Muskan

· 11 Feb 2022

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When is onion ready for harvest?

Onion is one of the most widely used vegetables which hold a permanent place in every kitchen and almost in every cuisine.  The whole plant, from root to stem, has a herbal smell that increases the sweetness of the dish. Have you ever wondered how is onion grown? Does it grow underground like a potato and radish or as on the stem of a plant like a tomato. Here in this article, you are going to learn everything about onions like how to plant, grow a successful onion crop as well as when is onion ready for harvest?

When is onion ready for harvest?
Onion harvesting at the right time is of paramount significance. It takes about 140 days to completely grow and mature before it is ready to harvest. The exact time of harvesting depends on the season, market rate, and other factors. Falling off 50% of the upper part of the plant indicates that the crop is now ready for harvesting. When ripe, the leaves are dry. At this point, it is best to water the soil to prevent it from drying out.

When does the onion harvest take place?
When the bulbs begin to fatten up in mid-summer, you can start harvesting. The leaves on your onion plants (neck region) will begin to flip over in late summer or early fall and indicates that the growth cycle is complete and it is time to harvest. Harvesting of the crop is done by uprooting the onion manually. You need to remove the bulbs that are diseased, crushed, or bruised, and you should not cut the leaves when the onions are not dry.

Things to do after harvesting
After harvesting, leave the field for 2-3 days to remove excess moisture from the onions. To preserve onions after harvesting, it is necessary to pay attention for drying both the top and the bottom of the onion bundle. One should pay special attention during the storage of onions i.e. should ensure that the storage space is onions are dry and well ventilated. It is necessary because high temperatures and humidity are the main contributing factors for crop loss.

Favorable conditions for onion cultivation
Onion is a cold-loving crop with a high economic value, a broad adaptability spectrum, and a relatively long sowing time frame, which creates excellent conditions for farmers to increase their income in the coming years. However, we can only get a good onion harvest if we cultivate onions with the help of favorable factors. Let us see what those factors are.
•    Climate: When it comes to the climate, neither too cold nor too hot is ideal for this type of cultivation. However, when the onion tuber is in the ripening stage, the temperature in the surroundings must be between 30 and 35 degrees Celsius.
•    Soil: Medium-dark, potassium-rich soils are best for onion production. However, this crop does not grow in heavy, dark, clayey, and acidic soil.
•    Replanting: When the plant is 6 to 8 weeks old, plant it at a distance of 10 x 10 or 12 x 10 cm in a prepared bed.
•    Irrigation: After transplanting the onion, provide its first watering. Then, on the fourth day, give the second irrigation. Irrigation is to be done at 8 to 10-day intervals depending on the soil type and temperature. Water logging should be avoided during the onion size growth stage.
•    Fertilizer: Before transplanting, apply well-coated manure to the soil, as well as 3 kg of nitrogen, 20 kg of phosphorus, and 20 kg of potash per hectare as a base fertilizer to the prepared soil.
•    Intercropping: Since onions are planted at such close distances, intercropping is not possible. Hand weeding should be done three to four times.


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