Do you know how many varieties of onions exist in nature? Even if we consider only turnip onions, then we are faced with the fact that there are varieties of yellow, white or red. Which one is the most useful and desirable as seed? Depends on your individual preferences. It is the white and yellow heads that contain the maximum amount of caustic essential oils that cause shedding bitter tears. But many today prefer red turnips, the leading place among which is Carmen onion. The variety description contains information that it is these beautiful root crops that contain quercetin, a flavonoid. This vitamin-like compound has many healing properties, including anti-allergic and anti-tumor effects. Therefore, before the new sowing season, be sure to pay attention to the onions Carmen. The description of the variety will not hurt even those who grow hydroponically onions in their own window.
What is it like
Not so long ago, our country saw this purple miracle. This is a product of Dutch breeders, or Carmen's onions. The variety description characterizes this root crop as precocious. The average ripening period ranges from 75-85 days. It is less than three months. Even in climatic zones characterized by a short warm period, you can manage to take a good crop. Leaves begin to turn yellow after 100 days. This is a two-bud or three-bud type.
There is another feature for which the average man fell in love with the onions of Carmen. The variety description emphasizes its exceptional keeping quality. After harvesting, vegetables calmly lie until spring, preserving the maximum amount of nutrients. This will help resist spring vitamin deficiency.
Growing recommendations
Often, summer residents do not particularly think about how to plant Red Carmen onions. The description of the variety on the packaging can be presented in abbreviated form, as a result of which it is planted like ordinary yellow onions. This leads to significant crop losses. So get ready to consider some of the features when planting and care. First of all, you need to choose the right site. It is best if potatoes, cabbage or legumes were previously grown on it. The beds from cucumbers and tomatoes are also not bad. Other predecessors are undesirable, because by pulling out from the soil substances that are necessary for red onion, they impoverish the crop.
How to choose seed
So, it was decided to plant Red Carmen onions in the plot. The variety description includes information on the proper selection and sowing of onions. First of all, pay attention to their appearance. They should be even, dense, without traces of rot, fungal disease, mold or mechanical damage. Onion sets should be calibrated. Bulbs with a diameter of up to 10 mm can be planted in the winter, and larger ones can be stored until spring.
Storage Features
You will need this knowledge if you grow it yourself or acquire Carmen onions in the spring for spring planting . Description of the variety (the photo clearly demonstrates the beauty of the purple heads) gives us information on how to properly store the onions. They need to be warmed up well to protect against diseases such as cervical rot or downy mildew. To do this, the onions are kept for a week at a temperature of 25 degrees, then it is increased by 5 degrees. After another week, the temperature needs to be raised again, and it will already be 35 degrees. Warming is completed by aging at 42 degrees for 10 hours.
Now the onions are placed in storage. The place may be cold or warm. The second option involves the content of bulbs at a temperature of 18-20 degrees and humidity of about 70%. During cold storage, the onions are kept at +18, until frosts reach -10 on the street. Then in the storehouse you should lower the temperature to -1 degrees and so wait for spring. When favorable conditions occur, the bulbs are moved to heat so that they awaken, and then planted in the soil.
If home conditions do not allow to provide storage conditions, you can buy seed from the storehouse in late winter or early spring. This helps to prevent the drying of small bulbs due to adverse conditions. Another good option is to plant Carmen onions in the winter. Description of the variety (gardeners' feedback about it is very good), emphasizes that this is one of the most convenient ways. The bed should be mulled with peat up to 10 cm thick, then water and leave until the first stable frost. Onions are usually planted when night frost is repeated for 3-4 days in a row. In this case, the mulch is pushed back, the onion is planted and returned to its place.
Spring planting in the second year
This option can be used if in the previous summer you grew onion bulbs from seeds or bought onion sets before the upcoming season. The most favorable period for planting is considered the end of April or the beginning of May. It is necessary to add top dressing and planting at the rate of 0.7 kg per square meter. Pay special attention to the fact that the soil layer above the bulb should not exceed 1.5 cm. Otherwise, this seed already has its own root system and therefore requires less maintenance.
In order to get a good crop, it is necessary to fertilize, regularly water and loosen the soil. There is one secret that allows you to get excellent onions Carmen. The cultivation of large root crops occurs due to the cessation of growth of the green part of the plant. At the end of June, it is necessary to bend feathers to the ground and completely stop watering. Then the big turnip begins to grow.
Two weeks before the expected date of harvest, you should dig the land from the bulbs. Some gardeners recommend pruning the roots. But the first option is much easier. Harvesting depends on the climatic characteristics of the region. This is the period from early August to early September. Bulbs are carefully dug out of the ground and laid out to dry. This can be done right on the bed if the weather is warm and dry. The second option is to remove the turnips in the attic.
Soil preparation
Not every soil is suitable for onions, this applies to all its varieties. Carmen's onion is no exception. Description and cultivation is based on the long-standing experience of breeders, which means that it gives us clear instructions on what to do in order to achieve a good harvest. It is highly undesirable to plant in acidic or swampy soils. In this case, liming does not always help, it is better to build a high bed, bring fresh land.
Soils that show a neutral reaction have proven themselves best. You can not make too much fertilizer - this will adversely affect the plants. Acceptable wood ash, a small amount of organic matter and a solution of copper sulfate. Before planting, the garden bed should be prepared, dug up, loosened and warmed well. It does not hurt to shed a solution of sodium chloride to scare off the onion fly.
Productivity
Experienced gardeners are advised to grow onions Carmen. The description emphasizes that the best yield is obtained by cultivating the variety in a two-year culture from the seed. Planting is better in the first weeks of May. Productivity is very high. With one square meter you can collect 2.5 kg of root crops. Depending on agricultural technology and care, this figure can vary in one direction or another.
Appearance
The plant reaches a height of 30-35 cm. Bulb weight is 60-80 grams, although with good care they can reach 120 g, which is almost twice the average weight of onions. The turnip itself is called red, purple or blue. This is easy to explain, since the dry scales are very dark, and the fresh scales that it hides are of a reddish hue. Bulbs have a medium density, they are rounded flat in shape. This variety is distinguished by the absence of excessive pungency, which allows it to be eaten with less caution.
Recommendations for use
Carmen sowing has become very popular due to its excellent taste. It is slightly sharp, even sweetish and very juicy. Its fragrant aroma perfectly complements various salads, so it is recommended that you use it fresh in the first place. It is undesirable to use it for frying, this will significantly reduce the amount of nutrients contained in it. Volatile phytoncides will help in the fight against viruses, so during epidemics, you can lay out chopped onion heads around the house. It is advisable that juicy rings are on your table daily. You can safely use them at dinner, in the morning there will be no specific smell.
Beneficial features
Onions Carmen is a real storehouse of nutrients. It is an excellent source of vitamin C, and it also contains a large amount of healthy sugars. Red onions can slow the growth of cancer cells and prevent their formation in the body. This amazing property can extend the life of many people. If you have high cholesterol, then include red onion in your diet. With regular use, it is able to lower the level of bad cholesterol by 20%.
Gardeners reviews
Many already today grow Carmen onions in their garden plots. Reviews of gardeners and gardeners recommend it as one of the most unpretentious, precocious and productive varieties. Stunning taste once and for all dispose to this root crop. Gardeners emphasize that this hybrid variety is very resistant to various diseases, tolerates temperature fluctuations, cool or dry periods. This is important primarily for those whose garden plot is located far from home.
To summarize
Today we talked about Carmen's bow. Description, reviews, useful properties - all this information can come in handy when choosing a new variety. It should be noted that more and more he is gaining the love of Russian gardeners. The cultivation of this variety has a lot of advantages, starting with the fact that onions are unpretentious and give a large crop with minimal care, and ending with exceptional decorativeness and excellent taste. The blue-red rings will not only complement the salad well, but will also serve as an original decoration for a meat dish. The excellent keeping quality of this variety allows us to provide the family with useful root crops until spring. In addition, for such a long time onion does not lose its beneficial properties. Almost until the new crop, Carmen onions will be an excellent addition to various dishes.