Onions Carmen: description of the cultivation, reviews, photos

Do you know how many varieties of onions exist in nature? Even if we consider only the onion, we are faced with the fact that there are varieties of yellow, white or red. Which one is the most useful and desirable as a 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 of bitter tears. But many today prefer the red turnips, the leading place among which is the bow Carmen. The description of the variety contains information that it is these beautiful root crops that contain the flavonoid quercetin. This vitamin-like compound has many healing properties, including antiallergic and antitumor effect. Therefore, before the new sowing season, be sure to pay attention to the onion Carmen. The description of the variety does not hurt even those who grow onions on hydroponics, in their own window.

What is

Not so long ago, our country saw this purple miracle. This is a product of Dutch breeders, or onion Carmen. The variety description characterizes this root crop as early-maturing. The average maturation period varies between 75-85 days. This is less than three months. Even in climatic zones, characterized by a short warm period, you can have time to remove a good harvest. The leaves begin to turn yellow after 100 days have elapsed. This is a double-stranded or a three-rooted variety.

There is one more feature, for which the bow of Carmen fell in love with the man in the street. The description of the variety emphasizes its exceptional durability. After harvesting, vegetables lie quietly until the spring, preserving the maximum amount of nutrients. This will help to resist spring avitaminosis.

Recommendations for growing

Often summer residents do not particularly think about how to plant Red Carmen onions. The description of the variety on the package may be presented in abbreviated form, as a result of which it is planted as a normal yellow onion. This leads to significant losses in the crop. Therefore, be prepared to take into account some features when planting and care. First of all, you need to select the right site. It is best if it was previously grown potatoes, cabbage or legumes. Not bad fit and beds from cucumbers and tomatoes. Other precursors are undesirable, since, pulling out of the soil the substances that are necessary for red onions, they impoverish the crop.

How to choose a seed

So, it was decided to plant onion Red Carmen on the site. The variety description includes information on the correct 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-sowing should be calibrated. Bulbs up to 10 mm in diameter can be planted for winter, and larger ones can be stored until spring.

Features of storage

This knowledge you will need if you grow your own or buy in the fall for spring planting onions Carmen. The description of the variety (the photo clearly demonstrates the beauty of the purple heads) gives us information on how to properly store bulbs. They need to warm up well to protect against diseases such as cervical decay or downy mildew. For this, the onion is kept for a week at a temperature of 25 degrees, then it is increased by 5 degrees. After a week, the temperature should be raised again, and it will be 35 degrees. The heating is completed by holding at 42 degrees for 10 hours.

Now the onion is stored. The place can be cold or warm. The second option assumes the bulb content at a temperature of 18-20 degrees and humidity of about 70%. With cold storage, the onion is kept at +18, until frosts are set to -10 in the street. Then in the storage should lower the temperature to -1 degrees and so wait for spring. When favorable conditions come, the bulbs are moved to heat so that they wake up and then planted in the soil.

If the home conditions do not allow for storage conditions, you can buy seed from the storage facility at the end of winter or early spring. This helps to avoid the drying of small bulbs due to unfavorable conditions. Another good option is to plant Carmen onion under winter. Description of the variety (reviews of gardeners about it are very good), emphasizes that this is one of the most convenient ways. The bed should be covered with peat with a layer of up to 10 cm, then pour and leave until the first stable frost. Usually, a bow is planted when the night frost is repeated 3-4 days in a row. In this case, the mulch is pushed aside, the onion is planted and returned to its place.

Spring landing for the second year

This option can be used if you raised bulbs from seeds in the previous summer or bought onions before the coming season. The most favorable period for planting is the end of April or the beginning of May. On the bed you need to make fertilizing and make a landing at a 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. In other respects, such a seed already has its root system and therefore requires less care.

In order to get a good harvest, it is necessary to fertilize, regularly water and loosen the soil. There is one secret that allows you to get a great Carmen bow. Cultivation of large roots is due to the cessation of growth of the green part of the plant. In late June, it is necessary to bend feathers to the ground and completely stop watering. Then a big turnip begins to grow.

Two weeks before the expected date of harvest, you should remove the soil from the bulbs. Some gardeners recommend trimming the roots. But the first option is much easier. Harvesting depends on the climatic features of the region. This is the period from early August to early September. The bulbs are carefully excavated from the ground and laid out to dry. This can be done right on the bed if there is warm and dry weather. 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 many years of experience of breeders, and therefore gives us clear instructions on what to do in order to achieve a good harvest. It is highly undesirable to land in acidic or waterlogged soils. In this case, liming does not always help, it is better to build a high bed, to bring fresh land.

The best ones are the soils that show a neutral reaction. Do not apply too much fertilizer - this will adversely affect the plants. Admissible wood ash, a small amount of organic matter and a solution of copper sulfate. Before planting, the bed should be prepared, digested, loosened and well warmed. It will not hurt to shed the solution of table salt to scare off the onion fly.

Productivity

Experienced gardener advised to grow onions Carmen. The description emphasizes that the best yield is obtained when growing a variety in a two-year crop from the seed. Planted better in the first weeks of May. The yield of the variety is very high. From one square meter you can collect 2.5 kg of root crops. Depending on farming techniques and care, this figure can vary in one direction or another.

Appearance

The plant height is 30-35 cm. Bulb weight is 60-80 grams, although with good care they can reach 120 g, and this is almost twice the average weight of onions. The turnip itself is called red, purple or blue. This is easy to explain, since dry scales are very dark, and the fresh scales that it hides are of a reddish hue. Bulbs have an average density, they are round-flat. It distinguishes this variety and the absence of excessive sharpness, which allows it to be eaten with less caution.

Recommendations for use

Carmen's onion has become very popular due to its excellent taste qualities. He is slightly sharp, even sweet and very juicy. Its fragrant aroma perfectly complements the various salads, so it is recommended first of all to use it in fresh form. It is undesirable to use it for frying, it will significantly reduce the amount of useful substances contained in it. Volatile phytoncides will help in the fight against viruses, so in the epidemic period, you can lay out the cut onions of the onions around the house. It is advisable that juicy rings be on your table daily. You can safely use them for dinner, in the morning there will not be a specific smell.

Beneficial features

Onions Carmen is a real storehouse of useful substances. It is an excellent source of vitamin C, and it also contains a large number of useful sugars. Red onions can slow down the growth of cancer cells and prevent their formation in the body. This amazing property can prolong the life of many people. If you have high cholesterol, then include a red onion in the diet. With regular use, it can lower the level of bad cholesterol by 20%.

Reviews of gardeners

Many are already growing on their garden sites onions Carmen. Reviews of gardeners and gardeners recommend it as one of the most unpretentious, early-ripening and yielding varieties. Stunning gustatory qualities once and for all have this root. Gardeners emphasize that this hybrid variety very well resists different diseases, perfectly tolerates temperature fluctuations, cool or droughty periods. This is important primarily for those whose garden plot is located far from home.

Let's sum up the results

We talked about Carmen onions today. Description, reviews, useful properties - all this information can be useful when choosing a new variety. It should be noted that more and more he is winning the love of Russian gardeners. Cultivation of this variety has a lot of advantages, beginning with the fact that the onion is unpretentious and gives a great harvest with minimal care, and ending with an exceptional decorative and fine taste qualities. The blue-red rings not only complement the salad well, but also serve as an original decoration for the meat dish. Excellent lezhkost this variety allows you to provide the family with useful roots until the spring. In addition, for such a long period of onions does not lose its useful properties. Almost before the new harvest, onion Carmen will be an excellent addition to various dishes.