Hibernal onion "Dagmar"

Preventing onion infestation with onion fly.
The following measures will help prevent pest attacks:
❖ following crop rotation rules: the best predecessors for onions are cabbage, potatoes, parsley, lettuce;
❖ planting onions and carrots next to each other: the onion fly does not like the proximity of orange root vegetables, and the carrot fly does not like the proximity of spicy onions;
❖ moderate watering: the soil in the onion beds should remain moist from the end of April to the first days of July (in dry, hot summer conditions), watering is stopped from the second ten days of July (2 weeks before harvesting);
❖ loosening the soil: the larvae and pupae of the pest laid in the beds die;
❖ weed removal: excess weeds in the beds reduce immunity and prevent active growth of the plant, in weedy areas the soil is often waterlogged, which is favorable for the reproduction of pests;
❖ mulching plantings with coniferous litter and mown wormwood and tansy grass: a strong smell repels the fly;
❖ selection of healthy planting material: small, soft bulbs are better to discard;
❖ thinned planting: onions do not tolerate thickening, bulbs located closely in a row are a breeding ground for onion flies;
❖ timely removal of rotting onion remains from the site (otherwise the larvae will overwinter and become active again next spring).