园艺技术:自己种植洋葱

Onions come in different sizes, shapes, colors and flavors, from mild and sweet to hot and strong. A full-grown onion plant has roots, bulbs and leaves. The leaves are long, thin and hollow. They stand straight up and thicken at the bottom to form a bulb.
洋葱的大小，形状，颜色不一，口味等各不相同，从清甜到辛辣不等。一个成熟的洋葱包括根、球茎和叶子。洋葱叶子细长、中空。洋葱直立生长，并在底部增厚形成球茎。

Onions are biennials; their life cycle is two years long. But they are usually picked during their first year after flowers form and the bulbs stop growing.
洋葱是两年生植物，它们的生命周期是两年。但洋葱通常会在生长周期的第一年开花并且球茎停止生长后采摘。

Onions grow best in loose, fertile soil. They can grow in many different climates. In cooler climates, onions may need fourteen to fifteen hours of daylight to start forming bulbs. In warmer climates, onions can begin developing bulbs with fewer hours of daily sun.
洋葱最适宜在疏松、肥沃的土壤生长。洋葱可以在许多不同气候条件下生长。在寒冷气候下，洋葱可能需要14-15小时日照才能开始形成球茎。而在温暖气候条件下，洋葱能够在几个小时日照的情况下形成球茎。

Barbara Fick is an extension agent at Oregon State University in the northwestern United States. She says a faster way to grow onions is to plant what are called sets.
芭芭拉•菲克（Barbara Fick）是美国西北部的俄勒冈州立大学的一名推广员。她说，种植洋葱的一种更快的方式是种植所谓的块茎。

BARBARA FICK: "Well, onion sets are actually small plants, versus starting with a seed. So when you have a set, onion set, it actually is, you know, the small bulb. So it does not take as long to grow."
菲克：“和从播种开始种植洋葱相比，洋葱块茎实际上是一种幼苗。所以洋葱块茎实际上就是小洋葱。”

Organic material like compost or leaf mulch can help onions grow in heavy soil.
堆肥或叶子覆盖膜等有机肥可以帮助洋葱在质地坚硬的土壤中生长。

The bulbs can be pulled from the ground once their tops have dried and fallen over. Onions can be stored for months. But Barbara Fick says stored onions need to be cured first.
当洋葱球茎顶部的叶子干枯、脱落后，就可以把洋葱球茎从地里拔出。洋葱可以存放几个月之久。但Barbara Fick称，存储洋葱必须先进行处理。

BARBARA FICK: "Curing is a way of making sure those leaves on the outside are nice and dry."
菲克：“干燥过程是确保洋葱外部的叶子良好、干燥。”

Here are some directions from editors at the National Gardening Association.
以下是美国园艺协会编辑们给出的一些指导建议。

First, dry the onions in the sun for a day or so. Then bring them out of direct sun for two to three weeks. Spread them out in any warm, airy place that is covered. Or cover the onions with a light cotton sheet held in place with stones along the edge.
首先，把洋葱在阳光下曝晒一天左右，然后在阳光不能直射的地方晾晒。在遮盖阳光的温暖通风的地方铺开。或者用轻薄的棉布盖好洋葱，并把棉布边缘用石头压住。

The sheet will keep the sun from burning the bulbs. Don't worry about rain. And do not use a plastic or canvas sheet. Heavy coverings will trap moisture and keep the onions from drying fully.
棉布可以防止太阳把洋葱完全晒干。不要担心下雨，不要使用塑料或帆布覆盖。严实覆盖物可以锁住水分防止洋葱完全晒干。

Turn the bulbs a couple of times to help them dry evenly.
翻动洋葱数次以使其均匀干燥。

After curing the onions, you can hang them indoors in mesh bags to dry even more. There should be no wet spots on the onions when they are put in storage. Editors at the National Gardening Association say the longer onions are cured, the better they will keep.
干燥后的洋葱可以装入网袋挂在室内使其更干一些。在洋葱放入储藏室之前，必须确保洋葱外表上没有湿斑。美国园艺协会的编辑们表示，洋葱干燥时间越长，储存时间也越长。

Some people cut off the top leaves before curing onions. If you do that, do not cut the leaves any closer than two and a half centimeters from the bulb.
一些人在洋葱干燥前剪去鳞茎顶部的叶子。在剪叶子时，不要剪掉鳞茎附近2.5厘米以内的叶子。