The onion (Allium cepa) , native to central Asia, is one of the oldest cultivated vegetables in the world, the most widespread of our vegetables for seasoning.

 

In some regions, young onions are commonly consumed in the form of spring onions. The little onions almost always accompany the pickled gherkins, using for this the totally finished little onions and the tender ones still in the development phase. In all cases, white-skinned varieties of the "Blanca de Paris" type of onion are always used.

 

The varieties are differentiated by their globular or flattened shape and also by their colour, white, yellow or red; its flavor, more or less strong, varies according to the variety and the climate: onions grown in the south have a sweeter flavor than those harvested in the northern regions. White onions are distinguished from colored ones by the color of their skins and by their greater rusticity. The conservation of the early varieties is inferior to those of the long cycle, the Babosa conserves worse than the Grain.

 

With the ripe onions, planted in ditches covered with mud and later covered with earth as the apices grow, they are used to generate the popular calçots.

All well-cultivated garden soils and sunny situations are good for onions, as they need a period of heat to form their bulbs. Best results are obtained on light to medium consistency soils; clayey or humid soils increase the risk of rotting and reduce the conservation of the bulbs.

Onion sowing is done in two seasons: on the one hand, in winter (January-March) directly in the field, and on the other hand, at the end of summer, autumn (August 15 to December) in the nursery. The first sowings are made in deep furrows, spaced 30 cm apart. approximately, and at a rate of 2 to 3 g. of seed per square meter; sow clear as long as you are sure of the good quality of the seed (which does not retain its germinative power for more than two years), avoiding thinning work. For the nascence of the plants, about 15 days are needed.

 

The second sowing is only for the rustic onions; the seed is distributed at a rate of 5 to 6 g. per square meter of seedbed, covering it lightly with sand or loose soil.

 

When the onions sown directly in the field have grown well, they are thinned to 5 cm. approximately on the line; later, in a second time, they are left at 10 or 12 cm. This allows the removed plants to be used in the form of spring onions. The seedlings are allowed to develop to about 15 to 20 cm. long, then it is transplanted (October-February) to the definitive field in rows 30 cm apart. The plants in the lines

 

Onions from bulbs can be harvested from January to April, from the moment they begin to form the bulb. Summer-autumn sowings place at 6 or 8 cm. One of another. Before transplanting, cut part of the leaves and roots and slightly bury the neck.

 

Through this system, what is sought is to obtain onion bulbs at a time when the market is normally out of supply. To do this, the small bulbs from the previous crop or from a crop made specifically for it are taken (this is achieved with thick and late sowings, March-April). These bulbs are buried in September-December, and from them appear from one to five very early bulbs but of very poor conservation. Its consumption is normally carried out as a tender spring onion.

 

They are easily propagated by sowing the seeds and later transplanting the seedling, the bulbs can also be planted. At the agricultural level, it is possible to acquire some strips of tens of meters that already have the seed incorporated, and sow them on the ground.

 

Generally, they are first germinated in seedbeds in threes, which are then thinned and transplanted into the ground.

 

For agricultural and vegetable production, of popular food use, and is part of the root gastronomy of the Mediterranean and European countries.