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| Sunday, 13 January 2002 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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onion: The top crop by Gwen Herat World vegetable number one, onions of any variety can never be replaced by any other crop. No Sri Lanka Lankan meal is without onions nor any kitchen big or small. This appetite-inviting aroma of onions is limitless. It is also an energy supplement eaten cooked or raw. The above onion is called big, bombay or spring onion is the main component in any salad. World's vegetable crop number one, onions are so versatile that they find themselves into almost all types of cooking and salads. Onions are adaptable in any soil as long as the correct amount of moisture is supplied in the soil. Not welcome in gardens maintained only for home consumption, they do best in medial or reasonably light soil as long as it does not dry out easily and without excess water. Being a stem crop, plant sets outdoors in shallow drills on firm rich ground and cover them up with soil lightly by shuffling along the drill. Bend the tops over when they begin to yellow which is the sign of maturing. This will hasten the ripening. Lift them off the soil when the tops are almost dry. Dry odd indoors and store in air tight bags. The easy way of growing main crop onions is by planting 'sets'. (They mean small immature onions) It is difficult to say the seasons of planting as the weather patterns in Sri Lanka have changed drastically. Usually it is the month of March that is most favourable but watch for the rains and wait till they cease otherwise the 'sets' will soak and rot. Sets must be planted nine inches apart with one foot between in rows. Late August is the best time to start onions from seed. Sow them thickly in drilled rows. It is best to protect the young shoots as they emerge from the soil, especially from toads. Bring out the seedlings in March or April for transplanting taking care not to damage the roots. Do not plant deeply and do not press the soil too hard. If onions are raised by seed, make sure you use the local varieties or tropicalised ones from other countries that are imported. When preparing the site for planting, hand-weed and hoe. As the seedlings surface, start thinning around June so that the ones that are left behind have space and room to grow into healthy plants. These plants that are left to bulb up should be around nine inches apart to prevent overlapping as the onions start to build up. For pests, look out for the onion-maggot who virtually burrow into the young onions. The plants die after the foliage withers. Female onion flies ar easily attracted to onions by their odour. To prevent broken roots and foliage during thinning, soak the ground so that the soil is damp enough to yield to thinning. If you have readymade compost, bury the thinning in them. It is important to avoid breaking onion foliage when hoeing. To keep the weeds down, it is vital to hoe occasionally. During dry weather it is necessary to water more often. Liquid feeds must be given weekly but when the plants are well established, once in two weeks would suffice. This is done when the bulbs are swelling. Over-feeding will result in bad storage of onions once harvested. Harvesting even a novice will not find it difficult to identify the harvesting time. When foliage turn yellow and topple over on to the soil, watering has to cease. No feeding is done either. Wait until foliage is brow, brittle and dry. Just lift the onions off the soil and hang them in bunches in full sun for a week. When they are very dry, rub off the dead roots, dry soil and very loose scales. Store in a cold place. They can be kept in large trays or spread out on the ground. Sparse thinning has to be done for big onions if raised by seed. They are ideal for salads as well as to be eaten uncooked. The odour is less than in red onions and tastes better in raw. Red onions The kitchen favourite in Sri Lanka, the red onion finds its way into almost all curries as well as being a vital component in the favourite 'pol sambol', a daily diet in the Sri Lankans meal. They are also grown for pickles as well as for the 'seeni sambol' that are now marketed in jars. As soon as the soil dries somewhere in March, lift out the clumps and separate the bulbs before spreading them out to dry. To keep down the weeds, dig the crop when the foliage withers. Garlic 'Cloves' (segments of garlic bulbs) must be propagated on sunny sight about 6 inches apart. The holes should be about one inch deep. Best season for propagation is during February to March but there too refrain if the rainfall is heavy. When the foliage dies, dig out the crop and dry them before hanging. Store them later in string bags for lot of aeration. Another member of the onion family, leeks are a favourite with all housewives who like its flavour especially cooked as children tend to relish when cooked with potatoes. Leeks are also used for salads and soups as well as eaten raw. Seeds must be sown early March. Keep weeds down and water profusely in dry hot weather. Never let water retain in drills as they will be affected with root rot. Dig up the seedlings and transplant in rows at once. Use a dibber to make holes four inches apart. Drop a seedling into each hole and pour a dash of water as they will re-root automatically. Do not press soil around plants until leeks look mature enough to withstand pressure. Harvest them around November or when they are ready for use. If to be marketed, despatch them immediately. |
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