Onion is a he althy, tasty and sought-after vegetable, striking with a variety of varieties: early and late, sweet and spicy, red and white, keeping and high-yielding. Even the smallest household plot cannot do without it. To get an excellent harvest of this crop, you must first select a variety with the right qualities: taste, maturity, stability, yield and shelf life with minimal losses.
Variety of varieties
Depending on the region and growing conditions, onion varieties are conventionally divided into two groups:
- For northern regions. Such varieties are distinguished by a pronounced sharp taste and excellent keeping quality.
- For the southern regions. Such an onion is not too sharp, but does not keep for long. Most often these are salad varieties.
White onion is also widespread. It differs from the usualsweeter and more delicate taste. This is a salad dressing. Its drawback is a short shelf life and low resistance to diseases and pests.
Depending on the ripening period, varieties are distinguished:
- Early. Vegetation period up to 100 days.
- Medium onion varieties (100-120 days).
- Later. Ripe in more than 120 days.
The size of the bulbs is:
- small - up to 50 g;
- medium - 50-100g;
- large - 100 g or more.
Early ripe varieties
Almost all early varieties of such onions are spicy. They have good keeping quality, long shelf life and are distinguished by a large amount of essential oils and sugar. Their disadvantage is low productivity. Almost all early onion varieties are suitable for growing in any region. But in the south they can be planted as an annual crop by sowing seeds for seedlings and get a rich harvest in the same year. Consider the best early onion varieties, description, reviews.
Heroic strength
An early variety with amazing large fruit. the bulbs are beautiful, rounded, one-dimensional. The weight of 1 bulb can reach 500 g. This variety of onion is undemanding to the soil, but it needs organic top dressing. Due to its sweet, mild taste, it is grown mainly for salads. Can be grown by sowing seeds, getting a good harvest this season.
This onion variety received the best reviews. Tagged:
- large-fruited;
- consistently high yields;
- taste sweet and tender;
- good keeping quality.
Carmen
This red onion variety was bred by Dutch breeders. Mass harvesting can begin approximately 80-85 days after planting. The yield is quite high. With 1 m2 you can collect up to 1.5-2 kg of onions. Plant height up to 30 cm. Average weight - 70 g. The shape is rounded flat, the density of the pulp is medium. The inside is purple. The taste is not very sharp, even slightly sweet with a pronounced fragrant aroma. Red onion contains a lot of useful substances. It is a rich source of vitamin C. It is considered an excellent tool for boosting immunity, as well as for the prevention and treatment of many diseases. It is recommended for people with high cholesterol levels. Red onion prevents the appearance of malignant tumors, slows down the growth of cancer cells.
This variety of onion gained popularity due to its usefulness and excellent taste.
Red Semko F1
Dutch early hybrid. Ripening period 3 months. It can be grown as an annual crop or from sets in areas with medium or short daylight hours. The onion variety Red, the description of which we are considering, is one- or two-germ, one-nested. The shape of the bulbs is round, weight - 80-100 g. The upper dry scales are purple, the flesh is white, rather dense, dark red stripes are clearly visible. The taste is semi-sharp. Productivity – 5-5, 5 kg/m2. Onions are suitable for long-term storage.
Reviews about the variety are mostly positive. The onion is early, the shape is quite beautiful, the shelf life is long, the yield is high, the taste is sweet.
Centurion
This hybrid belongs to the best varieties of onions. It was bred by Dutch breeders. Thanks to its excellent qualities, it has gained worldwide popularity and distribution.
Centurion is able to grow equally well in regions with cold and warm climates. Bulbs neat, slightly elongated, dense structure. The weight of one head can reach up to 100 g or more. The husk is bright straw. The pulp is white. It takes 90 days from planting to harvest. This variety is resistant to many diseases, does not produce arrows. The taste is slightly spicy.
Centurion is grown both for personal use and on an industrial scale. Shelf life without compromising appearance and taste - up to 8 months.
Reviews about the variety are the best. The onion is productive, gives a lot of seedlings, the shape is always good, the shelf life is long.
Stuttgarter Riesen
The variety was bred by German breeders. Today it enjoys considerable popularity among gardeners and summer residents. The culture is distinguished by its unpretentiousness to weather conditions, due to which it can be grown in different regions. This is an early maturing variety. Ripening period - 95-100 days. The bulbs are quite large, flattened, weight - about 130-150 g. The onion variety Stuttgarter Riesen is suitable for making he althy salads, canning, freezing. It has juicy pulp, pleasant to the taste. The surface husk is milky, brown-yellow or yellow. Onions have white flesh, quite juicy, pleasantly spicy. Stuttgarter Riesen is resistant to downy mildew, so there is no need to treat it with chemicals, which is important for amateur gardeners.
Summer residents love the variety for its high yield, good bulb size, excellent keeping quality and decent presentation.
Let's consider further mid-season onion varieties, description, photo, reviews.
Mid-ripening varieties
The vegetation period of such crops reaches 100-120 days. Through planting sevka, cultivation in various regions is possible. Mid-season varieties are well stored, suitable for transportation over long distances. Harvest can be preserved, pickled and consumed fresh. Consider the most popular onion varieties, photo, description.
Bessonovsky
One of the oldest varieties grown in Russia. The bulbs are small, flattened or rounded, weighing up to 60 g. The scales are tightly fitting, golden yellow. The taste is quite spicy. Shelf life is long - up to 9 months. Bessonovsky bow has a good presentation. The yield is average. From 1 m2 beds, you can harvest 1.5-2 kg of onions. The variety is not very resistant to diseases. May be subject to downy mildew and bottom rot. To prevent planting, it is recommended to spray with drugs against pathogens.
According to reviews, thisbudget variety with good characteristics: good keeping quality, average yield and sharp taste.
Hercules
The onion variety Hercules is very popular among summer residents. It is characterized by a fairly high yield (collect up to 7-8 kg from 1 m2), unpretentious care and long shelf life. With proper storage, the onion rots very rarely and does not lose its useful qualities throughout the entire period. The bulbs have a pleasant mild taste and aroma. The onion variety Hercules, the description of which we are considering, is resistant to pests. It grows well both in open ground and in a greenhouse. Can be planted before winter.
The Hercules onion variety, the description of which we reviewed, received the best reviews. Good yields, undemanding conditions of maintenance and care, good adaptation to arid climate were noted.
Sturon
A Dutch variety favored by many farmers and gardeners. Onions have received wide recognition due to their unpretentiousness and long-term storage. The technical maturity of the bulbs occurs in about 115 days. It can be grown in regions with warm and temperate climates. Onion sets can be cultivated with both annual and biennial cultivation.
The bulbs are large, weighing up to 220 g. The shape is elongated, which is very convenient when cutting it. The upper husk is yellow-brown. The taste is moderately spicy. The onion variety Sturon, the description of which we are considering, is distinguished by excellent keeping quality: it is remarkably stored throughout the winter without losing its taste. Thanks to this characteristic,often grown commercially. The yield is average. Up to 29 tons of crops are harvested from 1 ha of land. The variety is resistant to many diseases, which allows you to get a crop without the use of chemicals. Grown both in open ground and in greenhouses for greenery.
The onion variety Sturon, the description of which we reviewed, received good reviews. It is not prone to shooting, tolerates frost well, is disease-resistant, is not demanding in care, and has excellent keeping quality.
Chalcedony
The variety was bred by the Moldavian Institute of Vegetable Growing. The pulp is white, quite juicy. The shape of the bulbs is round or oval, the taste is sharp, but not caustic. Weight - up to 90 g. Chalcedony has gained popularity due to its fairly high yield: 5-7 kg of onion can be harvested from 1 m2. The outer scales are bronze in color with a brown tint. A feature of the variety is that during the growth of the bulbs are above the ground, which speeds up and facilitates their ripening and harvesting. Despite the fact that the bulbs are quite large, the yield largely depends on the fertility of the soil and climatic conditions. Chalcedony contains a large amount of vitamins, folic acid, carotene, essential oils. According to reviews, this vegetable has a beautiful appearance and excellent spicy taste. Valued for long storage without loss of vitamins and taste.
Let's consider later onion varieties, description.
Late varieties
The growing season for late varieties is on average120 days. They have a long shelf life, have excellent taste and have a universal purpose. Consider the best varieties of onions.
Bamberger
New variety recommended for growing on feathers and turnips. Inside, the color of the onion is milky white, the upper dry scales are yellow. Bulbs are small (70-80 g), elongated. The taste is mild, sweet, which is why onions are often used in salads.
Among the reviews of gardeners, there are no descriptions of any shortcomings of this variety. Most often it is praised for its very pleasant taste, juiciness, crispy flesh, unpretentiousness, convenient shape, long shelf life, resistance to fungal diseases.
Globo
Late-ripening salad variety. From planting seeds to harvesting - 165-170 days. Refers to the budget option. It is popular due to the possibility of growing bulbs from seeds. Recommended to grow through seedlings.
The bulbs are very large, weighing up to 600-700 g, the shape is broadly elliptical, dry scales have a rich yellow color. The taste is quite sweet, the flesh is juicy, without a sharp onion smell. Can be grown in different regions of Russia. The variety is disease resistant. Yields are high.
Gardeners love this variety for its sweet, juicy flesh and the absence of a strong onion smell. It is ideal for salads and other dishes.
Red Baron
Red onions are famous for their exquisite taste and special benefits. They are rich in antioxidants that help the human body fight infections,aging and cancer cells. The variety is suitable for growing in different climatic conditions. The pulp is red and juicy, bringing some zest to fresh vitamin salads. The bulbs are rounded, uniform in structure and high density, purple or red scales. The pulp is crispy, very pleasant in taste, there is no bitterness. Red Baron is resistant to fusarium, blight and root rot. The yield is high. The ripening period is 125 days. Yield is stable, keeping quality is good.
Housewives love this onion very much and often use it in salads. The red color does not transfer to other components of the dish upon contact. According to reviews, the Red Baron is well kept.
Exhibition
The Dutch breeders bred the variety. The growing period is long (80-85 days), so the seedling method is recommended. In many regions of Russia, it is this method that allows you to get high yields. Bulbs differ in their large size. Subject to the rules of agricultural technology, with 1 m2 you can get a fairly large crop (3 kg or even more). The mass of the bulbs is from 120 to 500 grams. In addition to good yields, this variety has excellent taste. Bulbs are sweet, without bitterness. But they cannot be stored for a long time, as they are for salad purposes.
Popular because of its large size and good taste.
Winter varieties
There are so-called winter varieties of onions, which are planted before winter. They are not subject to shooting, they do not freeze during the winter. Sevoc are planted in late autumn. This is done so that in warm weather the feather does not begin to grow.
Radar
This winter variety is easy to care for, resistant to adverse climatic conditions. The foliage is dark green, the bulbs are round with dense pulp. Weight reaches 300 g. The scales are golden yellow, dry and strong. The variety is resistant to diseases and pests, not prone to shooting, unpretentious in care. From planting to harvest - 250 days. It is not recommended to grow in one place for more than 2 years.
Radar is very popular among gardeners. He is loved for his resistance to adverse conditions, ease of care and great benefits.
Shakespeare
Winter Dutch variety of early ripening (75 days from planting). The bulbs are distinguished by a clear rounded shape, the bottom is yellow, the top is light brown. Shakespeare is not subject to shooting. It has firm, juicy flesh and semi-sharp taste. The variety is resistant to most diseases. The bulbs are large (up to 100 g). A dense integumentary shell allows you to endure fairly low temperatures (-18 0 С) even without snow.
Leek
This is a biennial plant, although in the south of our country it can be grown as a perennial crop. The bulbs are long, silvery-white, oblong in shape, the taste is much more delicate and fragrant than that of onions. There is a high content of vitamins, potassium. The variety has diuretic properties.
The plant starts rather slowly - the seeds begin to germinate in fragile small sprouts. But after two months, the leek reaches royal, atypical forbulbous plants of sizes - height 1-1.5 m, food organ ("leg") weighing up to 400 g.
Flat long garlic-like leaves grow like a fan. The size of the white stem depends on the ripening period and variety. In late varieties, the stem is short, but more massive, in early species it is long and thin. Leek has a long growing season: early-ripening varieties - 100-130 days, medium - 140-160 days, late - 190-200 days.
Leek varieties
Early ripe varieties. To get early production, summer or fast-growing varieties are planted. Their cleaning begins in August. A characteristic sign of precocity is a thin stem, the light part of which reaches a length of up to 50 cm. Early production is mainly used for summer consumption and processing.
The best varieties of leeks:
- Columbus is a Dutch variety with excellent taste. An adult plant is low (up to 80 cm), leg - up to 20 cm, diameter - up to 6 cm, weight - up to 400 g.
- Vesta is a variety of domestic selection. The beginning of maturation - in 120-125 days from sowing. The adult culture is powerful, up to 1.5 m tall, the leaf fan is light green. The taste is sweet.
- Elephant trunk is a variety that forms a false bleached stem up to 30 cm in length. Has good quality of the bleached part, pleasant sweetish taste. Stored in sand for up to several months.
Mid-ripening varieties. Autumn leek varieties form a more powerful and thick "leg", which is about 40 cm long. The leaves alsorather large, green with a waxy bluish coating. If you leave the plant in the ground and cover it well, after the winter it will grow back and produce seeds the next year. The shelf life of mid-season varieties is up to 2–2.5 months.
Best varieties:
- Kazimir is a domestic highly productive variety with a dense, high-quality bleached "leg", the average length of which is up to 30 cm. It is a tall plant with green, almost vertical leaves. Casimir is quite demanding on moisture and nutrition, it is advisable to grow seedlings.
- Winner - Grown as an annual and as a perennial crop. This is a medium-sized plant with gray-green leaves with a bluish bloom. The length of the white part is 15-20 cm, the diameter is about 4 cm. The variety is highly frost-resistant, so it can be grown in cold regions.
Mid-late and late varieties. Since the growing season of winter varieties is 180–200 days, they do not have time to ripen in the Urals, Siberia and other regions where the frost-free period is no more than 150 days. Such varieties have a short and thickened bleached part and are highly cold-resistant.
The best varieties include: Alligator, Carantan, Bandit, Autumn Giant.
