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Chalcedony onion is a well-known early-ripening variety that produces a harvest 3.5–4 months after planting. They are grown for turnips, sets and greens. Chalcedony onions can be cultivated in one-year and two-year cycles. The crop is resistant to drought and frost, so it can be grown in different regions of Russia.
Origin of the variety
Chalcedony onion was bred at the Pridnestrovian Research Institute of Agriculture in the late 80s of the XX century. breeders Khaisin M.F. and Vasilyeva Z.I. The variety was tested and included in the register of breeding achievements of the Russian Federation in 1993. The originators of the variety are the companies “Sortsemovosch” (Stavropol Territory) and “Agrofirm Poisk” (Moscow Region).
Description and characteristics of Chalcedony onion
Chalcedony onions are characterized by good yield, immunity to disease and resistance to adverse weather conditions.The culture can withstand frost and germinates even at 3–5 degrees Celsius. Normally tolerates short-term droughts.
Appearance
Chalcedony onion has a regular rounded shape. The peel is smooth, light brown, dry. The bulbs are large, reaching 15 cm in diameter (weight 120–150 g), the greens are up to 16 cm in height. The feathers have a hollow structure, while the walls are soft, juicy, and the thickness is average. The color is typical bright green.
Ripening time and yield
Chalcedony onion is an early ripening variety: the first harvest can be harvested within 110–120 days after germination
If agricultural techniques are followed, the yield is 7–8 kg per square meter. With industrial cultivation, the figure reaches from 200 to 630 c/ha, which is significantly higher than a number of varieties (for example, Moldavsky, Strigunovsky local).
The product yield on the eve of harvesting is 98%, after ripening in the warehouse, in storage - 100%. Chalcedony onions are suitable for long-term storage (up to 7–8 months) in appropriate conditions: temperature 2–5 degrees, humidity up to 70%, darkening. The bulbs are dense and can be transported over long distances.
Chalcedony onion has the correct shape and large size
Resistance to diseases and pests
The culture is characterized by high resistance to common diseases and pests. However, if the rules of care are violated (excessive watering, growing on depleted, dense soil), it is affected by neck rot (affects the root crop almost completely) and downy mildew (downy mildew).
May also suffer from some insects and worms:
- onion moth, onion fly;
- stem nematode.
Therefore, when growing, timely preventive and treatment measures are required - in this case, the maximum harvest can be harvested.
Composition and properties
Chalcedony onion pulp contains water (82%) and dry substances (18% in total):
- sugars (maltose, sucrose, inulin);
- proteins (including enzymes);
- organic acids (ascorbic, malic, citric);
- pectin;
- glycosides;
- saponins;
- flavonoids;
- phytoncides;
- potassium;
- iron;
- phosphorus;
- sulfur;
- iodine and other trace elements;
The taste of Chalcedony onion is sharp, with sweetish notes and moderate bitterness. The pulp is white, juicy, dense.
Application
The main use of Chalcedony onions is turnips (annual cultivation from seeds). The vegetable is used for all kinds of dishes and preparations. You can also grow chalcedony onions for feathers. Moreover, it is sown not only in spring, but also in autumn (in a heated room, greenhouse) in order to obtain greenery in winter. The crop can be cultivated both for personal consumption and for sale.
Growing regions
Chalcedony onion is officially approved for cultivation in the regions of the North Caucasus, Kuban, as well as in the Lower Volga region. The crop can be cultivated in other regions of Central Russia, including in the middle zone and the Moscow region. Gardeners also grow Chalcedony onions in neighboring countries. It can be found in Belarus and Ukraine.
Advantages and disadvantages
Chalcedony onions are easy to care for and quite productive. In addition, it has a good taste and can be stored for more than six months. Thanks to these and other advantages, the crop is popular among summer residents and farmers.
Chalcedony onion can be grown in different regions of Russia
Pros:
- good yield;
- excellent taste;
- high product yield;
- the bulbs are large and attractive in appearance;
- can be planted both in spring and autumn (before winter);
- the variety is resistant to most diseases and pests;
- can be stored for up to eight months;
- transportable.
Minuses:
- susceptible to peronosporosis, neck rot;
- For lovers of miniature bulbs, Chalcedony onions are not suitable.
Landing dates
The planting time depends on the method of cultivation and climatic characteristics of the region:
- Seeds for seedlings are planted from the end of February to the first ten days of March;
- seedlings are transferred to open ground in the second or third ten days of April;
- seeds are sown in open ground in the first half of April;
- The seedlings are placed in open ground at the end of March.
Methods for planting Chalcedony onions
Chalcedony onion is a universal crop that can be cultivated in the following ways:
- Seeds for seedlings - for greens and onions (an annual crop).
- Set in open ground - for greens and large bulbs (annual crop).
- Seeds and sets in open ground in a two-year cycle - to obtain feathers and root crops.
- Seeds into a heated greenhouse in the fall (as an annual) - for forcing greenery in the winter months.
Growing seedlings from seeds
Seeds are purchased from trusted suppliers and seedlings are grown at home. The soil can be prepared in advance, for example, turf soil with black peat, humus and sand in a ratio of 2:1:1:1, or you can buy a mixture in a store. They are sown from the end of February to mid-March in such a way as to transfer the seedlings to the garden bed 1.5 months after germination.
Seeds for seedlings are sown in early spring
When planting onions, Chalcedony acts as follows:
- Soak the seed in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for half an hour.
- Place in a bowl of warm water.
- Allow to dry and treat with Epin or another growth stimulant.
- Wrap in damp gauze, place on a flat dish, water periodically and allow to germinate for a week.
- Transplant into pots (3-4 seeds each) at a shallow depth (up to 5 mm).
- Moisten the soil, cover the container with film and grow at a temperature of 23–25 degrees.
- As soon as the shoots appear, the film is removed, and the temperature is lowered to 16–18 degrees, and if necessary, illuminated with a lamp.
- Two weeks before transplantation, they are hardened at a temperature of 8–12 degrees.
- They are transplanted into open ground according to the 25*25 cm pattern.
Sowing seeds in open ground
With a two-year growing cycle, Chalcedony onion seeds can be immediately planted in open ground. They are prepared in the same way as in the case of seedlings. The beds for Chalcedony onions are formed in advance - they need to be dug up and fertilized, then several furrows with a depth of at least 3 cm are marked at intervals of 20 cm. Sand is poured onto the bottom, then the seeds are distributed at a distance of 3 cm. Sprinkled with soil and given a little water. At the end of August the greens will turn yellow and small bulbs will begin to form. The sets are collected and stored until next spring, and then sown in open ground, as described below.
Planting seedlings in spring
Growing Chalcedony onion sets is much easier, since you do not need to work with seedlings. The instructions are as follows:
- Only dense, beautiful bulbs are selected.
- Warm up for 10 hours (temperature 40 degrees).
- Pickled in a warm solution of any fungicide.
- Dry at room temperature, laying on the surface in one layer.
- Prepare the area in advance (clean, dig, fertilize).
- Make several furrows 3–4 cm deep at a distance of 25 cm.
- Place Chalcedony onion sets with their bottoms down at intervals of 6–7 cm.
- Sprinkle with soil and water a little.
Sets are placed to a depth of no more than 4 cm
Is it possible to plant Chalcedony onions before winter?
Gardeners plant Chalcedony onions before winter. Planting of seeds begins from the end of October to the first half of November. It can be grown in a heated greenhouse or other room. The purpose of pre-winter planting is to obtain fresh greenery throughout the winter and early spring.
Chalcedony onion care
Chalcedony onion is undemanding to growing conditions. Basic cultivation rules:
- Watering is moderate - the top layer should have time to dry.
- Feeding twice a season: organic matter or complex mineral fertilizer for young seedlings (feather height 8–10 cm), three weeks later give potassium fertilizer (30 g per 1 m2), superphosphate (40 g per 1 m2) and urea (20 g per 1 m2).
- The soil is periodically loosened and weeded.
Disease and pest control
Fungal diseases and neck rot of onions most often affect the crop against the background of excessive moisture. Therefore, the main measures of prevention and treatment are:
- planting in an open, sunny area;
- exclusion of location in the lowlands (preferably on a hill);
- compliance with watering norms;
- when signs of damage appear, treat with Bordeaux mixture, Fitosporin, Fundazol or other fungicides.
Insects and other pests are fought with traditional methods (decoction of marigold flowers, potato or tomato tops, infusion of mustard powder, laundry soap, tobacco dust, wood ash). Special insecticides are also used:
- "Fufanon";
- "Karate";
- "Aktara";
- "Fitoverm";
- "Match";
- "Vertimek" and others.
Conclusion
Chalcedony onion is one of the easiest and most unpretentious varieties, which can be grown both in the middle zone and in the Urals and Siberia. Gives consistently high yields even with normal care. It can be grown both for turnips and for greens, including for winter sowing.
