For those who love sweet reds onion varieties, Carmen's onion is presented on the market. He comes from Holland and appeared in Russia recently. But gardeners have already liked it for its taste, color and ease of growing. We will consider a detailed description of the variety, cultivation rules and reviews from those who have already grown Carmen on their plots below.
Description of the variety
The variety recently appeared in Russia, bred by Dutch breeders and is successfully grown in the near and far abroad. It is used by amateur gardeners and large vegetable producers.
The variety is intended for cultivation throughout Russia, but grows better in the central and northern regions. From planting small heads in the ground to harvest, only 3 months pass. In this short period of time, heads weighing up to 120 grams grow from the turnip.
The onion is two-germ, compact, the feather grows up to 30 centimeters in length. The bulb is round, some heads are flattened, the pulp is of medium density. The color of the scales is burgundy, sometimes purple. The pulp is white with a purple tint, medium density.
The taste of the heads is without pronounced bitterness, sweetly spicy, with a special taste and aroma. The variety is suitable for fresh use, salads, and marinades. This variety is often used on an industrial scale, as it has the ability to be stored for a long time.
Positive qualities of Carmen's onion
Gardeners value the variety for its positive qualities:
- high yield;
- excellent taste;
- ease of cultivation;
- excellent presentation;
- keeping quality.
Among the advantages, judging by the description of the Carmen onion variety, is resistance to droughts and changes in weather conditions. Onions will form easily in wet and cold environments and in warm, dry summers.
Growing onions Carmen
Onions are usually grown in three ways.
- In two seasons. In this case, in the first season, seeds are planted on turnips, in the second - on the heads of turnips.
- Store-bought turnips on the heads.
- Seeds per head.
If you intend to plant seeds on turnips in the first year, then in the fall you need to collect material from last year’s onions. In this case, several bolting bulbs are left for seed, and then, at technical maturity, collected for further cultivation. If the seeds were purchased in a store, then skip the first point.
Seeds are sown in autumn or spring. To get seedlings in the spring, you need to plant them in the fall.
Choosing a landing site
Onions should grow in a sunny place without wind. It is also necessary to ensure that there is no flooding or stagnation of water, otherwise the heads will rot in wet soil. Light sandy soils without strong acidity are suitable for planting. If the soil in the garden is acidic, you need to add dolomite flour or lime to reduce the acidity level. The beds are prepared in the fall by clearing weeds from the beds, adding compost or manure, and digging. Over the winter, the soil will absorb nutrients and become more fertile.
Since the weather is warmer in the southern regions, the heads can be grown there directly from seeds. In the northern regions - through seedlings. In this case, the seedlings are prepared 65 days before planting in the main place of growth.
Sowing onions
Sowing onions, regardless of the type of seed material, is done in warm sunny weather. In this case, the temperature in the soil should fluctuate from 16 degrees and above. If night frosts are predicted, then the beds are covered with film material. During the day, the film needs to be removed.
Seeds or sets are planted at a distance of 20 centimeters between plants and 30 centimeters between rows. In the garden bed, stripes 10 centimeters deep are drawn with a rake, they are spilled with warm water, the seeds are planted, and the rows are sprinkled with soil so that the furrows are visible. Otherwise it is inconvenient to water.
Planting care
The characteristics of onions are such that in order for the plants to grow well, you need to do the following:
- Watering is carried out so that the soil does not dry out, otherwise the tender seedlings will wither and dry out. You should also avoid excess moisture.Two weeks before the expected harvest, watering is completely stopped and the onions are allowed to ripen in dry soil.
- Weeding is carried out throughout the entire growth of plants. When planted with seeds, the grass will stop the formation of heads and there will be no harvest. Since the arrows are very small when planting seeds, you need to weed carefully so as not to damage the onion plants.
- Harvesting must be done on time, otherwise the heads will overgrow and will not be stored. Onions are usually harvested at the end of August. But the collection time is different in each region. Therefore, you need to know when the heads are in adulthood. This is easy to determine: if the arrows stop forming and fall to the ground, the main part turns yellow, which means the onion is ripe. If the onion grows by the time of harvesting, then it is necessary to artificially accelerate the ripening process. To do this, remove a layer of soil from the heads, and trim the roots or carefully lift them with a fork and tear them off the soil. You can trample on the bed with onions, but this method is dangerous because you can damage the heads.
Harvest storage
The harvested crop is dried in the garden for 2–3 weeks. It is important to dry in sunny weather; if the weather forecast reports rain, you need to hide the plants under cover. After complete drying, the onion is cleaned of excess husks and tops. When storing in braids, leave 30 centimeters for braiding. If the onions are stored in boxes, then leave 10 centimeters of tops.
Store in a cool, dry or warm place.
Review of reviews about Carmen's bow
Carmen onions appeared on the market recently, but have already received positive reviews about the variety.
Galina Vasilievna: “I planted Carmen through seedlings, and in September I picked excellent large bulbs.The variety is unpretentious in care; you need to water and weed the beds, otherwise the grass will stop the growth of the heads. Carmen is resistant to diseases, so there was no need to spray him with poison. The heads are medium-sized, dense, the taste is excellent, not bitter. I’m happy with the harvest and now I advise my neighbors to use this variety.”
Gennady Iosifovich: “This is the second year I’ve been growing Carmen on my plot, the yield is high. Onions are stored under the floor in nets. Since it is cool there, the heads do not lose moisture. Next year I want to remove the seeds and try to grow seeds for sowing at home in the winter, and then in the spring I will plant the sowing in the garden.”
Marina: “I always plant two beds of onions, one with a white variety, the other with a red one. Since white salads are too spicy, I use it for pickling or frying. But red Carmen goes well with fresh cucumber and tomato salads. I love this salad, especially when it’s made from vegetables grown in my garden.”
