Growing onions at home on a windowsill: how to plant and care. Green onions on the windowsill - benefits and subtleties of growing

Green onions are rich in vitamins A, C, group B, and contain sulfur, potassium, folic acid and biologically active flavonoids. However, in addition to their benefits, the delicate feathers of green onions are piquant, giving familiar dishes a new flavor. Growing green onions is not difficult at all; you can do it at home all year round.

Features of growing at home

You can grow onions on a windowsill even if you are not an experienced gardener. Of course, you won’t be able to get turnip onions using this method, but green onions grow even on the sides facing south. In general, such onions are easy to care for, and the owner always has fresh herbs for the table.

Suitable varieties

In most cases, universal onions are used for cultivation, which quickly produces green arrows. You can also grow red sweet onions, which produce abundant tops, especially good in salads.

Shallots, sets, chives, leeks - all these types of onions can be planted on the windowsill and will produce a good harvest. In principle, any onion head that is not rotten or damaged will do. However, to get the best results, you should take multi-bud nests, which will later produce a lush growth of feathers. These include the varieties “Timiryazevsky”, “Arzamassky”, “Spassky”, “Soyuz” and others.

As a rule, it is recommended to change bulbs used for forcing at home every 1.5-2 months, since after this period the bulb is depleted. The exception is the batun, which can grow and produce a harvest for several years.

"Arzamas"

"Spassky"

Landing dates

There are no specific planting dates, because you can grow onions on a windowsill all year round. Of course, at different times of the year the light intensity will be different and, perhaps, in the dark winter months the onions will need additional lighting. The temperature in the apartment is always enough to get a harvest.

Harvest ripening occurs in 12-21 days. If you plant onions from early March to September, the growth of feathers will be more intense. During the winter months, additional lighting will likely need to be used to provide the crop with the 12-hour day it needs to grow.

It is useful to look at the lunar calendar before landing. Plants planted on a waxing moon show more intensive growth.

How to plant?

To grow onions for greens at home, use both seeds and senchik. The latter is usually actively used, since there is no need to specially purchase planting material - it is enough to select suitable bulbs.

In general, onions are unpretentious and grow on any soil. However, unsuitable soil, deprived of organic and mineral components, will cause a poor harvest. In addition, such soil quickly clumps and tends to mold.

It is better to purchase soil for onions or tomatoes in a specialized store, or, in extreme cases, for indoor plants. It is optimal if humus, peat and sand are added to it. The soil should be neutral acidity, light and crumbly.

Soil disinfection helps prevent various onion diseases. For this purpose, it can be calcined in the oven at a temperature of 200C for 15-20 minutes or treated with a solution of potassium permanganate and hydrogen peroxide.

For planting, you can use special containers for greenery with a tray into which water is poured. Flower pots, wooden boxes, various plastic egg boxes, cookies, and cut bottles are suitable.

A drainage layer, which must be organized when growing onions at home, helps prevent stagnation of moisture in the soil. Vermiculite and expanded clay are suitable for this.

If seeds are used, the feathers will be thinner and more delicate. When using onion heads as seed material, the same rule applies - the smaller the onion, the thinner the feathers will be.

Seed material needs preparation. The seeds need to be sorted out, refusing to plant light (empty), damaged, and so on. Then it is recommended to disinfect them in a solution of potassium permanganate: 2 g of potassium permanganate per 1 liter of water. It is convenient to tie the seeds in a gauze bag, which is immersed in this solution for 15-20 minutes.

After this, the seeds need to be washed with water. It will be useful to treat them in a solution of a growth stimulator. You can soak them there for 12 hours.

This is not to say that these activities are mandatory, but highly desirable. They can improve seed germination and increase plant immunity to diseases.

Before planting, the onion should also be disinfected by placing it in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for 10-15 minutes, then gently cut off its top, which will contribute to the earlier appearance of feathers. The bottom, on the contrary, must be handled carefully to avoid damage.

For planting, you need to use strong medium-sized bulbs, the cross-sectional diameter of which does not exceed 4-5 cm. Disinfected and “trimmed” bulbs should be soaked in water for half an hour (it should be hot, temperature 50-52C), which also stimulates their growth .

The seed material prepared in this way is planted in the soil. Seeds are sown in furrows located at a distance of 3-4 cm from each other. Leave 2-3 cm between the seeds; the seed should not be buried too deep - it is enough if there is a 1.5 cm layer of soil above it.

Onions should be planted upside down, burying about 2/3 of them in the ground. The bulbs can be planted closely, because the crop in this case is the above-ground part, and one of the tasks when growing at home is to fit as many bulbs as possible in a box.

Similarly, you can grow onions in sawdust. The latter should be natural, woody. The smaller the chips, the better.

Another method of growing onions is hydroponics, which means growing onions in water. To do this, just take suitable containers (for example, plastic cups), pour water into them and lower the onion so that its bottom only touches the water. Immersing the rest of the bulb in water is not recommended, as it may cause it to rot. If necessary, water must be added until roots appear. This method is less labor-intensive compared to planting in the ground, but the yield will be smaller.

The “cactus” method, invented by housewives, allows preserving crop yields and saving space on the windowsill. It involves the use of a large plastic bottle (optimal volume 3-5 liters), on the surface of which round holes are made. Their diameter should correspond to the size of the bulb.

Next, the bottle is filled with earth, moistened, and the bulbs are inserted into the holes. This “pot” is watered from above, through the neck. After a while, the bulbs will shoot arrows, and the bottle will begin to resemble a cactus or a green island.

1. It is necessary to prepare all the tools and materials that will be required during the work process - a 5 liter plastic bottle, a self-tapping screw, a candle, pliers, primer, and a bow.
2. Using a self-tapping screw heated over a candle, you need to make holes with a diameter of 4 cm in the bottle. A hot self-tapping screw can burn your hands, so you need to hold it with pliers. Round holes must be placed in rows, each next one offset relative to the previous one. That is, if you look at one of the sides after finishing the work, the perforations will be staggered.
3. The top of the bottle needs to be cut off.
4. Then soil is poured into the container to a height up to the first holes.
5. The prepared onion is laid out in a circle so that the bottom touches the ground, and the place where the tail was (it is pre-trimmed) must be directed towards the hole.
6. This layer of onions is sprinkled with soil up to the next row of holes and the onions are planted again. This procedure must be repeated until the layers of onion and soil reach the edge of the cut bottle.
7. The last layer should be earthen; several more bulbs are placed vertically in it.

The rules for caring for such an onion composition are no different from those recommended for traditional cultivation of greens in the ground. Finally, to grow onions for greens at home, you can use a special device - a hydroponic installation. It is a box with holes where the bow is inserted. The lower half of the box is filled with water. Using a special compressor, a suspension of moisture is formed inside. In such a system, rotting of the bow is excluded, and, as practice shows, the arrows grow faster.

Rules of care

Caring for onions grown at home on a windowsill cannot be called onerous, but there are still certain tricks here. First of all, it is important to adjust the watering schedule. Lack of moisture will make the greens tough and bitter, causing yellowing and even wilting of the feathers. Its excess will cause rotting of the bulb, the appearance of mold and midges on the soil surface.

Watering should be done as the top layer of soil dries, on average once every 2-3 days. Running, settled water at room temperature should be used. In the warm season, it is recommended to spray the feathers with water. However, you should not do this under the scorching sun; there is a high risk of burns. It is better to spray in the morning before the sun has not become very active. It has a beneficial effect on greenery and air exchange, so ventilation should be done regularly if the weather permits.

After each watering, fertilizing can be applied. Mineral fertilizers for flowers, diluted according to the instructions, are suitable. You can also pour crushed eggshells (you must first remove the inner film from them) with water, leave for 5-7 days, filter and use for watering.

Excess fertilizers, as well as their lack, can cause a small harvest. It is important to monitor the optimal ratio of fertilizing and water. For a liter of water, you can use 2 teaspoons of a ready-made mineral complex or 5 g of wood ash. The latter must be clean, without impurities; you cannot use ash that remains after burning plastic or polyethylene.

You can also prepare a more complex fertilizer by dissolving 2 g of superphosphate, 1.5 g of ammonium nitrate and 1.5 g of potassium chloride in 1 liter of water. Fertilizing is used after the appearance of rhizomes and first shoots.

If onions are grown in a jar of water, the following recommendations should be followed:

• Before placing onions in a container, it should be treated with a weak solution of potassium permanganate;
• Only the bottom of the onion should be moistened, preventing the head from sinking deeper into the liquid; there is no need to soak it in water, just cut off the top;
• until the roots are formed, you need to keep the container with the bulbs away from heat sources;
• at the same time, you should change the water twice a day, after the roots appear - once is enough, and if there is fertilizer in the water - once every 5-7 days;
• when changing water, it is recommended to rinse the container itself;
• It is recommended to rinse the bulb itself once every 4-5 days; in the hot season this can be done more often;
• If you want to get greens regularly, then new bulbs should be placed in water every two weeks.

After the feathers appear, the temperature can be reduced to +18... 20C, doing this gradually. The plant does not like sudden temperature changes. Green onions are best grown at temperatures no higher than +20C.

Green onions need warmth and sunlight, so the optimal window sill or balcony for growing them will be one that “looks” to the south, southeast or southwest. If there is a lack of light, it is recommended to install phytolamps above the plant. They may also be needed on dark and gloomy autumn and winter days.




But delicate greens need to be protected from direct sunlight, so at noon you should remove the onions from a too-hot windowsill or create shade for the plant.

Periodically, you need to rotate the containers so that the feathers are even and appear on all sides of the central arrow.

Do not rush into harvesting, since cutting off feathers too early can slow down the further growth of the plant. It is recommended to cut greens no earlier than 3 weeks after the feathers appear. Correctly trim the side ones first, gradually approaching the central ones.

Planting onions every 2 weeks will help ensure a regular supply of greens. Old bulbs that are more than a month old can be gradually removed.

See below for an unusual way to grow onions on a windowsill.

straighten Green onions are a storehouse of nutrients and vitamins. Firstly, just 100 grams of greens per day will provide you with vitamin C for the whole day. In addition, green onions contain vitamins PP, B6, calcium, iron, carotene, and potassium. It is very important to receive these vitamins all year round, especially in the spring, during the period of vitamin deficiency. And it is not at all necessary to buy this storehouse of vitamins in stores, because growing green onions at home is not too difficult. In addition, then you will be sure that the greens on your table were grown without any chemicals.

How to grow green onions at home

So, to grow green onions at home, you must first select and prepare the bulbs. Any onion is suitable for planting in the soil, but it is better to grow onion sets. If the bulbs have not sprouted and roots, soak them for a day in warm water - about 40 degrees. Then the next day you need to peel the onion and trim the top. Sprouted bulbs do not need to be trimmed.

Then pour a layer of soil up to 10 cm into a flower pot or small box (you need to make holes in the bottom for water drainage) and simply place the bulbs on it at intervals of about 2 cm. You should not bury it, as the onions will begin to rot, it is best to water the soil with warm water. water.

For the next seven days, it is better to place the container with the onion in a warm place (the temperature should not fall below 25 degrees); later, when small sprouts appear, it can be moved to a cooler place. There is no need to fertilize; all the substances necessary for growth come from the bulb.

How to grow onions at home on a windowsill

After the onion shoots, the container with it - a box, flower pot or a simple glass - should be placed on the windowsill. A windowsill on the south, southwest or southeast side is ideal for sprouting green onions. Onions require a lot of light; if there is not enough light, additional lighting should be provided. For this, fluorescent or specialized lamps or LED panels are used.

Still, onions are a cold-resistant crop, for which the optimal temperature for growing is 18-20 degrees. The container with onions can be wrapped in foil to prevent it from overheating in the sun.

Make sure that the soil does not dry out; you can water the planted bulbs once a week or every other day, depending on the temperature, with warm water. You don’t need to do anything special - this is how you can easily and simply grow onions at home on your windowsill. Just one more piece of advice - you should not cut off the first greenery, otherwise further growth of the greenery will stop. Next, cut the feathers in a circle, without touching the central ones, since new feathers grow from the middle. When the bulb is exhausted, replace it with a new one.

How to grow onions at home in water

To get greenery, you don’t have to be tied to the soil. There is a “cleaner” way - you can grow onions at home in water. In this case, you should choose intact medium-sized bulbs, approximately 3-4 cm in diameter. It is better if they already have small seedlings. Wash the selected bulbs (preferably with warm water) and remove the top layer of husk. Trim the tops (if the onions have not yet sprouted) by about 1-1.5 cm and place them in a container with water - a glass, a jar, a plastic container, a deep plate. Water is poured so that it covers the bulbs by a quarter. As the water decreases, you should monitor its level and add the required amount.

If you want to grow a lot of onions, then choose larger containers or plastic boxes. Take, for example, thick cardboard and cut holes in it for the bulbs. Cover the container with cardboard and “seat” the bulbs into the holes, pour in a little water, just enough to cover the root system.

Every two days you need to change the water and rinse the roots from mucus, and after 2 weeks you will get greens.

The valuable properties and taste of green onions are well known. Thanks to them, this plant is widely used in cooking: it is added to salads, soups, porridges, and simply eaten as a snack.

Onion greens differ significantly in their properties from onions growing in the ground, which cannot become a full-fledged alternative to fresh green onions. In particular, onions are not capable of producing chlorophyll. This substance is important for the circulatory system and also has other positive effects.

Onion greens contain a significant amount of vitamins. For example, vitamin C, which seriously increases the strength of the immune system. Just 70-100 grams of onion greens are enough to meet the daily intake of this substance for an adult.

Onions also contain vitamin A, which is necessary for the full functioning of the visual organs, and E, which is responsible for the youthful condition of the skin and the healthy functioning of the reproductive organs. Other vitamins supplied to the body by green onions include:

• B1, which regulates the functioning of the nervous system and is involved in metabolism;
• B2, which promotes the formation of red blood cells, neutralizes some toxins, promotes body growth;
• B3, involved in food digestion, immune support and the breakdown of bad cholesterol;
• B9, involved in protein synthesis.

Green onions are rich in zinc, which helps maintain healthy nails and hair and is involved in strengthening the immune system. It is very significant that zinc has a positive effect on the reproductive system in both men and women. Phosphorus and calcium, also contained in onions, strengthen teeth, gums, and the musculoskeletal system. Onion greens contain enough useful elements such as magnesium, which takes part in many vital processes, and iron, which is part of the blood and is necessary for the formation of red and white blood cells.

It must be remembered that the active substances present in onions retain their beneficial qualities only when consumed in moderation. Excessive green onions in food negatively affect the gastrointestinal tract, as this plant begins to irritate the sensitive lining of the internal cavities. An excess of substances brought by onion greens creates unnecessary stress on the liver and kidneys, so people who are aware of the weakness of these organs should limit their consumption of onion greens.

Like regular onions, green onions have strong antibacterial properties. This is good when it comes to dealing with pathogens. And it’s bad if, along with them (or even instead of them), beneficial bacteria living in the intestines and stomach are regularly killed.

To prevent the negative effects of green onions, use moderation. It is difficult to identify universal dosages here - after all, each person is unique. At different times, the body may show a special craving for onions, or, conversely, feel a strong rejection of it. You should feel the internal signals sent by the body and follow them wisely.

How to grow onions on a windowsill in water

Like other plants, onions are best grown outdoors. But the reality is that not everyone has their own garden bed. It's not scary, green onions grow wonderfully on the windowsill!

The simplest and most common way is to place the onion in a container of water. It is best to use a hatched onion, from the top of which green sprouts have already begun to appear. Although a “dormant” bulb that does not show signs of growth is also capable of releasing roots into the water and starting to produce greens, it will take more time for this to happen.

The bulbs should not be immersed in water very deeply. Only the bottom of the plant should lightly touch the water surface for the cells to sense it and begin to form roots.

They will go lower and pull out the substances needed for the onion from the water. If the bulb is too submerged in water, it will soon begin to rot and quickly cease to be a good source of greens.

Caring for onions on the windowsill is very simple and should not be ignored.

• Firstly, the water should be changed regularly, as many “onion” substances accumulate in it, it begins to stagnate and acquires a specific smell. Water replacement occurs at the beginning of germination once a day, and when the roots become strong, then less often - about once a week.
• Secondly, it is worth understanding that ordinary water does not provide enough nutrition for the plant. Green onions grown simply in water do not have the same positive effect on the body as those grown in soil - they are simply watery and have a limited set of elements. To compensate for the lack of nutrition, you can add a little all-purpose fertilizer to the water. They will give the plant a set of basic substances (nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus) and will become a complete supplement. But for these purposes you should buy specialized liquid fertilizers created for growing hydroponics, that is, plants exclusively in an aquatic environment.

Growing onions in flower pots

The method of growing green onions in the ground requires a little more preliminary effort. But as a result, the plant will turn out to be more complete, it will produce more greenery, and there will be less hassle with it.

To do this, you should either buy prepared soil or collect it on the street. It is poured into medium-sized pots or any other suitable container - for example, onions grow well in a plastic bottle - cheap and original. Naturally, there should be enough space in the container for the roots, and pebbles should be placed on its bottom to drain excess water.

When growing green onions in soil, you can also use fertilizers. Both organic substances, such as ash solution, and mineral fertilizers are suitable for this, but you should not overdo it.

Until greenery appears, the bulbs should be stored in a cool, dark place so as not to provoke excessive root growth. Once the onion feathers appear, the plants will need light.

How to properly use green onions

The main purpose of growing onions is to obtain useful substances.

It is important to remember that heating has a negative effect on vitamins, so green onions should be added to chilled dishes and not subjected to heat treatment at all. It's great as a seasoning for almost any dish, but you should wait until it cools and add the herbs directly to the plate before eating.

It is also important that the greens are not stored for a long time. When the green onions on the windowsill expel their feathers, you should cut off exactly as much as will be eaten at one time - this way the body will receive the maximum benefit.

Onion feathers of any size are suitable for trimming, but it is more rational to use medium ones. After all, young shoots have good growth potential, and they can provide much more benefits if given time to develop. Sprouts that are too large may be too dense and not as well absorbed by the body.

April 6th, 2015

Hello, dear readers! Our story of growing green onions at home began with the fact that last summer we planted a lot of beds of the Stuttgarten Riesen variety on the site of a former potato plantation. This was done in order to carry out crop rotation, since the land on which potatoes had been grown for many years was severely depleted by such monotonous plantings. In the fall, we harvested a large harvest of onions, which we would not have been able to eat during the winter, although we slowly supplied them to all our relatives. That's when it occurred to me grow green onions on the windowsill, Moreover, in the month of December, fresh vitamin greens are always on the hunt.

Greenery on the windowsill

I have grown some healthy vegetables in my windows before. Not bad, for example, I grew parsley in winter, which I transplanted into a pot from the garden in the fall. One day there was a hot pepper growing at home (by the way, it was very convenient). I also had experience with early spring cultivation. And I especially liked growing small indoor ones at home (by the way, they are visible in the photo), which I sowed in mid-summer, and received a tomato harvest just in time for winter. That is, I already, in principle, knew that it was quite possible to grow some greens on the windowsill.

Experience with a bow

Probably everyone knows that an onion feather can be successfully expelled from an onion on a window. The bulb doesn’t even have to be planted in the ground for this. I remember how, as children, we placed bulbs in jars of water so that green feathers would grow from them. But now we intended to plant not just one or two onions, but several boxes at once, so that by the New Year and the long New Year holidays we would have more fresh herbs for salads and okroshka. And this is what our experience with onions on the windowsill showed.

Green onions on the windowsill in winter

We started planting bulbs in early December. For this purpose, they tried to select small onions, leaving large ones for food. Since the fall, we have had soil stored from the garden for spring planting of seedlings. The seedling boxes were half filled with it. The land was well watered and the onions were planted thickly, trying to fit as many of them into the box as possible. We didn’t dig deep into the onions; we removed the excess husks from some that showed the first signs of rotting.

Our windows are quite cold, not double glazed. One box of onions was placed directly on the windowsill, while the rest were placed on a table moved towards the window, so at first I had concerns that the onions would not grow well there due to insufficient lighting.

After about a week, green sprouts emerged from the bulbs, and then the feathers actively began to grow. Three weeks after planting, we already had a whole wall of onions growing green, so the room resembled a real vegetable garden. And I even liked it: outside the window it’s winter, boredom, white snowdrifts, but you walk into the house - and it’s like you’ve stepped into summer - green and cheerful!

And then I made an amazing conclusion for myself: the onion that was on our windowsill grew much slower than the one that stood on the table. It turned out that when forcing feathers from turnips, onions are not very demanding of light. But the higher temperature on the table (compared to the climate on our windowsill), on the contrary, significantly accelerated the growth of the green feather.

As for watering, this procedure also did not take much effort from us. In fact, we only watered our onions once - when we planted them.

Is a second feather harvest possible?

After cutting the green feathers for food, we immediately had a question whether it was time to pull out the bulbs and throw them away or give them a second chance to harvest. Some of the onions seemed still hard to the touch, and we decided to leave them and see what happens next.

The green feathers, which we cut down to the very bulbs, immediately began to grow again, and even faster than when the feather was first forced. During the first forcing, a week passed before the bulbs began to wake up. In principle, even the second harvest from these bulbs was quite suitable for eating, although it was smaller and not so presentable in appearance.

Growing green onions at home: results

In conclusion, I would like to summarize some results. If you, dear readers, are interested in growing green onions at home, then without a doubt, get started! You can safely get green turnip feathers on your windowsill throughout the winter and early spring! I also note that the large size of the bulbs does not at all guarantee a larger harvest of green feathers: sometimes even better feathers are obtained from small bulbs. It’s another matter if you come across multi-bud bulbs: they produce more feathers.

Another issue that we had to solve when growing green onions at home is the issue of using the land after harvesting. At first we tried to tear out the spent bulbs from the ground. But it turned out to be such a difficult task! The roots have grown in a continuous mass throughout the box! Besides, I didn’t like stirring up dirt at home during this procedure. Then we found a very simple practical solution: dump this soil, along with onion waste and roots, into a greenhouse, into a box for a future warm bed. We still put all the plant residues there as organic filler. I wrote more about setting up a warm bed .

In any case, during the cold winter season it is very convenient to always have fresh onions on hand. Please note that the price for it in the store at this time bites! And to get such a homemade harvest of green onions, you won’t have to make any special efforts! Good luck to everyone and good harvests!

Growing green onions is a universal activity and possible even with minimal investment. The profitability of a business directly depends on the volume of plants produced, and onions can be grown almost anywhere: on a windowsill in a residential building, in a greenhouse, in a garage, in a basement.

Technology for growing green onions - what kind of room should there be for growing green onions?

Growing onions, as well as, in closed equipped premises guarantees year-round income. In this case, human participation in the process is reduced to the simplest actions: primary processing of raw materials and collection of greenery.

Despite the unpretentiousness of the plant, general growing recommendations should still be followed. This will reduce time costs and get a good harvest.

There are three characteristics that determine ideal conditions for the growth of green onions:

• Comfortable air temperature.
• Sufficient room lighting.
• High-quality soil irrigation.

The size of the business premises is also important, which affects the volume of products produced.

The room must be dry, not infected with mold or fungi and, if possible, light.

Here are possible room options for growing green onions:

• Greenhouse

The simplest summer greenhouse is made of a wooden frame, which is covered on top with a thick plastic film. You can assemble such a structure yourself using available materials and tools.

In the warm season, greenhouses and greenhouses do not require additional lighting or heating. Natural air temperature and sunlight will be sufficient for plant growth.

Growing green onions in a greenhouse is the most environmentally friendly way, since such conditions are as close as possible to natural ones.

• Basement and garage

An alternative to a greenhouse can be a basement or garage. However, these premises require additional preparation. The first step is to insulate them. The materials used are safe thermal insulators, for example, based on polyethylene foam or polystyrene foam.

The next stage is the installation of shelving. They can be purchased ready-made or made independently, for example, from wood. If necessary, such racks are disassembled and transported to a new location.

A good design for long-term use should be metal, for example, welded from a profile or pipes. Naturally, it will require more significant investments.

Growing green onions in a basement or garage requires the creation of the following favorable conditions:

1. Heating . For maximum onion growth, it is necessary to maintain a temperature range from +18 to +22 °C. Any devices can be used as heaters, but it is worth remembering that electrical devices will require significant energy costs;
2. Lighting . The brighter the light in the room, the richer the color of the onion feather. Therefore, if possible, the room should be equipped with fluorescent lamps;
3. Ventilation . The air in the basement or garage must be constantly circulated. It is advisable not just to install internal fans, but to organize the supply of fresh air from the street. This will give the plants a more comfortable environment and prevent the development of mold and mildew indoors.

• Windowsill

The easiest way to grow onions is on a windowsill. A loggia is well suited for this. In the summer, no additional tricks will be needed, but in the winter, the loggia should be insulated and glazed. If the windows face north, you can arrange artificial lighting.

With good lighting and air temperatures from +23 to +27, green onions will grow 30 cm in approximately 2-2.5 weeks.

How to properly grow green onions for sale - features of planting material for growing green onions

Almost anything can be used as planting material: soil, sand, sawdust. There are options in which onions grow without soil and feed exclusively on water. This method is called hydroponics.

• Earth and sand

This is the standard planting base for the plant. If you grow onions in a greenhouse on a plot of land, it is recommended to fertilize and loosen the soil.

Flaw: In all other cases, you will need to purchase special mixtures. The soil should be universal and have an acidity of 6 to 7 ph.

• Sawdust

Sawdust is a cheap material. Their main property is looseness and the ability to retain moisture. However, this environmental material does not contain nutrients, so additional mineral fertilizers will be needed.

Plants planted in sawdust will not require too frequent watering. When cut, ripe green onions will remain clean (unlike those growing in soil mixture).

Sawdust has one drawback – with prolonged use, they begin to rot, and mixed with the remains of onion roots, they turn into compost and require replacement.

Growing green onions hydroponically assumes that the plant will be fed not from the soil, but thanks to the circulating medium supplied to the roots. This medium can be based on water or a solid porous substance that has excellent moisture retention and good air permeability.

Coconut fiber is ideal as a substrate. It is absolutely natural, capable of swelling greatly and accumulating water, while allowing air to pass through.

The system for planting onions must contain channels filled with a solid substrate or blown with an air-nutrient mixture. The bulbs are placed in these channels. As needed, an aqueous solution rich in minerals is released through the ducts.

The order of placing hydroponic layers is as follows:

1. Onion roots.
2. Organic substrate.
3. Net.
4. Nutrient solution.

The most important aspect of this growing method is high-quality aeration (air saturation) of the roots. Therefore, the mesh and nutrient solution should be placed at a distance of about 5 cm from each other.

The yield of onions growing hydroponically will be higher, and the cost of purchasing planting materials will be lower.

Equipment and appliances for growing green onions indoors

Growing onions for greens can be made as simple and convenient as possible by using various devices. For example, use professional phytolamps that stimulate plant growth as a source of artificial light.

Drip irrigation systems are perfect for watering onions in greenhouses. With their help, water consumption is noticeably reduced, and the liquid itself is evenly distributed throughout the planted area.

There are entire installations designed in the form of racks, into which light sources and containers for soil are built. Such equipment is already ready for use; all that remains is to place onions in it and water it until the harvest is obtained.

There are commercially available hydroponic systems that work as follows:

1. On the water.
2. On the substrate.
3. On aeroponics (air).

This equipment can be used immediately; all that is needed is to purchase the raw materials and prepare the nutrient mixture.

Planting and growing green onions on a feather - how to grow green onions in winter?

Green onions can be successfully produced at any time of the year. However, this will entail considerable additional investments - at a minimum, you will need to organize heating and lighting. Even if you use a garage or basement for business, in which it is already necessary to install sources of artificial light, you will need heating devices.

If the volumes in the soil are relatively small, you can pre-treat the onions before planting. This will speed up the germination process several times.

The procedure is:

• The bulbs are placed in a container and completely filled with cold water.
• After one hour, all the water is drained.
• Planting in the ground is carried out within a day.

To grow green onions in a greenhouse in winter, you should pay attention to the quality of the structure and organize favorable conditions inside it.

If you plan to run a business for the long term, it is advisable to build a greenhouse thoroughly:

• The frame is made of metal or durable wooden profile.
• Make the base of the greenhouse.
• Coat all floors and structures with paint or primer.
• Cover the greenhouse with durable polycarbonate film.

The growth rate of green onions directly depends on the ambient or room temperature:

• At 12C ° Onions ripen for about four weeks.
• At 17C ° – about 26 days.
• At 20C ° – about 22 days.
• At 22C ° – about 20 days.
• At 25C ° – about 2.5 weeks.

It is better to grow green onions in the cold season using winter and frost-resistant plant varieties. They adapt better to lower temperatures and will be able to produce higher yields under less favorable conditions.

Is winter and summer cultivation of green onions profitable - the real reasons for selling an onion growing business

This business is considered quite profitable, but there are always parameters that can greatly influence profitability. Naturally, due to the unequal amount of mandatory expenses, summer and winter onion cultivation has noticeable differences.

In summer:

• In the greenhouse – plants develop only due to sunlight. Auxiliary sources of heat and light are not needed.
• In the basement and garage – heating devices are either not required at all or must operate at minimum power (for example, in a cold basement).
• On the windowsill – Green onions grow on their own using sunlight. The room temperature does not need to be adjusted.

In winter:

• In the greenhouse – the structure itself must be made of more expensive and durable materials. Inside the greenhouse you need to create a comfortable microclimate using additional sources of heat and sometimes light.
• In the basement and garage – higher quality thermal insulation materials may be required. You also cannot do without heating devices.
• On the windowsill – if you use a loggia for growing onions, it will need to be glazed, insulated and, possibly, heated.

During the cold season, the market value of green onions increases, which compensates for the necessary expenses. An undoubted advantage is the possibility of longer storage of already cut greens. Not every activity is necessarily successful.

There are a number of reasons that may hinder the development of the business and prompt the owner to think about selling the business:

1. Lack of personal vehicles . If onions are grown in a greenhouse outside the city, and for marketing they need to be transported, one passenger car will not be enough. In this case, it is appropriate to use a small cargo transport, since the harvest volumes can be impressive, and the greens must retain their presentation and not be wrinkled. If there is no opportunity to purchase a vehicle, doing business can be very difficult.
2. Unprofitability . Growing onions in winter entails another cost item - lighting and heating. If your greenhouse, garage, or basement is located in an inconvenient location or in an area with high energy rates, the cost of maintaining the desired temperature can have a significant impact on your profit margins.
3. Increase in price of raw materials . In a lean year, the price of onions increases greatly, which adversely affects the cost of green products.
4. Lack of market . Not every green onion producer has its own retail outlet for selling the grown product. Very often, finished products are sold in bulk at prices 1.5-2 times lower than retail prices. If supply exceeds demand, the purchase price may be reduced to an unacceptable minimum, making the business unprofitable.

Real business plan for growing green onions for sale

All initial potential costs can be divided into three categories:

• Purchase or rental of premises/land.
• Improvement of the premises (construction, insulation).
• Technical equipment (racks, instruments, installations, containers).

These costs are in addition to regular expenses:

• For the purchase of raw materials (bulbs, mineral fertilizers, water).
• For transportation of finished products.
• To maintain the necessary microclimate (lighting, heating, ventilation).
• For workers' wages.

Not all points are mandatory, since the premises for growing onions may be owned, and additional labor will not be needed.

Business advantages:

• Unpretentiousness to conditions and rapid plant growth.
• Minimum financial investment.
• Fast payback for small volumes.

Example of a business plan for growing onions in a greenhouse: