Red onion is a special variety among similar crops. Externally, it differs from ordinary onions only in color, but the chemical composition and taste qualities of these species are different. For good qualitative and quantitative indicators of the crop, certain conditions must be observed.
Red onion is suitable for canning
Red onions have a medium-spicy taste
Red onion
Specifications
It is believed that red onion first appeared in Central Asia. This is a type of onion.
Characteristics of red onions depend on its variety. The shape and size of the fruit are very diverse. Color can be from deep red to dark purple. The pulp is often white with pink or purple streaks.
Red onions are rarely too sharp. Usually it has a slightly or medium-sharp taste, a sweetish taste is possible. Due to such taste characteristics, many varieties are salad and are recommended for fresh consumption. Red onions are also great for canning, especially with marinades.
The taste characteristics of red onions largely depend on the place of growth and compliance with the rules for caring for it. These factors affect the chemical composition of the fruit.
Varieties
There are a lot of varieties of red onions, including:
- Crimson Ball. Early ripe culture, the cultivation of which takes up to 90 days. Bulbs of regular round shape with dense white flesh with purple streaks. Fruits weigh an average of 80-90 g, the taste is semi-sharp. The husk is dark purple.
- Braunschweig red. The variety is medium early, before the harvest you need to wait 70-100 days. The husk is purple, the fruits are roundly flat, the taste is slightly sharp. An important advantage of the variety is its high resistance to fungal diseases.
- Brunswick. Mid-season variety, cultivation takes 100-105 days. Fruits are rounded flat, dark red on the outside, the flesh is white with red rings. The average weight is 100 g. The taste is peninsular. The variety is little susceptible to disease, well suited for long-term storage.
- Danilovsky. Ripeness is average, before the harvest you have to wait 150 days. Fruits are flat or rounded flat, weigh an average of 80-150 g. On the outside, the bulbs are dark red, there is a purple tint. The pulp is juicy, light purple in color with a semi-sharp taste. The variety brings up to 3 kg with 1 square. m
- Campillo. The variety is mid-season. The bulbs have a rounded flat shape, saturated red on the outside, the flesh of the peninsula tastes good. The variety is resistant to disease.
- Carmen. The variety is early ripe, 70-95 days pass before the harvest. The bulbs have a rounded flat shape, average density, weight - 50-70 g. The husk is purple, and the flesh is white-purple. Productivity - up to 1.6 kg per 1 square. m
- Carmine. The variety is early, summer. Bulbs weigh 90-100 g, the shape is elongated-oval. The husk is deep dark red. Juicy pulp has a semi-sharp taste. The variety is recommended to be used raw. The feather is dark green, the taste characteristics are excellent.
- Prometheus. Bulbs have a rounded shape, weigh 70-100 g. The husk is dark red in color, the flesh is red with a semi-sharp taste. Productivity - up to 4.5 kg per 1 square. m
- Red button. Harvest of this mid-season variety can be harvested after 100 days. The bulbs are small, weighing about 50 g. They have a flat shape, red-violet scales and a sweetish flesh.
- Red baron. This is one of the most popular varieties of red onions. It is mid-season, the crop brings in 95 days. Bulbs of rounded flat shape with red husks and dark red flesh. Fruits weigh an average of 18-24 g. Yields of up to 1.5 kg per 1 square. m
- Red Yakut. The variety is late ripening, the crop brings in 130 days. The bulbs have an original elongated-rounded shape, a dense husk of violet-burgundy color. The peninsular flesh has a white-pinkish color. Weigh the fruits of 150 g. Productivity - up to 9 kg per 1 square. m. Vegetables can be stored up to six months.
- Robin. An early hybrid variety considered commercial. The fruits weigh on average 150-200 g. Onion has a mild, semi-sharp taste, similar to salad varieties. The color is intense, disease resistance is high. Suitable for long-term storage, subject to all conditions - up to 10 months.
- Red Zeppelin. The variety is a mid-early hybrid. Large bulbs have a round shape, weight up to 600 g. The husk is dark red in color, the flesh is peninsular. The variety is well suited for long-term storage.
- Light red. The variety is precocious, recently bred. Bulbs are elongated, reach a length of 10-12 cm, average weight is 50-65 g. The husk is purple in color, the white-purple pulp has a semi-acute taste.
- Florentine torpedo. The variety is salad, it is used mainly in fresh form. The bulbs have an elongated elliptical shape, purple-raspberry dry scales and slightly sharp piquant flesh of red-pink color. They reach 10-12 cm in length and 5-6 cm in width.
- Black Prince. Domestic mid-season variety, which is suitable for the northern regions. Harvest brings in 90-105 days. Bulbs are rounded with purple scales and sweet flesh. The variety is suitable for long-term storage and can lie all winter.
- Shaman. The variety is ripe, the crop brings in 80-90 days. The bulbs are very elongated, can reach 10-12 cm in length. The fruits weigh 50-65 g. They have brown-red husks, the sharp flesh is pink-red in color and medium density. Productivity - up to 3 kg per 1 sq. Km. Not suitable for long-term storage.
- Yalta Red. The variety is lettuce and late ripening, the crop brings in 140-150 days. Bulbs are flat-round with rich purple flesh and scales, weighing 150 g each. The pulp is sweet and slightly sharp, bitterness is absent. Demanding for watering is increased, this affects the sharpness of taste and productivity.
When choosing a variety, it is important to consider not only its yield, external and taste characteristics, but also recommendations for cultivation.
Growing conditions, soil requirements
Growing red onions does not cause any special difficulties if certain conditions are provided:
- Correct plot. The place should be sunny and well ventilated.
- Compliance with crop rotation rules. Red onions can be planted after cabbage, legumes, nightshade, spinach. You should not choose a site where over the past 3 years other bulbs have already landed.
- Proper soil preparation. The maximum yield of red onion can be obtained if grown on sandy soil. Loamy soil provides the best taste. Clay soil that is too dense is not suitable for red onions, as the development of the culture stops due to the formation of a dense crust around the rhizomes. You can solve the problem by adding sand to the ground. An important point is the acidity of the soil. The best indicator for red onions is a pH level of 6.4-7.9. This means that the soil should be neutral or slightly alkaline. Too acidic soil requires alkalization by adding dolomite flour, slaked lime, ground limestone, chalk.
Soil preparation should begin in the fall. Digging of the selected site is necessary, getting rid of weeds and insect larvae, fertilizing. Effectively use organics and complex compounds.
In the spring, soil treatment is also required. If it is light enough, then re-digging is not required - loosening is enough. The site must be leveled.
Landing
You can plant red onions in different ways: seeds, seedlings, sowing. When choosing the first method, the culture can be cultivated as a two-year, that is, the crop will be only in the second year. Some varieties allow you to get fruits in the same year.
The planting of red onions with seedlings or sowing is usually practiced in the northern regions. Early ripe varieties are better suited for this.
Each method of planting red onions has its own characteristics.
Seeds
Seed cultivation is practiced in the southern regions or resort to such a method for growing seedlings or sowing. When grown as a two-year crop, planting can be done in open ground.
To obtain seedlings, seeds are planted in a greenhouse or boxes at home. Planting red onion seeds is carried out according to the following algorithm:
- Disinfect planting material. For this, it is good to use potassium permanganate. It is necessary to prepare a slightly pink solution and lower the seeds there for half an hour. After this treatment, the planting material must be washed with ordinary water.
- Stratify the seeds. It is necessary to lower the seeds in hot water for 20 minutes. Water temperature - 40-45 degrees. After that, immediately move the planting material into cold water and keep there for 1 minute.
- Sprout seeds. To do this, they need to be wrapped in a damp cloth and placed in a warm place. You can pre-treat the planting material with a growth stimulator - act according to the instructions attached to the drug.
- Prepare a greenhouse or suitable containers. The soil can be taken ready or make a mixture yourself. You can take sod and humus equally or add peat, sand and compost to the sod - take all components in equal volumes. If possible, the soil should be warmed up. For small volumes, you can use a microwave or oven. It is effective to use a solution of potassium permanganate and fungicides for disinfection.
- Sow the seeds. It is not necessary to deepen them, it is enough to fill the soil with a layer of 1 cm. It is recommended to leave 2 cm between the seeds. You can prepare grooves in advance by deepening them by 1 cm. Leave a distance of 3 cm between them.
- Water the sowings. Use a spray bottle. The water should be settled and warm.
- Cover the crops with foil. You can also use glass.
Seeds germinate at a temperature of 20-25 degrees. At first, they do not need lighting, it is much more important to maintain the desired temperature regime.
When planting seeds in open ground, you should follow the same algorithm. The soil should be well warmed up. At first, shelter should be arranged.
From seedlings
Red onion seedlings can be grown on their own or bought, but the second option is quite problematic. Planting seeds for seedlings is carried out similarly to the previous section.
After sowing, one must proceed according to the following algorithm:
- After emergence, transfer containers with seedlings to a cooler room. Daytime temperature should be 15 degrees. A prerequisite is good lighting. If there is not enough natural light, artificial sources should also be used.
- Feeding seedlings is optional, but the introduction of complex fertilizer is recommended. It is enough to do this once.
- Hardening should begin 1.5 weeks before transplanting seedlings in open ground. First, it is enough to take seedlings to fresh air for a quarter of an hour. Then this time should be gradually increased.
Seedlings are ready for transplanting to a permanent place after the appearance of 3 feathers and thickening of the stem up to 5 m. Usually this occurs in the second half of April.
Landing is carried out according to the following algorithm:
- Set the stage.
- Make holes. They should not be too deep. To maintain a distance of 15 cm between the holes - this indicator should be oriented to the estimated size of the bulbs in accordance with the characteristics of the variety. Leave 25 cm between rows.
- Transplant seedlings with a lump of land.
- Sprinkle seedlings with soil, compact and water.
Onion sevkom
Planting red onion sevk is the most popular method. Planting material can be bought or prepared independently. In the second case, it is important to properly store the bulbs.
Planting red onion sevk is carried out according to the following algorithm:
- Culling planting material. It is necessary to carefully sort it out, get rid of all sick and damaged copies.
- Cut the tops of the bulbs. They need to be shortened by 25-30%. After trimming, leave the treated material for 2-3 hours to dry.
- In the prepared soil, make holes. Leave 15 cm between adjacent holes, between rows - 20 cm.
- Land Sev. Be sure to leave a few millimeters of bulbs on the surface.
Care
Regardless of the method of planting, red onions need comprehensive care. In general, the culture is quite unpretentious.
Watering
Water the red onion regularly. This ensures the juiciness of the bulbs and reduces the sharpness of the taste. The optimal frequency of watering is once every 3-4 days. In dry periods it needs to be divided.
Not only the frequency of irrigation is important, but also its technique. You should resort to drip irrigation or moisten only the furrows. When cutting greens, it is important to ensure that water does not get into the slices, otherwise the rotting of the crop will begin.
3 weeks before harvesting, watering should be stopped. Otherwise, there is a risk of decay.
Loosening and weeding
Loosening the soil is more convenient to produce after irrigation. This measure provides aeration of the soil.
Weeding is one of the most important events. Timely removal of weeds ensures normal growth and development of the crop, which will certainly affect the harvest.
Top dressing
During its development, the culture must necessarily receive enough nutrients. Feeding red onions is provided by organic and mineral fertilizers. It is recommended to carry them out three times a month.
Organic fertilizers should be used for young plants. Effective chicken droppings, which should be bred in 10 parts of water. You can also use fresh mullein, then you need half the water.
When the bulbs begin to grow and gain mass, you should switch to phosphorus-potassium fertilizers. It is recommended to use them in liquid form.
At least 3 weeks before harvesting, you must abandon the use of chemical fertilizers.
Diseases and Pests
Exposure to red onions to diseases and pests is largely dependent on the variety. The following problems are possible:
- Downy mildew (peronosporosis). Blurry pale spots appear on the leaves, mycelium develops. Damaged specimens must be disposed of, the rest treated with fungicides.
- Rust. First orange balls appear, after which spores form. Remove the affected plants, treat the rest with the drug with copper.
- Onion fly - the most common pest of the culture, which feeds its larvae. It is necessary to remove the affected specimens, dust the rest with tobacco dust with ash and black pepper.
Harvesting and storage
Red onions are usually harvested in the second half of August and early September. It is recommended to prune the roots with a shovel in a week - the harvest will be easier to harvest, the bulbs will dry better.
After harvesting, the crop needs to be cleaned from the ground and decomposed in a warm and well-ventilated area to dry. After a week, you need to continue harvesting - cut the neck secateurs, leaving 10-15 cm. Cut the roots as well, leaving 5 cm to the bottom. Such manipulations increase the shelf life.
The optimum temperature for storing red onions is 18-24 degrees. Dryness, good ventilation and remoteness of heat sources are necessary. You can store crops in nets, wicker baskets, wooden boxes. Effectively mix onion with crushed chalk.
All damaged specimens must be thrown out in a timely manner, otherwise the rest of the crop will suffer.
Growing red onions is quite simple and also profitable for subsequent sale - the cost of red onions is higher compared to its counterpart, although the cultivation features are almost identical. Growing such a culture allows you to diversify your table, giving different dishes and preservation a special taste.