Onion "Hercules": characteristics and cultivation

Vegetables such as onions are simply indispensable in cooking. It is part of most dishes, as well as pickles.Every farmer knows the value of this vegetable and tries to grow those varieties that have good taste and high yield. One of these "selector wonders" can be called the bow "Hercules". Thanks to unpretentiousness of care, not only avid farmers, but also amateur gardeners can successfully grow it.

The onion variety "Hercules" is a hybrid that was bred in Holland. In the Russian State Register, it is recorded as “Hercules F1”. By crossing the crops, the breeders tried to create a fast-ripening vegetable with high yield and disease resistance - and they did it perfectly. This variety of onions quickly gained popularity among gardeners, as it has the following characteristics:

• ripening period is about 75-80 days;
• up to 8 kg of crop can be collected from 1 m2;
• vegetable maturation is 100%;
• powerful root system;
• drought resistance;
• a small number of arrows;
• contains a huge amount of nutrients;
• long shelf life without rotting fruit;
• unpretentious care;
• resistance to pests and diseases.

Experts recommend growing "Hercules" from chernushki seeds, as in this case, you can get the greatest yield, but it will appear next year. First, from seeds at home get onion sets, which are planted on the land for the second year. The height of the hybrid reaches 35 cm, the roots are large, have an elliptical, slightly elongated shape and weigh 130-160 g. The skin of the onion is dense, golden-yellow, and the number of dry scales does not exceed 4 pieces.

The fleshy leaves of the vegetable, like the scales, are painted white. They are quite juicy, with a spicy, sweetish and spicy taste, while the bitterness is completely absent. "Hercules" is suitable for the preparation of various dishes: soups, salads, snacks, gravy. It is noteworthy that even after heat treatment the onion retains its taste, and gives the food a savory flavor.

“Hercules” is an early variety of onions, therefore, it is planted at the beginning of April, and sometimes at the end of March. But it should be noted that he loves warmth, and in an insufficiently heated earth can begin to rot. Experts advise to closely monitor the forecasts of weather forecasters, and if they promise spring frosts, then it is better to postpone the landing of culture. Plant onions in open ground should be if the temperature does not fall below + 10 ° C.

To get a good harvest, experienced gardeners recommend first preparing sevok at home. To do this, it is planted in wooden boxes or special plastic pots with nutritious earth. After that, sprouted seedlings are transferred to the ground. So saplings will not be afraid of cold, and they can also give the earliest harvest.

The quality and quantity of the onion harvest depends largely on the area on which it grows. This culture is light-requiring, therefore it cannot be planted in darkened or low-lying areas. The lack of a sufficient amount of light will negatively affect the taste of onions. In addition, it can not be stored for a long time - even under ideal conditions, it will begin to rot.

Before proceeding to planting onion sets, it is necessary to sort it out. First, remove the rotted, dry and damaged onions, and then sorted by size. Ideally, the material for planting should have a size of 2-2.5 cm, since it is from him that a good turnip will grow. The remaining seedlings are more suitable for greenery.

The next stage of the preparation of "Hercules" will be warming up. To do this, onion is placed for 2 days in a warm place, but not under direct sunlight. You can also fill the sev with warm water for 2 minutes, then remove and place for 2 minutes in cold water. Wet inoculum is laid out in a single layer on the ground or matter to make the glass excess water. After that, you can proceed to the immediate disembarkation of the vegetable.

The soil also needs special training, because it must contain all the necessary substances that contribute to the proper and rapid development of culture. For spring planting gardeners begin to prepare the ground in the fall. During plowing, weeds are eliminated, and the site is fertilized with double superphosphate in the amount of 20 g per each square meter, as well as with potassium chloride, which will require 15 g per 1 m2. And you can also use organic fertilizers:

• compost - 8 kg per 1 m2;
• humus - 5 kg per 1 m2;
• chicken manure - 200 g per 1 m2.

For the preparation of peat soil it is necessary to use phosphate fertilizers, and to reduce the acidity - lime.

In such conditions, the onions do not germinate for a long time, but the frequent loosening of the soil surface, abundant watering and fertilizing will help to correct the situation.

In the spring, before planting directly, the soil is again dug up, weeds are removed and fertilized. The digging should be shallow - only 10 cm. As a fertilizer, a mixture of potassium chloride with superphosphate in the amount of 10 g per 1 m2 is used. After that, begin to make furrows for planting onions, adhering to the following rules:

• flat rows with a gap of 20-30 cm;
• the depth of the furrows is about 5 cm;
• between bulbs distance 7-10 cm;
• over tails of sevka should be about 2 cm of soil.

If “Hercules” is planted thicker, then its productivity will decrease. After planting, experienced gardeners recommend mulching the beds with sawdust or straw to prevent the land from drying out quickly and a crust to form on its surface.

The level and quality of the crop depends largely on the care of the vegetable. Fortunately, "Hercules" does not require special events, it is enough to follow some of the recommendations.

1. Actively water during the first half of the vegetable ripening period, and later - no more than three times a week. 2 weeks before harvest, it is necessary to completely stop watering.
2. Regularly loosen the earth to a depth of 3 cm to improve its breathability. It is especially important to do this after rain.
3. Remove weeds from the beds, as they take nutrients from the soil, which will affect the quantity and quality of the crop.
4. Feed the plant with nitrogen fertilizers 2 weeks after planting. After waiting for the same period, add mineral dressing, and after 14 days, add potassium fertilizer.

With a weak growth of "Hercules" or yellowing of feathers, it is necessary to fertilize the land with the following composition: in 10 liters of water dilute 1 tbsp. l urea and 1 tbsp. l chicken litter. For each square meter requires 3 liters of fertilizer.

Harvest onions "Hercules" can be at the end of August. To speed up ripening, its feathers bend down to the ground, and after they dry up, they start to dig up roots. It is recommended to do this on a sunny day in order to immediately dry the onion in the sun. It is important not to postpone the harvest, otherwise it will begin to lose its ability for long-term storage.

For the storage of "Hercules" prepare nets or boxes, which are subsequently placed in a dry, well-ventilated room.It should be noted that poorly dried onions will start to rot, so it is important to sort them out carefully before putting them into prepared containers.

The gardeners' reviews on the Hercules variety are extremely positive. The main advantage of the vegetable, they call high yield, so it is profitable to grow for commercial purposes, and not just for personal use. Do not forget that the planting site needs to be changed annually; otherwise, infections will begin to develop in the soil. And also, according to experienced farmers, you can not worry about pests and diseases, if you first make the correct processing of onions.

10 secrets on growing onions you will learn from the following video.