How to get a good harvest of Yalta onions?

Surely everyone has heard of the Yalta onions, named after the place of their cultivation. It is in the Crimea that the most juicy, sweet, red and large onions of this variety grow.The first seeds of this onion were brought to the Crimean coast in the XIX century from Portugal. Thanks to numerous breeding works in the Nikitsky Botanical Garden and a special combination of climatic factors, the Crimean (Yalta onion), which is known today to all, appeared. The indigenous people of these areas call it Nikita.

The Yalta type is attributed to salad varieties, since it contains a small amount of essential oils in its composition, due to which it has no sharpness at all, unlike ordinary onions. This variety can not be grown in any other area, except the southern coast of Crimea. All attempts of gardeners to dissolve this vegetable, even in the neighboring mountainous region of Crimea, led to the fact that the taste of the fruit acquired unpleasant sharpness and lost its wonderful taste properties.

Red Crimean onion is eaten most often as a component of salads, as it has all the qualities of a salad vegetable - juiciness, sweetness, lack of bitterness and sharpness. But local residents of Crimea know other very interesting recipes using this vegetable, such as onion jam, for example. Yalta onions are also used to make soups and main dishes. But nevertheless it is advised to use a vegetable raw, without exposure to high temperatures, so it saves the maximum benefit for the body.

Yalta bulb is flat, round, large, covered with scales of purple and pink color. The inner layers are thick (6-7 mm) plates, of which there are about seven in one bulb. The main advantage of this variety is the complete absence of bitterness and sharpness, only sweetness.

From the moment of planting to harvest, 150 days pass, which is a long enough time for the onions. It is also worth noting that this vegetable is very poorly stored - a maximum of 4-5 months from the time of harvest.

In stores and in the markets you can often find ordinary red onions, which are sold under the guise of Yalta. In order not to become a victim of fraud, it is worth remembering about some features inherent only to the Crimean onions.

• The “onion” smell is completely absent in the Yalta type, it does not cause irritation of the nasal mucous membranes, respectively, there will be no tears from its aroma.
• If you look at the cut of the bulb, you can see its layers, their number should not exceed seven, they are painted in pale pink color.
• If you taste the onion, then only sweetness should be present, without a trace of bitterness.
• Due to the fact that the Yalta onion has a very short shelf life, and it ripens in July, it can be purchased only during this period. That is, if you met the Crimean onion on sale in the spring, then it is a fake.

Even if you live far away from the Crimean coast, and you really want to try to grow Yalta onions, you should use certain principles of agricultural technology and get excellent bulbs in autumn. They, probably, will concede to the real Crimean onions, but all the same will please gardeners.

One of the main requirements for the cultivation of Yalta onions is the correct illumination. It is advisable to choose a plot of land illuminated by the sun throughout the day. Due to lack of light, fruits can turn out to be bitter.

It is also necessary to attend to the selection of the soil, because the soil features on the southern coast of the Crimea make it possible to grow sweet and large root vegetables. On the territory of Yalta and Alushta, in places of natural growth of Yalta onions, in the soil there is a high content of Taurida schists. This is a special material that accumulates heat throughout the day, and at night does not allow the ground to cool.There is an assumption that it is this factor that is fundamental in the formation of such a specific taste of Yalta onion.

Since it is impossible to exactly recreate the natural habitat conditions in other regions, you need to try to choose the most fertile soil for planting, and in the spring to thoroughly enrich it with potash fertilizers and ammonium nitrate.

In the climatic conditions of central Russia, Yalta onion seedlings are best grown on a window. When living in warm regions, it is better to use a greenhouse for this purpose. Seedlings are sown in mid-February - early March after soaking in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for half an hour for disinfection. After this, planting material must be rinsed with running water and treated with means to stimulate growth.

A layer of fertile soil no more than 15 cm deep is poured into the container for germination. The optimal composition of the soil is a mixture in an equal amount of sod land and humus, also before planting it would not be superfluous to add mineral fertilizer. Seeds are scattered in the grooves in 1 cm increments and sprinkled with earth, slightly compacted. Above it is necessary to spray the landing with water from the spray.

The temperature for germination should be about 20-25 degrees, it is worth choosing a well-lit place. After the emergence of sprouts you need to move the seedlings to a cooler place (optimum temperature - 15 degrees), the lighting mode must be maintained at a high level. It is also necessary to maintain high humidity, and keep the ground in the nursery in a slightly moist state. 14 days after planting the seeds, fertilizers should be applied, usually potash, nitrogen and mineral, as well as ammonium nitrate.

Planting in open ground is made 2 months after the first shoots (usually in April). By this time there should be at least 3 feathers (sheet) on the seedlings. Before transplanting into the open ground, it is necessary to harden the seedlings during the week - the container with the seedlings is carried out every day in the open air, leaving every day for an ever longer time. Also during this period it is necessary to gradually reduce watering.

When landing between grooves leave a distance of about 35-40 centimeters, the distance between the bulbs in a row should be 10 centimeters. After planting you need to water the seedlings well.

The best precursors for planting Yalta onions are tomatoes, potatoes, cabbage and various types of green salad. Garlic and other varieties of onions are not suitable. Compliance with the simple rules of crop rotation will help grow a good harvest.

The most important rule in the care of Yalta onions - watering mode. The soil should always be hydrated to prevent sharpness and bitterness in the taste of the fruit. On average, water this plant should be at intervals of 1 time per week.

Onions like loosening the soil and thoroughly weeding, because weeds take away the moisture it needs and shade plants from the sun's rays. Fertilizers should be applied every 2 weeks during the first 4 months from the date of transplanting. Alternate nitrate with phosphate preparations.

When the bulbs become large and strong enough, the ground around them can be slightly raked so that the heads stick out slightly on the surface, this will contribute to the richness of the fruits due to the ultraviolet rays.

Harvesting often occurs at the end of August-beginning of September. This time is the most favorable in terms of weather conditions. If you perederzhat onion fruits in the ground, then with the onset of rain, the fruits may rot.

Before harvesting for 3 weeks is recommended to stop watering.This must be done for better storage of vegetables. Digging is done when all the feathers of the plants are in the supine position. After digging, the onions are still left on the ridge for a couple of days for drying and ripening.

In general, Yalta onion is resistant to pests and diseases. It is necessary to carefully monitor the watering, which should be moderate, but the soil should not dry out. When waterlogging soil there is a high probability of rotting the roots of the plant. When transfused, the plant can become sick with gray mold.

The best way to store onions is to tie them in pigtails to avoid unnecessary contact between the bulbs. In order for the braids to be weaved comfortably, long tails are intentionally left at harvest. The optimum temperature for storage is 10-15 degrees, the room should be sufficiently dry, the humidity should be up to 50%. In such conditions, onions can be stored for 4-5 months from the time of harvest.

In the next video, see the technology of sowing "Chalcedony" and "Yalta" on seedlings.