Indian onions: cultivation and care, benefits and harms

The Indian onion is a very healthy perennial plant native to South America. Indian onion is a plant that is widely used in medical, pharmacological practice, and also brings a lot of aesthetic pleasure during the flowering period.

Indian onion: plant description

The flowers of the Indian onion are very beautiful, delicate white. The second version of this name is white milk, which is contained in onion leaves and flows out if the leaf is broken.
In our territory, initially, Indian onions began to be planted as an ornamental plant. The plant itself is very similar to our classic onion, only its bulb is not white, as we are used to seeing, but green, and it is covered with a husk not golden, but brown. The bulb is stored for a very long time! It can maintain its appearance for 30 years. The leaves are not so pretty, cost little, dry quickly at the ends. The Indian onion grows very actively, it can grow up to a meter in length and 50 mm in diameter.

Indian onion: photo of the plant

If you manage to see Indian onions during the period of active flowering, then it will not leave indifferent. You will definitely want to have this on your site. Very much like a hyacinth, it looks very mysterious, charming and gentle. It is worth saying that the Indian onion is not just a useless plant that was created to decorate the site. No, it has many useful properties and is actively used in traditional medicine.

Features of growing Indian onions in a home garden

In principle, the Indian onion plant is not particularly whimsical, everyone can grow it if they follow certain planting rules.

Priming

Indian onions grow best on sandy soils, in which humus and soil from leaves are added. All these components are mixed in a 1: 1: 1 ratio. If you don't want to use humus, then you can use turf soil instead. Then the proportions will change 2: 1: 1.

But, for good flowering of Indian onions, the right soil is not enough. You need to choose the right container in which you will plant. Plant it, like other plants from the bulbous family, should be 1 bulb per pot. The pot should be small, because the large excess space will inhibit the growth of the flower. If you choose the composition of the pot, then it is better to take a pot made of natural materials: clay, for example, or porcelain. Onions do not grow well in plastic containers, they slowly begin to bloom. Another factor when choosing a pot material is its stability. The plant is large enough during the flowering period, light flowerpots can turn over. It is also worth mentioning that clay pots do not retain excess water, they are a certain kind of orderlies, they clean the soil from heavy metals and salts that get during watering. In plastic, excess moisture and harmful elements simply return back to the soil, which significantly worsens the condition of the plant, slows down its flowering processes.

Necessarily, before planting Indian onions in a pot. At its bottom, you need to put substances that perform a drainage function. For example, this is expanded clay. Next, we pour out the prepared soil, make a dimple in it and place the onion, leaving its upper part outside.

Indian onion: photo of the plant

It is very important to plant the bulbs carefully, without making any twisting movements. This can damage the roots of the bulb. It is worth saying that the life of Indian onions is very long, and sooner or later you will face a problem - your pot will become small. Best of all, onions endure transplanting in the fall, when it gradually calms down the processes of active growth. Another important point is to monitor the condition of the soil. The soil in the pot should not be allowed to become very hard. The roots of Indian onions constantly need active aeration, so you need to loosen the soil regularly.

Light

The Indian onion is a plant that is very fond of sunlight. For proper growth and harmonious development, he needs a bright light. If you grow Indian onions in an apartment, it is better to place the pot in the south or east. If you leave the pot on the north side or in some dark place, you will notice that the growth of the onion has slowed down. It requires at least 7 days of the month to be in the light. If all the windows of your apartment are not facing south, you will have to arrange sunbathing for your pet.

In summer, your Indian bow will be very comfortable on the balcony. Alternatively, you can plant it in open ground in the country. He will be very comfortable under the bright July sun. But, be careful not to burn the plant from the sun.

Optimal temperature conditions

A comfortable temperature for the growth of Indian onions is considered to be a temperature of 18-25 degrees. A well-developed root system allows it to cope better with hot weather than it can withstand a cold snap. Temperatures below 13 degrees can be detrimental to onions, so it is not recommended to leave them on the balcony overnight.

Fertilization and watering

Indian onions do not tolerate excess moisture very well. It will be much more comfortable if you occasionally forget to water it. Therefore, the soil in the pot should be the main guide for you. If it is still wet, do not water. If you use tap water for watering, let it stand. Chlorine will be able to escape from an open vessel. Also, the water temperature adapts slightly to room temperature. Another important component of care is indoor humidity. If the air is too dry, Indian onion leaves may turn yellow. Violation of the conditions of detention reduces the immunity of the plant, which makes it more vulnerable to disease.

Indian onions are very fond of the spraying procedure. Especially when it is very hot in summer. Or, when the air is very dry in winter, due to the strong work of the heaters. All water procedures are best done in the evening or in cloudy weather, when there is no direct sunlight. It is very dangerous for a plant when wet drops remain on its leaves, and the sun itself is in the sun. This is fraught with plant burns. Another feature of the content is the love of the root system of Indian onions for aeration. For this, the upper layers of the soil must be loosened. For proper care, it is also necessary to remove dust from the surface of the leaves. This will provide adequate shallow breathing and improve photosynthesis.

As for fertilizers, their use is mandatory. Nutrients from the ground, which were during planting, leave after a couple of months. Onions are not whimsical to the choice of fertilizers; universal complexes from flower shops are perfect. The main thing is to use the instructions when diluting the drug. If there is no opportunity to buy top dressing, then you can water the plant with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.

Another option for preparing fertilizer is a solution of wood ash and water. To do this, it is necessary to insist the ash in warm water throughout the day.

Reproduction of Indian onions

There are the following techniques for breeding Indian onions:

• Seeds
• Children
• Ripe onion, divided into parts

The most common breeding method for Indian onions is with newly formed babies that appear on the mother's bulb. After the plant has faded, several bulbs appear on it. The bulbs are small, resemble onion sets in appearance. They grow on the bulb itself, and when they grow up, they fall off the mother bulb. If you want to rush them a little, you can separate them from the mother bulb and place them in prepared soil.

Seed propagation of Indian onions is also not a difficult way. But, there is one not an easy moment - in order to grow onions from seeds, the seeds must be pollinated. If your onion is a purely indoor plant that has never been outside, then the pollination procedure must be carried out on your own. You need to take a thin stick and gently walk over all the flowers. The plant must be older than a year. The seeds of the onion are in seed pods, after which dry the planting procedure can be carried out. The number of bulbs that will grow from seeds is much higher than the number of bulbs produced with the onion method. After the bulbs have slightly increased in size, transplant each bulb into a separate pot.

If there are no seeds, and the bulbs have not yet formed, new bulbs can be obtained by dividing the mother in half.

Growing Indian onions outdoors

Sowing onions in the open air has its own nuances. This plant loses its viability at low temperatures, it is very afraid of direct sun. The optimal scheme for it is considered to be planting in the ground in the spring, and in the fall the plant should be removed in a warm place. Indian onions tolerate change of residence and transplantation well.

The place for the stay of Indian onions is usually chosen where there will be enough sunlight and moisture. It is best to choose to plant it in the shade of a tree or under a perennial bushy plant. The plant has a negative attitude towards an excessively low pH of the environment. Also, the Indian onion does not tolerate waterlogged soil well. And what is left for you is to moderately moisturize the plant, if it requires it. When autumn comes, it is better to dig up the plant, plant it in a pot and take it to the house. If you do not want to grow it in winter as a houseplant, you can make it a comfortable wintering while it is in a state of hibernation.
If you chose the first option, we take the plant to the windowsill, moisten it on demand.
Planting Indian onions outdoors has several advantages:

• The minimum number of dressings, because everything you need comes from the ground.
• Natural pollination
• Rapid growth and reproduction.

When transplanting into a pot for autumn, the only thing worth taking care of is not to damage the roots. When growing in a garden in the ground, the length of the roots can be more than a meter.

Indian onion: photo of the plant

Indian onions: useful properties and applications

Indian onion is a very useful plant widely used in folk medicine.
Helps to cope with headaches, has a wound healing effect, has disinfecting properties. Many years ago, healers treated various infectious diseases and diseases of the joints with this plant.

Also, the Indian onion is very actively used in the pharmaceutical industry, it is included in the composition of drugs used to treat infectious diseases, as well as drugs used in ENT practice. Onions are very actively used in folk medicine. From the juice of the leaves, tinctures and decoctions are made, which are actively used to treat cuts, wounds and abrasions. Onion juice also helps with joint diseases and migraines. It is noted that the effect of the remedy appears after 25 minutes.

It is very important to know that Indian onions cannot be eaten internally. It has an adverse effect on mucous membranes. First aid in case of eye contact - rinse with copious amounts of water.

Like any drug, medicines and tinctures on Indian onions have a number of contraindications:

• Hypersensitivity
• Allergy
• hemophilia

As you can see, Indian onion is a wonderful plant that has few contraindications and so many useful properties! It is quite easy to care for, and the flowering of Indian onions will give you a lot of pleasure.