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It is difficult to name a vegetable more popular than onions. It is grown in many regions, in different climatic conditions. Due to their excellent characteristics, red varieties are most in demand; one of the best is Red Baron onion.
Description and characteristics of Red Baron onion
Red Baron onions (Allium cepa L Red Baron) are the result of the work of Dutch breeders. In 1997, the variety was included in the State Register and allowed for cultivation in the Russian Federation.
It is cultivated both on private farms and on farms for commercial purposes. Red Baron onion is unpretentious, does not require much time and effort to care for, its purpose is universal.
Appearance
The bulbs of the Red Baron variety are filmy, have a round, leveled, slightly flattened shape. The average weight of each is 80-150 g. The scales are tightly fitting. Dry outer ones are purple, and the inner ones are deep red. Difficult to separate.The leaves are tubular, dark green, with a slight waxy coating. The root system is powerful, which allows onions to be grown even in regions with arid climates.
The flower arrow reaches a height of 150 cm. It is hollow inside and ends at the top with an umbrella inflorescence. The fruit is a capsule in which up to six triangular black seeds ripen.
Red Baron onion flavor semi-sharp
Ripening time and yield
Red Baron is an early ripening variety. The period between sowing and complete lodging, along with yellowing of the foliage, ranges from 80 to 95 days. Onions begin to be harvested in the second half of July. When grown on large areas, the yield is 150 centners per hectare. On personal plots you can grow 150 kg on one hundred square meters. Among the features of the Red Baron variety is ripening after harvesting.
Resistance to diseases and pests
Viral and fungal infections, the spores of which live in the soil or plant debris, can completely deprive the onion harvest. The Red Baron variety is highly resistant to root rot, fusarium, and downy mildew. When maintaining moderate soil moisture and regular loosening, diseases do not develop.
The bulb fly can lay eggs at the base of the head, causing the foliage to wilt and die. By observing crop rotation, removing weeds, and treating the soil with ash, it is possible to avoid damage by insect pests.
On Red Baron onions grown for turnips, feathers should not be picked so as not to provoke the development of diseases
Composition and properties
Red Baron onions not only have an excellent taste, but also have a beneficial effect on the body. The explanation for this is the rich chemical composition of the vegetable:
- vitamins K, C, group B;
- beta-carotene;
- trace elements (K, Se, Fe, Mg, Ca, Na, Zn, Cu).
Eating Red Baron onions improves health:
- Reducing the risk of stroke.
- Decreased blood sugar levels.
- Removing bad cholesterol.
- Preventing the development of cardiovascular pathologies.
- Stabilization of the nervous system, kidneys and liver.
- Removing excess water from the body.
- Prevention of vitamin deficiency and cancer cell growth.
Application
Red Baron onions are used in folk medicine. Vegetable juice helps get rid of colds, coughs, and runny nose. Green shoots are used for gum inflammation. Onion juice mixed with honey is used for gastritis and hemorrhoids. A decoction of the husk is taken orally when the monthly cycle is disrupted. The pulp from the bulbs relieves itching after insect bites and helps get rid of calluses and warts.
If you suffer from insomnia, apply fresh onion slices to your temples for a few minutes.
The taste of Red Baron onions is characterized by the absence of bitterness, so their use in cooking is somewhat wider than that of ordinary onions. It is used in salads, pizza, and pickled. When used skillfully, onions added to an ordinary dish can surprise even gourmets with their taste.
Growing regions
The Red Baron variety is recommended for cultivation in the Central Black Earth region.Since it is quite cold-resistant and can withstand temperature drops of up to +2 ⁰С, its cultivation is permissible in the North-Western, Central, North Caucasus regions, Siberia, the Urals and the Far East. To minimize risks, it is necessary to adjust the landing time depending on weather conditions.
Advantages and disadvantages
In addition to the fact that Red Baron onions can be grown in most regions of the country, they have other advantages over regular onions.
The bulbs contain a high concentration of ascorbic acid
Advantages of the variety:
- ease of care;
- rapid ripening even in cool summer conditions;
- beautiful presentation;
- long-term storage;
- excellent transportability;
- immunity to most diseases;
- high productivity;
- possibility of ripening after harvesting;
- excellent taste;
- large bulb sizes;
- saturation with useful substances.
Disadvantages of the variety:
- difficulties with harvesting sets;
- the need to grow onions using seeds.
Landing Features
Red Baron onions can be grown from sets and seeds. The option is chosen depending on the conditions and availability of planting material.
Growing Red Baron onions from seeds
The seed method has minor disadvantages - it is more labor-intensive and will take a lot of time to grow onions. Among the advantages are low material costs and the complete absence of arrows. They operate according to the following scheme:
- Seeds are soaked for a day in a pink solution of potassium permanganate to facilitate their germination.
- Rinse under running water.
- Place on a damp cloth for germination.
- Sow in boxes with loose substrate.
- After the seedlings emerge and reach a height of 4 cm, they are dived into separate glasses.
- After a week, feed with mineral fertilizer.
- Upon reaching a height of 5-7 cm, the seedlings are planted in open ground.
Seeds are planted to a depth of 1 cm
How to plant Red Baron onion sets in spring
Red Baron red onion sets are stored in a cool, dry place before planting and heated for two weeks at a temperature of +30 ⁰C to avoid bolting. Planted in open ground at the end of April. Choose an area with fertile, loose sandy loam or loamy soil. In the fall, add compost, humus or superphosphate with potassium chloride.
Before planting, cut off the neck of the bulbs and soak them overnight in warm water. Planted in rows, leaving a gap between the bulbs of 5-7 cm, between lines - 20 cm.
Onions are planted in their original place only after 3-5 years.
Planting Red Baron onions before winter
The Red Baron variety is sometimes used as a winter crop. The method allows you to get a full harvest two weeks earlier than usual, protect plants from peronosporosis, and not worry about how to preserve the bulbs in the winter. This method has other advantages:
- The harvest is stored better and longer.
- Plants are more resistant to onion fly damage.
- In autumn there is enough time for planting.
- The cost of seed material is lower than in spring.
- Weak Red Baron bulbs are eliminated naturally.
Planting seedlings in the ground is carried out during a period when the air temperature remains at +5 ⁰C for several days, a month and a half before the onset of frost.In the middle zone, onions are planted in the first ten days of September, in the southern regions - 2-3 weeks later. The dates are approximate and must be adjusted depending on weather conditions.
The planting process itself is the same as in the spring. The difference is that the site should be chosen high, open to the sun, so that it warms up quickly in the spring. The soil must be mulched with sawdust, peat or straw, and covered with snow in winter.
Bulbs of the Red Baron variety, planted before winter, manage to form five leaves and a neck 5 mm thick before frost
Caring for Red Baron onions
Despite the unpretentiousness of Red Baron onions, it is difficult to grow a good harvest without proper care. Plants need moisture, loosening the soil, weeding, and periodic feeding. Watering should be especially abundant in the first half of the growing season. Later it is carried out as the soil dries, but at least once a week, using 10 liters of water per 1 m2. Loosen after each watering or rain to destroy the crust that forms on the surface.
Red Baron onions are fed three times a season. Two weeks after germination - with mullein solution (1:15). Then every two weeks - potassium sulfate (1.5 tablespoons per 10 liters of water).
Watering of Red Baron onions is stopped one and a half weeks before harvesting.
Disease and pest control
Despite the high immunity of the Red Baron variety, in unfavorable weather the plants may suffer from onion flies. It feeds on nectar, and its larvae damage the bulbs and can destroy up to 90% of the crop.An effective way to combat insects is to cover the beds with non-woven, breathable material and use insecticides (Zemlin, Fly-eater).
The onion hoverfly is no less dangerous for the plant. The fly lays eggs, and the larvae feed on the foliage and succulent parts of the bulbs. Pest control measures are the same as for onion flies.
The most dangerous disease affecting the Red Baron variety is white rot. It can be identified by the fluffy coating on the bottom of the bulb. As a preventive measure, it is necessary to observe crop rotation and avoid high humidity. When the disease develops, fungicides are used (Ordan, Raek).
Conclusion
Red Baron onions not only have an attractive appearance, but also have characteristics that make it possible to easily obtain a product with excellent taste. With strict adherence to agricultural technology and minimal care, even novice gardeners can achieve this task.
Reviews from gardeners about Red Baron onions
