What if the onion in the garden turns yellow and does not grow?
Onions are a widely popular plant that all gardeners grow. Even if the plot is very small or it's just a flower bed, onion lovers will still find a place for a couple of rows of onions. And in this case, it is especially important to get a high-quality harvest. Indeed, quite often the onions in the garden begin to turn yellow and do not grow, so you need to know what to do if this happens even before the onset of the harvest season.
Reasons why onions turn yellow
Yellowing of onions in the garden in the middle of summer threatens to lose the harvest, therefore, in order to properly deal with the problem, you first need to establish the reasons. Onion feathers can begin to change color in summer as a result of:
- Damage by pests.
- Diseases.
- Care errors.
- Weather conditions.
- Lack of nitrogen.
If the onion has stopped growing or its yield has decreased, the reason may be a lack of watering.
Rescue of onions in case of pest infestation
Among the variety of pests, the following types prefer to feast on onions:
- onion moth;
- nematode;
- onion fly;
- secretive proboscis;
- thrips.
To prevent onion damage by these insects, it is recommended to plant it in a new place every year. You can return to the first bed only after four years.
In order not to breed onion fly, onions should be planted as early as possible and not far from carrots. Feed the beds with onions with a mixture of pepper, wood ash and tobacco dust. Top dressing is carried out at a time when the dandelion is blooming. To combat already settled flies, pour the bulbs (but not feathers and beds) with a solution of salt at the rate of 200 g per bucket of water.
They get rid of the onion moth that has appeared and the hidden proboscis by completely removing the remnants of the upper onion shoots from the site and deeply digging the site just before frost.
So that the onion does not turn yellow due to nematode and thrips damage, before planting, immerse it in hot water for 10 minutes.
Calendula and marigolds planted between the rows of onions scare away pests with their aroma.
Prevention of diseases of the onion, leading to its yellowing
For the prevention of fungal diseases that cause yellowing of the onion, before planting it is laid out for 12 hours in direct sunlight for warming up. The planted bulbs must be watered with a solution using copper oxychloride (1 tablespoon) and laundry soap (1 tablespoon) in a bucket of water.
To prevent onion planting from being damaged by rot of the bottom, onion beds cannot be made in the lowland.
Correction of mistakes in onion care that caused yellowing
To prevent the onions from turning yellow as a result of care errors, ensure that they are properly watered. For irrigation, use only heated, settled water, water strictly at the root, preventing the soil from washing out on the bulb. You can add mineral fertilizers to the water for irrigation.
Watering should be stopped a month before the start of harvesting.
What if the onion turns yellow through weather conditions?
When there is a lack of rainfall in dry summer, onion beds should be watered more often. And during the period of prolonged rains, it is better to cover the plantings in a greenhouse.
How to prevent yellowing of feathers from lack of nitrogen?
In cases where watering is correct, and there are no diseases with pests, and the onion still turns yellow, the reason may be a lack nitrogen... In this case, the onion must be fed with nitrogen-containing fertilizer (special complexes or humus).