The quantity and quality of the harvested crop, as well as how long it will be stored, depends to a great extent on the proper harvesting of onions.
That is what we will discuss in the article.
When the vegetable is removed from the beds
Like most vegetables, onions should be removed when it is fully ripe. Only in this case, we can count on the preservation of taste and long-term storage of vegetables. Now we will learn several ways to determine the time of harvest.
External signs of maturity
There are only a few external signs that can determine the degree of ripening of the crop. First sign are yellowed and dead feathers. But if the summer was cold and wet, then such a sign would be hard to wait. Second sign - This is a drying neck of the bulb. well and third sign determined by the peel sticking out of the ground: it should be dry and peel off.
Onions such as onions and nematodes can significantly reduce the yield of this crop.
Mathematical method
The most accurate method for determining the timing of harvesting onions is popularly considered the mathematical method. It lies in the fact that from the date of planting is counted from 70 to 80 days - that is how long the ripening of the vegetable lasts.
Important! When choosing such a method, you must take into account the climatic conditions. If the summer was dry, then the cleaning time can be reduced. If the summer was rainy, then cleaning should be postponed.
By lunar calendar
According to many visitors of agricultural forums, the best assistant in choosing the time for harvesting is not even the weather outside, but the lunar calendar. If present, you will be able to determine the most favorable phases of the moon for gathering onions and other plants.
If you do not have such a calendar at hand, then you can listen to the popular belief that harvesting is better with a full moon. It is believed that during this period, the fruits have the highest nutritional value. 
When to clean and how to dig onions from the beds
Usually, the vegetable is harvested in late July and early August in sunny weather. It is necessary to correctly determine the time of collection. If you harvest early, then the covering scales on the fruit will not have time to fully form, and a thick neck will remain. And if you collect late, the vegetable can crack. But it is important to take into account varietal characteristics.
If the season was wet, and by the beginning of harvesting the leaves of the vegetable are still green, then they should not be cut immediately - the onion should lie down for 7 to 10 days under a canopy and ripen. After the foliage dries, it can be removed.
Onion
Onion harvesting should be carried out from August - at this time the ground is drier, and there is no need to dry the bulbs for a long time. Pulling a bow out of the ground must be done carefully: if you tear the tops of the tops, it will rot, so it’s best to dig them out with a fork or a garden fork. If earth is stuck on the fruit, it is better to clean it with your hands, to beat against each other or against hard objects in no case - as a result of mechanical damage the bulbs rot.
You will be interested to read about how to grow onions and the best varieties of onions.
Leek
Leek, which is intended for storage, excavated in early October. In order for the onions to be whiter, 14 days prior to collection, the roots should be covered with earth or covered with an opaque coating. After the leek is dug, the roots need to be shortened to 1 or 2 cm, the leaves are cut off by 2/3 of the entire length. You can store it in the basement (in the sand), in the refrigerator or even frozen.
Get acquainted with all the subtleties of leek cultivation.
Sevok
Read also about how to grow onion sets.Digging sevok need from early to mid-August after the feathers turn yellow and wither. It is necessary to dig with the help of a fork, and you can only pull it out if the ground is soft. The excavated sevok is dried on a bed for about 3 weeks, it must be constantly mixed. After the fruits are well dried, you need to cut the tops.
Important! If during the period when the onions dry, the rains begin, it is better to dry it under a canopy.
Shallot
Check out shallot cultivation.As a rule, shallots ripen much faster than onions, therefore begin to collect it from mid-July in the period when the leaves begin to dry. The cleaning procedure is absolutely identical with onions. Dug shallots are divided into individual bulbs, then cut the green tops and dried well in the sun.
Did you know? The first information about shallot appeared in the 13th century.
How to speed up the process of ripening harvest
Onions belong to crops that ripen for a long time, and the harvesting time of this vegetable often falls under the rainy season, which has a bad effect on its storage. Therefore, there is a need to accelerate the ripening process.
Stop watering
Water onions stop for two or three weeks before harvest, even in drought conditions. This is due to the fact that excess moisture reduces the shelf life of the fruit, and sometimes causes new growth. Also, to avoid rain irrigation, people are advised to cover a garden bed with onions with plastic wrap or thick cloth.
Undermining the roots
To reduce the ingress of water and nutrients from the soil, the plant should be lifted using a fork or a garden fork, without damaging the fruit. There is also a way when the bulb is pulled out of the ground by half and left in this form for 5 days, and then completely removed from the soil.
Important! Apply this method only in dry weather and in soft soil.
Bulb stripping
This method can only help if you planted a vegetable to a great depth. The procedure is very simple: you will need to remove the top layer of soil with your hands or a small spatula in order to improve the ventilation and drying of the plant under the sun.
Onions are good neighbors - beets, cabbage, carrots, lettuce, tomato, potatoes, strawberries and cucumber. Bad neighbors for onions in the garden - peas, beans and sage.
How to prepare onions for storage
When and how to harvest onions, we have already learned, but the most important is its preparation for storage in the winter. Preparing a vegetable is proper drying. If you have the opportunity every day to visit the site, you can dry it directly in the garden for 7-8 days. You can also dry the bulbs in a room with good ventilation, tying them into a braid. In the apartment, the fruit can be dried in the oven at a minimum heating mode. It is important to ensure that the onions are not cracked.
Did you know? Before you pack a vegetable on the grids, you need to remove the damaged, as well as germinated fruits.
Compliance with the easy rules of cleaning and drying onions will help you get a quality crop and store it for a long time.
