Agrotechnology for cultivating grain legumes in a home garden

Agrotechnics and mineral nutrition of vegetable legumes

Leguminous vegetable crops are valued for their high protein content and unique ability to enrich the soil with nitrogen. Plants assimilate atmospheric nitrogen with the help of nodule bacteria that develop on the roots. However, the efficiency of this process depends directly on proper seed treatment, soil acidity levels, and temperature conditions.

The intensity of nodule development varies significantly depending on the crop. They form most actively in the Belorusskiy cultivar of fava beans, significantly weaker in the Saksa bez volokna cultivar of green beans, and in minimal amounts in the Zhegalova cultivar of peas. To stimulate this process, bacteria require a neutral or slightly acidic environment (pH 6–6.5), while their growth ceases completely in acidic soils.

Legumes begin to assimilate nitrogen from the air only from the flowering phase. During the initial growth period, they need accessible soil nitrogen reserves, which is why applying a complete mineral fertilizer shows high effectiveness. The best predecessors for them are cucumbers, cabbage, and onions, under which organic matter was previously applied. The optimal dosages of nutrients for autumn and spring soil preparation are given below.

• Minimum germination temperature for wrinkled peas — 4 °C
• Minimum germination temperature for smooth-seeded peas — 1 °C
• Frosts tolerated by pea seedlings — down to -5 °C
• Germination onset temperature for bean seeds — 10–12 °C
• Frosts tolerated by fava bean seedlings — down to -4 °C

Peas are demanding regarding good lighting but are distinguished by high cold hardiness. Early sowing allows plants to form a deep root system and make maximum use of spring soil moisture. Peas are sown using a two-row method with the following spacing: row spacing — 20 cm, distance between seeds in the row — 5 cm. Sowing depth is 3–4 cm, with seeds being buried deeper in light sandy soils.

Once the seedlings reach a height of 10 cm, they must be trained onto trellises to anchor with tendrils. The soil in the beds should be moistened regularly, with increased irrigation being mandatory during the flowering phase and after each harvest of pods. Peas are harvested every 2–3 days, preferably in the morning hours, before the pods lose turgor and sugar content in the sun. When harvesting, it is important to remember the fragility of the stems: support the plant with one hand while carefully detaching the pod with the other.

The common bean is a heat-loving crop and does not tolerate spring frosts. Optimal growth is observed at temperatures of 20–25 °C, but pod formation continues even as temperatures drop to 15 °C. Seeds are sown with 40 cm row spacing and 10 cm spacing in the row. Since the large cotyledons of the bean are brought to the surface, the sowing depthsowing depth should not exceed 4 cm even in light soils. Harvesting of green pods begins when the developing seeds reach the size of a wheat grain, repeating the harvest every 3–6 days.

Fava beans surpass common beans in taste, and in terms of protein content, they exceed both peas and common beans. Their green pods are eaten boiled or stewed, and seeds at the milk-ripe stage are consumed raw. Fava bean seedlings tolerate frosts, so they are sown early, simultaneously with peas. Seeds are sown at a depth of 6–8 cm using a 45 x 15 cm scheme, while the cotyledons remain in the soil, and seedlings emerge after 8–10 days.

Fava beans are perfectly suited for creating windbreaks when growing cucumbers. The intercropping scheme involves alternating three rows of fava beans with three rows of cucumbers. Sown in early spring, the fava beans grow to 40–50 cm by the time the cucumbers are planted, reliably protecting the heat-loving neighbors from wind and creating a favorable microclimate. Harvesting of green pods begins 45–50 days after seedling emergence and is repeated every 5–10 days, collecting the largest pods in the lower tier.

Technology of forcing early onions for greens

To obtain the earliest greens, onion sets with a diameter of 2–4 cm are used. They are planted before winter, approximately two weeks before the onset of persistent frosts. This timing allows the bulbs to develop a good root system, but prevents premature sprouting of the leaves. For winter planting, multi-bulbed cultivars are chosen: Spassky, Skopinsky, Bessonovsky, Pogarsky, Arzamsky, or Rostovsky onion.

After the first frosts, the plantings must be mulched to protect them from winter temperature fluctuations. As a cover, humus or peat with a layer of 6–8 cm, or strawy manure with a layer of 10–12 cm is used. Spring care for the plantings includes several successive stages.

1. Clear the beds of snow in early spring and remove the main cover, leaving a protective layer of humus or peat 2 cm thick over the bulbs.
2. Water the plantings with a warm solution of nitrogen-potassium fertilizers at a rate of two tablespoons of the mixture per bucket of water to stimulate leaf growth.
3. Cover the bed with polyethylene film to accelerate the emergence of fresh greens.

It is better to plant the bulbs using the semi-bridging method, i.e., at a distance of 1—2 cm between them; with such planting, the leaves become long, thin, and tender. With spring planting, the onions grow back about two weeks later than with winter planting. Everything depends on how much earlier the weather conditions allow planting to begin: the earlier the bulbs are planted, the more opportunities they have to take root in the soil; their roots, like those of any plant, grow relatively faster than the leaves. To accelerate root regrowth, the bulbs are soaked before planting in water at a temperature of 35—38° C, and after 12 hours they are covered with a damp burlap, keeping them at room temperature until the roots appear, after which the bulbs are trimmed at the shoulders and planted. Trimming facilitates the access of air into the bulb, increases the intensity of tissue respiration, and the bulb grows back faster. With later planting, trimming is not required, as by this time the rest period of the bulb has ended and it begins to start growing. Shallots provide both early leaves and early bulbs, characterized by early maturity, multiple buds and multiple bulbs, as well as increased frost resistance. Because of the large number of bulbs in the cluster, the shallot is called "sorokozubka" (forty-tooth). Due to its increased frost resistance, the shallot is more adapted to winter planting than the onion. In addition, it hardly bolts, its bulbs have a less pungent taste, and the leaves are more tender than those of the onion. Shallots are more often propagated vegetatively (by dividing clusters and complex bulbs), but with long-term propagation in this way, the bulbs become smaller, so it is necessary to periodically propagate them by seed. In this case, in the first year, a cluster of four to five small bulbs is formed; in the second year, they are transplanted with row spacing of 20 cm and in the row for obtaining greens — at 8 cm, and for obtaining bulbs — at 15 cm. The best shallot cultivars are Kushevka Kharkovskaya and Kubansky Zhelty D-322. They can also be grown in the middle zone. Onion. Many gardeners ask why it grows poorly or grows well but quickly goes to seed,

One of the reasons for poor onion growth is the increased acidity of the plot's soil. In such areas, lime or chalk should be applied both when digging the soil for planting at a rate of 100—200 g per 1 m2, and when leveling the soil with a rake (25—50 g per 1 m2), depending on the soil's acidity and its mechanical composition (less on light soils, more on heavy ones). It is even better to apply lime or chalk in the rows before sowing seed or before planting sets in a mixture with humus or decomposed weathered peat. The second reason for poor onion growth is low-fertility and heavy soils. A good bulb can be grown on light sandy loam soils by applying organic fertilizers (humus, compost — two buckets per 1 m2). Manure should not be applied directly under onions, as the nitrogen from manure is absorbed by plants late, which untimely intensifies the growth of foliage and slows down the formation of bulbs; furthermore, the bulb is formed with a thick neck, and such an onion is unsuitable for storage. For faster bulb formation, rapid leaf growth is also necessary, and this is possible with the simultaneous application of organic fertilizers together with mineral nitrogen-potassium fertilizers or complete fertilizer in the form of a ready-made garden mixture (up to 100 g per 1 m2), or nitrophoska (up to 80 g per 1 m2). At the same time, it is necessary to maintain soil moisture. The onion is a moisture-demanding plant, but stagnant water on the soil surface suppresses it, and with a lack of moisture, plant growth naturally slows down. Moreover, the onion is particularly sensitive and develops poorly if a soil crust forms after irrigation or rain. The plant suppression caused by this circumstance is one of the reasons for premature bolting of plants. The third reason for onion bolting lies in the set itself. The fact is that gardeners are accustomed to planting large sets. This is natural: large sets also form large bulbs, but on the condition that the sets were properly stored during the winter. If the sets were stored incorrectly, then the larger the set, the faster it bolts. To obtain good sets with a diameter of 18—22 mm, seeds are sown before winter or as early as possible in the spring. It is better to sort the seeds in a salt solution (a teaspoon per cup of water). It is good to add humus or compost to the soil (half a bucket per 1 m2).

Seed must be sown in five-row ribbons with 15 cm spacing between rows, and on more fertile soil — in eight-row ribbons with 10 cm between rows; sowing depth is 1 cm, followed by mulching the crops with peat or humus in a layer of 2 cm. In the case of winter sowing, mulching prevents the top layer of soil from crusting and drying out quickly in the spring. If the crops are not mulched, the tender root collar of the plants is squeezed by frozen soil particles during spring frosts, and the seedlings may perish. Covering seed only with peat or humus without preliminary soil coverage is impractical, as peat and humus tend not only to absorb moisture quickly but also to dry out rapidly; then the seed remains dry and does not germinate for a long time. At the beginning of growth, for rapid leaf development, it is beneficial to top dress the plants with mullein diluted with water at a 1:10 ratio, applying half a bucket per 1 m2. Later, onion sets should be top dressed with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers at one tablespoon per 10 l of water per 2 m2. It is necessary to remember that an excess of nitrogen fertilizers delays the maturation of the onion sets. Soil moisture is maintained by frequent irrigation followed by light loosening of the soil. To accelerate the maturation of onion sets, irrigation should be stopped three to four weeks before harvesting. The harvesting time for onion sets is determined by the maturation of the plants, indicated by the lodging and drying of the leaves. Rolling the plants, as is sometimes done, is impractical: the bulbs mature poorly. During harvesting of onion sets, large marginal bulbs are set aside and used for food along with the greens, or for planting before winter for greens; small ones are spread out on the ground to dry, or in rainy weather — under a canopy or in a well-ventilated room. In rainy years, onion sets are harvested without waiting for the leaves to start lodging, provided that the bulb has formed. To prevent bolting, onion sets must be stored after drying at room temperature of 18–20° C. If onion sets are stored at a low temperature, they bolt; if at a high temperature, the sets dry out and become depleted, and a good bulb harvest cannot be expected. The best storage conditions for onion sets are the cold-warm method: after drying, the onion sets are first warmed for 8–10 days, gradually increasing the temperature to 35° C, which protects the onion from neck rot infection. In this process, sharp temperature fluctuations must be avoided, as this leads to sweating of the onion sets and premature sprouting. After warming the sets, the temperature is maintained at 18–20° C, and then, with steady cooling of the outside air, it is lowered to -1–-3° C. With the onset of spring, the temperature is raised again to 18–20° C, maintaining it at this level until planting. To combat downy mildew, onion sets are warmed at 40° C for 8 hours before planting. Small onion sets, less than 1 cm in diameter, can be stored at any temperature. It is better to plant them before winter, but with the expectation that the small bulbs take root before the onset of frost but do not sprout. The optimal planting time is the second ten days of September to the first ten days of October. Small onion sets produce large bulbs in the second ten days of July, i.e., almost a month earlier than those planted as standard sets in early spring. Seed for sowing to produce onion sets should be taken from pungent early-maturing cultivars; their bulbs withstand storage until the next harvest, as they contain more dry matter and sugars, as well as essential oils; sweet cultivars possess less dry matter and sugars; semi-pungent cultivars occupy an intermediate position. Moreover, pungent cultivars have a longer dormancy period. Pungent early-maturing onion cultivars include local cultivars improved by breeding stations: Bessonovsky (Penza region), Vishensky (Gorky region), Mstersky (Vladimir region), Pogarsky (Bryansk region), Rostovsky repchaty (Yaroslavl region), Timiryazevsky (Moscow region). Good mid-season cultivars are also available: Arzamas (Gorky region), Spassky (Ryazan region), as well as Danilovsky and Myachkovsky (Moscow region). Just like seed, the earlier the onion sets are planted, the better and larger the bulb that forms, and the faster it matures. However, in years with a long, cold spring, early planting of onion sets into cold soil can lead to bolting. It is better to plant onion sets in two rows with a distance of 20 cm between them, and 8–12 cm in the row, depending on the cultivar (multi-budded cultivars require a larger distance), and cover with a 2 cm layer of soil.

For rapid leaf regrowth, 10 days after planting, the plants should be fertilized with cow manure (1:10) or poultry manure (1:15) with the addition of urea (one tablespoon per bucket of solution).

The second top dressing for onions is needed at the beginning of bulb formation with a solution of vegetable fertilizer mixture (three tablespoons per bucket of water) or nitrophoska (two tablespoons) per 2 m2.

Plant care is the same as for onions grown from sets: if flower stalks appear, they must be removed, and the plants should be fertilized with nitrogen-potassium fertilizers (one tablespoon per 10 l of water per 2 m2).

Leek is distinguished by a pleasant aroma and a less pungent taste than bulb onions. Both young leaves and the lower thickened part are used for food (for salads, as well as for seasoning soups). The thickened part is a false stem (shank), which, after blanching (earthing up), is the valuable edible portion.

The second feature of this onion is the continuous growth of leaves until frost. After overwintering, the plants immediately resume growth. This feature is used to obtain early greens by sowing seeds at the same summer dates as for Welsh onion (bunching onion).

Agrotechnics of Leeks and Garlic

When sowing leeks in summer, young leaves must not be cut in the year of sowing. This will weaken the plants and worsen their overwintering. In the next year, the greens will be ready for cutting at the end of May; it can be carried out until the beginning of bolting. If the plants are left to obtain a false stem (shank), the leaves are not cut, and the plantings themselves are thinned out.

1. Carry out the first thinning, leaving a distance of 5 cm between plants.
2. Perform the second thinning by removing every other plant.
3. After the shank is formed, earth it up two or three times, gradually increasing the height of the hilling.

Otherwise, care for leeks is the same as for other onion crops. The main differences are the need for irrigation throughout the entire growing season and increased doses of nitrogen fertilizers during top dressing. Leeks can be stored buried in sand along with the roots and provide fresh produce all winter long. By spring, it accumulates from 75 to 85 mg% of ascorbic acid.

Garlic is valued not only for its taste qualities but also for its medicinal properties. It improves digestion, stimulates heart activity, and helps with atherosclerosis and hypertension. Garlic phytoncides suppress rotting and fermentation in the intestines, killing pathogenic bacteria of typhoid fever, dysentery, and cholera. However, an excess of garlic has a harmful effect on the kidneys, so for prevention, it is enough to consume two or three cloves every day or two.

In cultivation, three types of garlic are known: winter bolting, winter non-bolting, and spring (as a rule, non-bolting). Winter garlic is more productive when planted in autumn, spring garlic — when planted in spring. Bolting garlic is easy to identify by the remnant of the flower stalk on the base and large cloves in the bulb. Non-bolting garlic has no stalk remnant, and the bulb consists of small cloves. For the Non-Chernozem zone, the Gribovsky 60 and Yubileyny Gribovsky cultivars are zoned among the bolting varieties.

Unlike onion sets, garlic from large cloves does not bolt. The larger the planted clove, the faster the bulb develops and matures. When planting in autumn, it is important not to miss the timing: if the cloves do not have time to take root, they will freeze at temperatures of 10—15 °C below zero.

• Planting dates in the middle latitudes — end of September — beginning of October
• Early planting for overwintering with 5—6 leaves — August
• Clove planting depth — 6—8 cm
• Row spacing — 20 cm
• Distance between plants in a row — 8—10 cm

When growing bolting garlic, it is important to break off the flower stalks in a timely manner as they appear. This contributes to the formation of large bulbs and increases the harvest. Garlic can also be propagated by aerial bulbils, which mature on the stalks by the time of autumn planting. The cultivation scheme using bulbils is as follows:

• In the first year, bulbils are sown with row spacing of 10 cm at a depth of 3—5 cm, resulting in a single-clove bulb (set).
• The following year, a normal complex bulb with large cloves is formed from the single-clove bulb.
• A full-value commercial bulb with this method is obtained in the third year.

Plant protection for onion crops against pests and diseases

The foundation of onion and garlic protection is regular phytosanitary weeding. Diseased plants should be removed and destroyed throughout the entire growing season, and after harvesting, all plant residues must be carefully cleared from the site. Onion crops should not be returned to the same spot for at least four years.

Onion fly larvae cause serious damage to plantings. The pest begins laying eggs during the flowering period of cherries and dandelions. To repel the flies, scatter tobacco dust, pyrethrum, or wood ash (peat crumbles can also be used) soaked in creolin at a 1:20 ratio along the rows. Mulching beds with peat also significantly reduces the intensity of egg-laying.

Mixed cropping on the plot yields good results:

• Planting onions alongside carrots protects both crops: the onion repels the carrot fly, and the carrot repels the onion fly.
• Growing onions and garlic among tomatoes prevents plants from contracting late blight.

In practice, to combat onion fly larvae, a double irrigation of plants with a table salt solution is used, calculated at one glass per bucket of water. The first irrigation is carried out when the plants reach a height of 5 cm, and the second one 20 days after the first.