How to intercrop the onion
How to intercrop the onion
The onion (Allium cepa L.) is a bulbous plant of the Amaryllidaceae family.
It is a biennial herbaceous plant whose life cycle, in cultivation, is interrupted at one year in order to allocate it for consumption.
This plant has superficial roots, with leaves that swell in the basal portion giving the edible part. It forms a long flowering stem which bears an umbrella-shaped inflorescence with yellowish-white flowers. The fruit is a capsule.
The main use of the onion is as a food and condiment, but it is also used for therapeutic purposes due to the properties attributed to it by science and the traditions of popular medicine.
There are many varieties of the onion, which generally take their name from the cultivation area, the shape, the colour, the size of the bulb, the earliness or, more generally, the color of the external tunics (i.e. the peel that covers the internal globe ). This peel can be white, golden-yellow or red.
The onion benefits considerably from the intercropping technique and in turn the associated plants derive notable agronomic and phytosanitary benefits.
The onion can be combined with various plants such as: courgettes, beets, strawberries, tomatoes, lettuce, chamomile, carrots, parsley, cucumbers, garlic, mint, basil, etc. However, some associations such as those with cabbages and some legumes are not recommended.
Intercropping the onion with some plants can help repel pests, improve growth or even improve the flavor of the onions themselves. Here are some plants with which you can associate the onion:
– Carrots: Carrots can improve the flavor of onions and help repel some carrot pests.
– Lettuce: Lettuce can act as a “living cover,” helping to retain moisture and keep the soil around your onions cool.
– Tomatoes: Tomatoes can repel pests that attack onions and vice versa.
– Strawberries: Strawberries can repel harmful insects and can also promote the growth of onions.
– Parsley: Parsley can improve the flavor of onions and help repel some pests.
– Cucumbers: Can provide partial shade to onions and may repel some pests.
– Garlic: Garlic can repel some common onion pests.
– Mint: Mint can help repel harmful insects and can also improve the flavor of onions.
– Basil: Basil can improve the flavor of onions and repel some pests.
For good intercropping, however, it is necessary to ensure that the soil and climate conditions are suitable for both the onion and the plants to be intercropped.