How nice to see green onions on the dinner table in winter. Many remember from childhood that there were small glass jars of water on the windowsills, in which the bulb took root and presented with green feathers. It turns out that it is not necessary to arrange a garden in your kitchen from boxes of earth. Everyone can grow green onions in a more convenient way - in water. To do this, you must follow very simple rules.
Preparing onions for forcing in water
Bulbs for forcing feathers must be selected without damage and of approximately the same size. It is more convenient to use small bulbs, about five centimeters in diameter. Each onion must be cut off the top and then placed in water heated to fifty degrees (or a solution of potassium permanganate) for about twenty minutes.
After keeping in the liquid for the allotted time, the bulbs are immersed in chilled water, and then freed from the husk. The bulbs prepared in this way can be planted in any small containers of water for germinating the feathers.
Accessories for forcing green onions in water
Almost any dish that is at hand is suitable for growing green onions. These are a variety of jars, glasses, cups, cut plastic bottles and plastic containers. All you need to do is pour water into a bowl and lower the onion there. True, not every prepared container will be convenient. Most of them often serve as a place for bulb decay.
To avoid the formation of rot, you can use the materials at hand. You need to take a clean piece of cloth (or a clean, but not wearable sock), place it in the middle of the onion. Then lower it together with the cloth into a container about one third full of water. The water will be absorbed into the fabric and rise up to the bulb itself. Being constantly in a humid environment, the vegetable will very soon take root and feathers.
For growing onions, you can use various larger plastic containers, which can hold about a dozen bulbs at once. You can use thick cardboard as a cover. It is taken to fit around the perimeter of the box or container. For each onion, a round hole is cut on a piece of cardboard. Water must be poured in such an amount that the bulbs inserted into the holes only slightly come into contact with the liquid.
If there are no dishes in the house that can be used to grow onions, then you can get by with an ordinary dinner plate. The bulbs on it should stand, tightly pressed against each other, and be in a minimum amount of water.
There are also more modern methods and devices for sprouting onions. Such devices work on the basis of the principle of hydroponics, that is, growing plants without soil. The basic principle is the same - a container of water and a bow inserted into special holes. Only in this device is a compressor connected, which forms a water suspension. In such conditions, the roots and feathers grow much faster, and there is no danger of decay.
The first harvest of green onions can be tasted for ten to fifteen days. To speed up the process of plant growth even more, try using mineral fertilizers.
Top dressing options for forcing green onions in water
As soon as small roots have appeared and the first onion feathers have cut through, you can use dressings that are added directly to the water. Previously, in a separate container, you need to prepare a solution that will serve as a fertilizer. One liter of settled water at room temperature is taken as a basis, to which you can add two teaspoons of any mineral dressing (or five grams of wood ash).
Remember the basic rules for growing onions in water:
- The container chosen for planting onions must be pre-treated with a disinfectant solution (for example, potassium permanganate)
- For the period of germination of the root system, it is better to put the container with onions in a cool place.
- Remember to change the water twice a day before roots appear.
- Only the lower part of the bow should be in contact with water.
- Occasionally it is useful to rinse the onion roots and container under running water.
Following these simple recommendations, you can easily grow onions in water.
I don't know about feeding. But if you peel the onion first, the onion grows faster, the roots appear faster, the water does not go out so quickly .. I recommend it to everyone !!!