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Aflutinsky onion (lat. Allium aflatunense) is a perennial herbaceous crop, which is a representative of the Onion family. Unlike its close relatives, which are widely used in cooking, it has found use in ornamental gardening. The popularity of the culture is explained by the beautiful early flowering, when many plants are just waking up after the winter, and unpretentiousness to growing conditions. However, in order for the perennial to be able to fully develop and delight with its decorative appearance, you need to know how to properly plant it and ensure care, taking into account the requirements of culture.
Aflutinsky onion in appearance is in many ways similar to the Dutch type of culture
Origin
It is believed that this plant comes from Kyrgyzstan, where it grows on the pass of the Chatkal Range. It has been cultivated for a very long time. And the increased interest of gardeners in culture contributed to the development of new hybrid forms. For the first time, a description of the decorative types of Aflutin onions was given by Carl Liney in the 18th century. However, who exactly originally discovered the wild form of the plant is unknown.
Description of the Aflatun onion
The growing season for perennials begins in early spring, as soon as the snow melts. Initially, belt-like large leaves appear, forming a basal rosette, up to 25-30 cm high. They have a bright green tint and are covered with a bluish bloom. The length of the plates reaches 50 cm, and the width is about 11 cm. Their edges are even.
As soon as the air temperature warms up to +10 ° C, thin stems, hollow inside, begin to grow from the center of the outlet. Their height reaches 80-150 cm, depending on the growing conditions. On the surface of the shoots, you can see slightly prominent veins.
In early May, the Aflutinsky onion blooms. Its buds are small, consisting of five petals, which are arranged in the form of a star. The flowers of the Aflutin onion come in blue, purple and white shades, when fully opened, their diameter does not exceed 0,5 cm. They are collected in apical spherical inflorescences, up to 10 cm in size. After pollination of the flowers, numerous seed pods are formed.
The underground part of the Aflutinsky bow is presented in the form of a round-conical bulb. Its diameter does not exceed 5 cm, and the shade of the peel is gray.
The duration of flowering of Aflutin onion is 2-3 weeks
Can i eat
This plant is considered ornamental. However, just like onions, it can be eaten. Moreover, both the leaves and bulbs of the culture are edible. Young plates of Aflutin onion can be added to salads before the flowers appear, as long as they retain a delicate texture. And the underground part of the plant is recommended to be baked, marinated, boiled in honey after soaking in water for many hours. Aflutinsky onion leaves have a pleasant garlic taste, and the bulbs are more reminiscent of radishes and radishes.
Useful Properties
This perennial has medicinal properties. The plant contains four times more ascorbic acid than onions. It is also characterized by a high content of vitamins D and E.
The main useful properties of Aflutin onions:
- It strengthens the immune system;
- relieves spasms of the brain;
- improves vision, hearing;
- increases potency;
- dissolves and removes stones from the kidneys, gallbladder;
- normalizes the work of the digestive organs;
- treats colds;
- prevents the formation of cancer cells.
The plant can also be used externally. Rubbing Aflutinsky onion juice into the scalp activates the hair follicles and strengthens them.
Application
Translated from Latin, the name of the Aflutinsky bow means “victorious”. In ancient times, it was believed that the plant increases strength and endurance, so it was included in the diet of Roman soldiers. It was also used as a talisman against evil spirits and the evil eye.
Now aflutinsky onions are most often used for decorative gardening of household plots. The culture looks impressive in group plantings, creating a lush carpet of dense spherical inflorescences that rise on thin shoots.
In this case, it is recommended to plant up to 50 plant bulbs per 1 sq. m. Such plantings look great against the background of trees, shrubs, conifers. Aflutinsky onions can also be used in multi-level compositions, planting in the background. The plant looks good in combination with tulips, daffodils, which successfully mask the fading leaves of this perennial.
Aflutinsky onions are also used to create winter bouquets. In this case, it is recommended to cut the inflorescences before the formation of seeds and dry them in a dark place in a natural way. In this form, they retain their decorative effect for several months.
Aflutin onion is an excellent honey plant
Planting aflutinsky bow
Growing a crop does not cause difficulties even for a novice gardener, but in order for the plant to be able to fully develop and delight with lush flowering every year, you must first plant it correctly.
For a plant, it is preferable to choose sunny open areas, protected from cold gusts of wind. But it is also acceptable to plant it in partial shade, but in this case flowering will occur later, and the diameter of the inflorescences is smaller.
Culture is not demanding on the composition of the soil. For her, the main thing is that the soil is air and moisture permeable, loose, neutral. Aflutinsky onions can be planted in depleted sandy soil, chernozem, loam.
Landing is carried out at the end of August, at the beginning of September. In this case, the bulbs need to be buried in the soil by 15 cm. After that, they must be sprinkled with earth and watered abundantly. It is not necessary to cover the plant for the winter after planting.
Aflutin onion care
Culture does not require complex care. It is enough to remove growing weeds around and loosen the soil at the base of the plant during the growing season. This will allow air to reach the roots. Also, during a prolonged drought, it is recommended to periodically water the Aflutin onion. Humidification should be carried out under the root in the evening, using settled water with a temperature of at least +15 ° C.
Perennial to maintain high decorativeness, you need to feed twice per season. The first time to apply fertilizer at the beginning of its growing season. During this period, it is necessary to pour nitroammofoska at the base at the rate of 20 g per plant, followed by embedding in moist soil.
The second time to fertilize the Aflutin onion is recommended at the stage of formation of peduncles. At this time, the use of superphosphate 40 g and potassium sulfide 25 g per bucket of water is relevant. The resulting solution is recommended to water the perennial at the rate of 1 liter per plant.
Reproduction
Aflutinsky onions can be propagated by daughter bulbs and seeds. The first option is quite simple. To do this, after flowering, it is necessary to dig up the plant, divide it into bulbs and dry it in a dark place. After that, planting material must be stored in a cool place until the end of summer, and then planted. Aflutinsky onions need to be planted every five years. Otherwise, its inflorescences become smaller.
When seed propagation of the culture, it is necessary to cut the flower stalks of the plant in early August. After that, they need to be put on the windowsill and dried. It is recommended to plant seeds in late autumn in rows to a depth of 2 cm. After that, the surface of the soil should be slightly compacted and watered abundantly in the absence of rain. With the advent of spring shoots appear. They need to provide full care throughout the entire growing season. In the third year, young seedlings are recommended to be planted.
Seedlings grown from seeds bloom in the fourth year after sowing
Diseases and pests
Aflutinsky onion has an increased natural immunity. But if the growing conditions do not match, the resistance of the perennial to diseases decreases. The plant can be affected by powdery mildew, fusarium, gray rot and rust. Therefore, for prevention, it is recommended to treat the leaves with 1% Bordeaux mixture annually in the spring. It is also necessary to water the Aflutin onion several times during the season with a solution of Maxim and Previkur Energy.
Of the pests, spider mites, aphids, and thrips can cause damage to perennials. When affected, the growth of the Aflutin onion stops, the shoots grow short, the inflorescences are small, and the flowering is short. The appearance of light spots along the edge of the leaves is also observed. In this case, it is necessary to treat the plant with chemicals twice with a frequency of 5-7 days. For this, it is recommended to use Actellik, Fufanon, Fitoverm. When re-spraying a perennial, the preparations must be alternated to prevent insect addiction.
Conclusion
Aflutinsky onion is an unpretentious perennial, whose popularity is growing every year. This is due to its excellent survival in almost any climatic zone. The plant is also not susceptible to air pollution and high frosts. However, the perennial has one significant drawback – yellowing of the leaves even during the flowering period, which reduces its decorative effect. Therefore, it is recommended to plant other spring bulbous or undersized conifers in front of the Aflutin onion.
