Why did the onion feathers turn white in the garden and what to do?
Many people think that growing onions is not difficult, however, it is not always possible to harvest a good harvest, and a lightened feather reminds that not everything is in order with the bush.
Why do white spots appear?
One of the reasons for the change in the color of the leaves is the increased acidity of the soil. On such soil, the culture does not develop well, does not please with bright greens, large bulbs. All varieties of this plant adore loose earth, into which air can easily penetrate.
Experienced gardeners know what to do if one of the important soil indicators does not correspond to the norm. In the fall, digging up a bed, they introduce a mixture of slaked lime, plant ash and dolomite flour, which is made on the basis of calcium, into the soil. This helps to reduce acidity.
If the onion feathers turn white due to the fact that no alkalization of the earth was carried out, the problem can be eliminated by watering each bush with a glass of a special solution. To do this, 60 g of calcium nitrate must be diluted in a bucket of water. To reduce the acidity of the soil, many gardeners use ash, 200 grams of which is poured with a liter of boiling water, left for a day in a container with a volume of 10 liters. A standard bucket of such a solution goes to a square meter of an onion bed.
In addition to alkalization, wood ash saturates the culture:
- sodium;
- phosphorus;
- magnesium;
- calcium.
It promotes growth, provides onions in the garden with nutrients for almost the entire season. Thanks to this organic substance, the water balance is normalized, the leaves acquire a healthy, saturated color.
Lack of trace elements
In addition to the excess acid in the soil, there are other reasons why the feathers of onions turned white. What the plant lacks can be understood by carefully examining the bush:
- With an insufficient amount of nitrogen in the soil, the culture does not develop well, the leaves lose their bright color and turn yellow, the tips are covered with white spots.
- With a deficiency of potassium, feathers brighten and curl, greens are poorly formed, and defective bulbs are formed.
- With an excess of peat, the plant often lacks copper, to which it reacts with whitened tips.
To eliminate the lack of nitrogen, you need to feed the earth, for this it is necessary to dilute 3 tablespoons of calcium nitrate in a bucket of water, spray the leaves with a solution of ammonia, which is prepared in the same proportion. A deficiency of this microelement is felt by a culture that grows in beds covered with straw, loose soil, which protects the roots from drying out and frost. It is possible to prevent a decrease in the amount of nitrogen in the soil if the mulch is watered with urea. Half a glass of granules is taken in a bucket of water.
When there is not enough copper in the soil, the beds are treated with a composition of 0.1% of its oxychloride (10 g per 10 l).Onion root is fed with Bordeaux mixture, or copper sulfate.
A whitened feather can be a reminder of a potassium deficiency. Thanks to this component, greens grow, heads are formed. If the deficiency of a trace element is not replenished, the leaves turn white and begin to curl. A mixture for feeding is prepared by dissolving 3 tablespoons of potassium chloride or 2 glasses of wood ash in a bucket of water.
When does the whole plant change color?
If the bed is poorly insulated, the onions can damage the frost. Then the frozen feathers turn pale. It is better to mulch the soil, and do not cut off the leaves. In the spring, while the ground has not yet thawed, it is necessary to scatter ammonium nitrate in the form of granules over it. The onions will gradually recede and turn green.
With an excess or lack of moisture, the feathers turn yellow. In hot weather, it is necessary to water the culture every evening with warm, settled water. You need to use no more than a bucket of liquid per square meter of the garden. With a cold snap, the rate decreases by 2 times.
After rain, humidification temporarily stops.
To prevent feathers from turning yellow:
- Onions are not planted in the same place; this should be done every 4 years.
- The garden bed is dug deeply before sowing.
- Fertilizer must be applied in a timely manner.
- It is necessary to remove and burn leaves that have changed color.
Subject to all the rules, the plant pleases with large bulbs. But sometimes this is not enough.
What is sick?
There are other reasons that lead, if not to the death of a crop, then to a deterioration in its yield. When the spots on the feathers are covered with bloom, it is most likely powdery mildew. To prevent the development of this fungal disease, the leaves are sprayed with copper sulfate.
When plants are infected with peronosporosis, the entire bed is treated with fungicides, the affected bushes are removed along with the head. Some gardeners advise watering the culture with a solution of potassium permanganate or salt. Repeat the procedure a couple of times.
Powdery mildew attacks the plant during wet periods. From a sick bush, spores are carried by the wind over a long distance. 3 weeks after infection, the tips of the leaves fade. Spots appear on them, covered with a bloom of purple. Bulbs ripen poorly, do not store for a long time.
Cultural pests
Feathers turn yellow when tobacco thrips grows on the leaves. A microscopic insect drinks juice from them. Since the pest hibernates in the ground or in bulbs, the heads left for planting are dipped first in hot, then in cold water. To destroy insects, plants need to be sprayed with Confidor fungicide.
Feathers change color when the stem nematode damages the bulb, causing it to rot, the leaves first turn yellow and then die. This little worm, lives in the ground for years, causes great harm to crop plantings.
Vegetable growers get rid of nematodes by treating feathers with insecticides in the form of Fitoverm, Nematofagin. Some gardeners claim that they cope with the pest by watering the ground with a solution of marigolds. Two kilograms of these flowers are infused in a bucket of water.
The onion fly appears when the heat lasts for a long time, it does not rain. The insect butterfly lays its eggs in the ground. The light yellow caterpillars that crawl out of them climb onto the feathers, gnaw out the tissues, so the leaves turn pale and wither.
They fight pests by scattering ash or tobacco on the garden bed, spraying the ground with a solution of garlic.
The leaves turn yellow and dry up when they are eaten by the larvae of the lurking proboscis. If you do nothing, the entire plantation of culture will die. You can defeat this pest only with fungicides.
To grow large bulbs that will be stored for a long time, you need to follow the rules of agricultural technology, care requirements, monitor the condition of the leaves, and fight diseases and pests in a timely manner.
