Yalta red onion: growing from seeds in the Moscow region, benefits and harms, reviews

Yalta onions won the love of gardeners throughout the country not only with their red-violet color. The sweet taste and high content of vitamins and minerals make eating this vegetable not only pleasant, but also useful.

Yalta onion is beautiful in appearance and has a pleasant taste

What is a Yalta bow and what does it look like

The history of the red Yalta onion begins in the middle of the 20th century, when Crimean scientists developed a new variety of this culture on the basis of the naturalized form of its Portuguese relative Madera flat. The aim of the breeders was to improve the keeping quality and to eliminate too intense purple coloration, which was considered a disadvantage at the time.

At first, the variety was registered under the name Yalta local, later Yalta Lux and Yalta red were created on its basis.

Red Yalta onion is a salad variety with medium-sized, flat-round fruits. Its weight is 200 g, however, there are specimens whose mass reaches 300 g.

The top integumentary layer of the bulb consists of dry dense scales, which can be purple with a slight red tint or dark pink. The pulp is juicy, crispy. The inner part consists of seven layers of white-pink scales. They practically do not separate.

The bottom of the bulb is slightly concave, the root system is fibrous.

The taste of the Crimean onion is pleasant, sweetish, without hints of bitterness, typical for most representatives of this culture.

The fruits contain a small amount of essential substances. The aroma of the Yalta onion is not too intense and does not irritate the mucous membrane of the eyes.

In most cases, it is used in the process of preparing salads from fresh vegetables or decorating ready meals.

Yalta onion outwardly differs from other varieties

Characteristics of the Yalta bow

The characteristics of the Yalta onion are similar to the descriptions of other varieties. This is a heat-loving and light-loving culture, which reacts extremely negatively to a sharp decrease in ambient temperature.

The variety is characterized as high-yielding and resistant to diseases. A high concentration of water and sugar makes the Yalta onion unsuitable for long-term storage. On average, a culture can “keep” freshness and presentation for no more than five months.

Pros and cons of the variety

Yalta red onion has a lot of advantages. But this variety also has disadvantages.

The Yalta bow has more advantages than disadvantages

Pros:

• juicy pulp and sweet taste;
• high content of nutrients;
• the possibility of growing on stony soils;
• attractive appearance.

Cons:

• short shelf life;
• high soil requirements.

How to distinguish a real Yalta bow from a fake

To distinguish from a fake and choose a real Yalta bow, you need to know its features. Often, completely different similar varieties are mistaken for this species.

Yalta onion differs from ordinary red in the following characteristics:

• the head is not completely flat, but cone-shaped;
• the outer scales of the original fruit are glossy, purplish-purple;
• the bottom is retracted inward, a bright blue-violet halo is visible around it;
• a real Yalta bow has only seven internal scales – no more and no less;
• the juice of the original Yalta onion is transparent, and the taste is sweet.

You can distinguish the original variety from a fake by the number of scales

What is useful Yalta red onion

The benefits and harms of the Yalta onion for the body are determined by its chemical composition. It contains vitamins A, C, group B, as well as minerals. And the concentration of antioxidants in red onions is almost twice as high as in other varieties of this vegetable. There are also amino acids and fiber necessary for the body.

Regular use of Yalta onions:

• promotes immunity;
• helps to stop inflammatory processes in the body;
• is a good prevention of cancer;
• helps to remove decay products from the body;
• strengthens the walls of blood vessels;
• activates the synthesis of its own collagen;
• lowers blood pressure;
• helps fight helminthiasis.

Excessive consumption of Yalta onions can cause irritation of the mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines, so it should be carefully included in the diet of people suffering from gastrointestinal diseases.

Yalta onion will be a good addition to any dish

Is it possible to grow Yalta onions in the Moscow region and the middle lane

Crimean onion is a heat-loving crop, for the normal development and fruiting of which a long summer and a certain composition of the soil are necessary.

Ideal conditions for growing the Yalta species are only in the Crimea. Currently, the main suppliers of this crop on an industrial scale are considered to be the agrotechnical farms of the settlements of Opolznevoye, Goluboi Zaliv, Simeiz, Zaprudnoe and Lavrovoe.

The main reason why it is not recommended to plant Yalta onions in other regions is unsuitable soil. The fact is that the variety prefers Taurian shales, which accumulate solar heat during daylight hours, and give it to plantings at night.

The real Yalta onion grows in the Crimea, but this handsome man can be cultivated in another region. The main thing is to follow the rules of agricultural technology.

Sometimes the cultivation of Crimean onions in central Our Country, including the Moscow region, causes a decrease in varietal characteristics – it turns out to be less juicy and sweet. To prevent this from happening, you need to choose exceptionally fertile soil. A good harvest of the Crimean onion can be obtained by growing it on rocky areas. The dense structure of the soil does not allow the fruits to go deep, as a result of which they warm up under the sun’s rays and acquire good commercial qualities.

Yalta onion requires a special soil composition

Sowing Yalta onions for seedlings

It is better to grow Yalta onions from seeds through seedlings. Planting seed directly into unprotected soil postpones the fruiting period and adds bitterness to the fruits. In addition, the yield from seedling cultivation will be better than in the case of planting in open soil.

When to plant the seeds of Yalta onion

Seed material for seedlings is planted in late February or early March. After about a couple of months, the strengthened seedlings dive into open soil.

Seed preparation

To grow a good crop of Yalta onions from seeds, you need to properly prepare the planting material:

1. Seeds are soaked for 30-40 minutes in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. This will help to disinfect the planting material and reduce the likelihood of developing fungal diseases.
2. After the specified time, the seeds are washed and kept in a growth stimulator (according to the instructions attached to the preparation);
3. After soaking, the water is drained and the seeds are dried.

Capacity selection

Any containers for seedlings are suitable: special plastic containers, wooden boxes, peat pots and even disposable glasses. The main thing is that they are equipped with drainage holes.

Planting seeds

Yalta onion seeds are laid out on the soil surface at a distance of 5 cm from each other. After that, they are deepened by 1 cm and the soil is moistened with a spray bottle.

The planting container is covered with glass or plastic wrap to create a greenhouse effect and left in a dry, warm place.

Take the seedlings out of the container carefully.

 Care of seedlings

To get strong seedlings that can later give a good harvest, you need to organize proper plant care:

1. Temperature control. Immediately after planting the seeds, it should be + 23-25 ​​° C, and after the emergence of seedlings, it is reduced to + 15 ° C during the day and + 10 ° C at night. No need to try to warm up the room more, because excess heat can lead to seedlings stretching.
2. Lighting. Yalta onion seedlings need a lot of light for normal development. If it is not enough in the room, you will have to organize additional illumination of plants with the help of phytolamps or fluorescent lamps.
3. Watering. Red onions love water, so you need to moisten the seedlings regularly, preventing the topsoil from drying out. Just do not overdo it – excess moisture can cause rotting of the root system of the plant. It is recommended to irrigate the soil in the container with a spray gun.
4. Top dressing. You will have to feed the seedlings twice: first, fertilizers are applied 14 days after sowing, and the second – three weeks after the first feeding.
5. Seedling thinning. With a strong thickening of the plantings, it is recommended to plant the seedlings in such a way that the distance between the seedlings is at least 1 cm. It is better to remove diseased and damaged shoots.
6. hardening. In order for plants to adapt faster in open ground, they need to be prepared in advance. To do this, a box with seedlings about a week before planting begins to be taken out into the street, every day increasing the time spent in the fresh air.

The quality of seedlings depends on the correct care

Planting seedlings in open ground

In unprotected soil, red onion seedlings are planted when true spring weather sets in and the threat of return frosts has passed. The selected area is preliminarily dug up to the depth of a shovel, the necessary fertilizers are applied (potassium salt and ammonium nitrate) and its surface is leveled with a rake.

During transplantation:

• abundantly water the seedlings in the container and carefully remove the seedlings;
• shorten the leaves and roots by about half their length;
• make grooves 4 cm deep, the distance between them should be at least 35 cm;
• water the prepared beds and plant the seedlings at a distance of 10 cm from each other, slightly compacting the soil in the root zone;
• young plantings are watered again.

Further Care

Subsequent care for planting Crimean onions is almost the same as for other vegetable crops:

1. Watering. Lack of moisture can cause bitterness in onions. Therefore, planting should be watered regularly, preventing the soil from drying out. During moistening, water is not poured under the root, but allowed along the aisle.
2. Loosening the soil and removing weeds. It is advisable to do the first procedure after each watering. Weeds are removed as they appear.
3. Top dressing. Yalta onions are fertilized every two weeks, alternating organic fertilizers with mineral ones. As the first, it is recommended to use an aqueous solution of rotted cow manure (1:5) or chicken manure (1:10).
4. Disease prevention. Excess moisture can cause the development of fungal diseases. Therefore, the first rule of prevention is to control the level of soil moisture.

In addition, during the rooting period, seedlings are treated with a 1% solution of Bordeaux liquid. After 20 days, the plants are sprayed with a solution of Arceride.

This variety requires regular maintenance.

Diseases and pests

The variety is characterized as resistant to infections. However, sometimes you have to deal with diseases:

1. Powdery mildew. You can determine the presence of the disease by white bloom on the leaves. When alarming symptoms appear, watering is stopped and plantings are treated with fungicidal preparations such as Fitosporin.
   
   

   Powdery mildew can cause plant death

2. Gray rot. The first signs appear on the neck of the bulb, and then it affects the entire fruit. In this case, diseased plants are removed, and healthy ones are treated with triazole-based preparations.
   
   

   Gray rot cannot be cured

3. Rust. The manifestation of the disease is red spots on the leaves. To cope with it at an early stage will help the treatment of plantings with a solution of Bordeaux mixture.
   
   

   Rust can be seen with the naked eye

They love Yalta onions and pests:

1. Onion tick. The presence of this insect can be determined by the stunting of plants and the appearance of rot on the bulbs. You can get rid of uninvited guests by treating with acaricides like Apollo.
   
   

   The activity of the onion mite is detrimental to the plant

2. Leaf miners. Larvae of moths or flies, a sign of the presence of which are white stripes on the leaves. To combat these pests, insecticidal preparations are used, for example, Feverfew.
   
   

   Miners, despite their small size, cause great harm to plants.

3. Thrips. These small pests feed on plant sap, leaving extensive black spots on the leaves. You can get rid of parasites by treating onion plantings with Aktellik or other insecticides.
   
   

   The presence of thrips is given out by white stripes on the leaves.

How is Yalta onion stored?

The ripening period for red onions comes later than for white onions. As a rule, this happens in late August or early September. Dig up the bulbs begin when all the feathers fall down. Experts advise not to delay harvesting, because autumn moisture (especially in rainy weather) can cause rotting.

The variety does not have good keeping quality, so it is advisable to use it as soon as possible.

Onion storage for several months requires certain conditions to be met:

• in the apartment, the Yalta bow should be stored at a temperature not exceeding +15 ° C (loggia, balcony), under the same conditions it is kept in the basement;
• the air in the room reserved for root crops should be dry, and the humidity should be low;
• Onions will stay fresher longer if you keep them hanging in braids.

When forming braids for storage, it is important that the bulbs do not touch each other.

Conclusion

The original Yalta onion grows only in the Crimea. However, if you strictly follow all the rules of agricultural technology, you can grow a good crop of red sweet vegetables in other regions.

Reviews of the Yalta bow