onion light red / periya vengayam

🧅 Onion Seed Sowing Guide

1. Season

In India:

Rabi crop (main): Sept–Oct (nursery sowing) → transplant in Nov–Dec

Kharif crop: May–July (nursery sowing) → transplant in Aug–Sept

Late Kharif: Aug–Sept (nursery sowing) → transplant in Oct

2. Soil Preparation

Best: Fertile, sandy loam to clay loam, well-drained.

pH: 6.0 – 7.5.

Apply 15–20 tons FYM/acre before sowing, and plough soil finely.

3. Seed Preparation

Seed rate: 4–5 kg/acre (nursery)

Treat seeds with Trichoderma / Carbendazim to prevent damping-off.

4. Nursery Sowing

Always raised nursery beds (1–1.5 m wide, 15 cm high).

Mix FYM + sand into the beds.

Draw lines 8–10 cm apart, sow seeds 1.5–2 cm deep.

Cover lightly with fine soil + compost.

Mulch with straw or dry grass until germination.

5. Germination

Takes 7–10 days under suitable conditions.

6. Nursery Care

Light watering daily with a rose can (avoid waterlogging).

Thinning if seedlings are too dense.

Apply 1–2 light sprays of fungicide if damping-off appears.

Seedlings ready in 35–45 days (pencil-thick, 12–15 cm height).

7. Transplanting

Transplant spacing:

Row to row: 15 cm

Plant to plant: 7–10 cm

Plant only 2–3 cm deep (too deep → small bulbs).

8. Watering

Light irrigation after transplanting.

Irrigate every 7–10 days in winter and 5–6 days in summer.

9. Harvest

Bulbs mature in 90–120 days after transplanting (depending on variety).

Harvest when 50–70% tops bend and fall.

Cure bulbs in shade for 7–10 days before storage.