method
  2. Cold storage method