Altai onion Alves: description and cultivation features
Is your garden plot any different from its peers? Do you want to grow something new, moderately exotic and at the same time unpretentious? Alves is an unusual variety of onion that will not only transform your dacha, but also make your menu more useful. Alves has a rich vitamin composition and a piquant taste, which perfectly complements the usual dishes. What else is good about this variety - you will find out in this article.
Description of the Altai onion variety Alves
Let's consider the origin of the variety, composition and beneficial properties, appearance, and the advantages of Altai onions over other varieties.
Origin and development
Wild batun, Siberian wild onion, Mongolian onion, stone onion - all this is about Altai onion. It received its name due to its wide distribution in the Altai Territory. However, its homeland is considered to be the mountainous regions of China, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, and Buryatia.
Alves, one of two varieties of Altai onion, grows on scree, rocky outcrops that are located high above the sea. In 2004, the variety was included in the State Register of the Russian Federation.
Chemical composition, trace elements, vitamins and beneficial properties
Alves contains a lot of useful substances, including:
- vitamin A, necessary for the full formation of dental and bone tissues, as well as cell structure;
- vitamin B1, which plays an important role in the functioning of human organs and systems;
- vitamin B2 is responsible for healthy skin, nails and hair;
- Vitamin C performs important repair functions and acts as an important cofactor in many body processes;
- phytoncides that protect people from diseases and increase performance;
- carotene has a huge impact on the immune system, heart function and vision, and is also responsible for the correct functioning of the reproductive system;
- useful micro- and macroelements, including: potassium, calcium, sulfur, phosphorus, chlorine, magnesium, sodium, iron.
Altai onion has a complex beneficial effect on the body:
- stimulates appetite, gastrointestinal processes and improves intestinal function;
- has a calming effect on the central nervous system;
- normalizes sleep and hematopoiesis;
- removes excess water from the body;
- strengthens the immune system;
- improves the condition of blood vessels and the cardiovascular system.
However, if you have gastritis, ulcers, urolithiasis, eating Alves onions is not recommended.
There are only 19 kcal per 100 g of product, as well as 1.72 g of protein, 0.23 g of fat, 9.57 g of carbohydrates, in a ratio of 14.9% protein, 2% fat and 83.1% carbohydrates.
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Features of application
Alves has a semi-sharp taste, its greens are usually added to soups, salads, omelettes, meat dishes, it complements them perfectly.
It is recommended to use greens while they are still fresh., however, it is also suitable for long-term storage. To do this, the onions are dried or frozen.
Because Altai onion produces beautiful white flowers with a yellow tint; it is used as a decorative element in summer cottages, as well as when creating rocky gardens.
Ripening period
Alves is a fast maturing plant., its growing season is 25-30 days.
Productivity
The variety has high productivity – from 1 sq. m harvest from 2 to 4 kg, the bulb weighs approximately 40 g.
Disease resistance
Altai onions are immune to diseases and pests. Thus, Alves successfully resists powdery mildew, rust and bacteriosis, but the crop may suffer from peronosporosis.
Characteristics of the bulb, description of appearance, taste
Altai onions are often compared to onions, because both plants are powerful and branch strongly. The color of Alves leaves is bluish-green, and the leaves are shorter in length but wider. The succulent leaves exude a pleasant flavor, especially if grown during a wet, cool summer.
The root system is developed. Alves bulbs are 1.5-5 cm in size, oblong-ovoid in shape, attached to an oblique rhizome, located 10-15 cm deep. This arrangement allows the bulbs to withstand even the harshest conditions.
One bulb is characterized by the presence of four feathers up to 30 cm long. These feathers are hollow, have a sharp end and are covered with a bluish coating. In the middle there is a fist-shaped peduncle up to 70 cm high. A bud blooms on it, from which light yellow flowers later appear. Alves can be observed blooming for up to three weeks; therefore, the variety is often used as garden decoration.
Important! Alves is a honey plant, its flowers produce thick yellow honey.
For which regions is it best suited and what are the climate requirements?
Habitual distribution area of the Altai onion – Siberia, but Alves can also be grown in central Russia.
Alves is tolerant of dark and partial shade, accustomed to frost and cold weather. In addition to the territory of Altai, it grows in the lands of Buryatia and northern China, where the climate is predominantly harsh. So neither spring frosts nor sub-zero temperatures down to -10°C are dangerous for the variety.
The main advantages and disadvantages of the variety
Despite the fact that Alves is difficult to distinguish from onions, it has a number of features:
- a large number of bulbs - about 25 per bush;
- powerful branched root system;
- a tall, hollow stem, which, when bleached, acquires a delicate taste;
- dense spherical umbels of white-yellow flowers;
- rich nutritional value - carotene and vitamin C are much higher than in onions.
Features of planting and growing
Knowing the peculiarities of planting and growing, you have an excellent chance of growing a healthy crop of Altai onions.
Preparing for landing
Although Alves can grow in different lands, he will not like too dark places and acidic soil. Before sowing, it is recommended to loosen the bed with a hoe, and then dig up the soil and fertilize it with 50 g of diammofoska and 5 kg of humus.
We prepare the seeds for sowing by filling them with a solution of potassium permanganate for 12 hours.. Then soak them for an hour in aloe juice. This way they will germinate faster.
After soaking, the seeds are driedto make it easier to plant them.
Soil requirements
It is recommended to choose a bright area with non-acidic soil, but if there is none, then it is advisable to lime it. To do this, we use wood ash 1.5 kg per 1 sq. m.
Predecessors
Proper crop rotation guarantees high yields. Thus, cucumbers, tomatoes and legumes are considered the best predecessors of Alves.
It is not recommended to plant the variety in the place where it previously grew pumpkin, cereals and cabbage.
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Dates, scheme and rules of planting
The best season to plant Alves seeds – from early April to November.
Sowing algorithm:
- dig holes 2 cm deep and 5 cm long;
- the distance between the recesses is about 5 cm, between the beds – 30 cm;
- water the beds;
- Place 3-4 seeds in each hole;
- Sprinkle the seeds with soil and water.
Features of cultivation
Dig up the soil before sowing to a depth of 15 cm and remove all weeds. After this, add 5 kg of nitrophoska per 1 sq. m.
For best results, sow strictly according to the rules., described above.
Nuances of care
Caring for Alves is almost no different from caring for onions. It also needs timely watering, fertilizing, loosening the soil, and weeding.
Important! To obtain large bulbs, Alves' flower stalks are removed.
Watering mode
The variety is resistant to drought, so water it as needed.
Optimal number of waterings – 1-2 times a week, since excessive humidity and stagnation of water in the soil will only harm Alves. It is recommended to water with warm, settled water.
Loosening the soil and weeding
Growing onions require care, which includes: loosening the soil and weeding.
Loosening is carried out after each cutting of feathers, after watering or rain.. Don't overdo it with weeding - do it as needed.
Top dressing
During the growing season, the plant is fed approximately five times.. In March, dilute 1 tbsp in a bucket. l. ammonium nitrate, and after each of the four feather trimmings - 1.5 liters of mullein and 100 ml of ash per 10 liters of water.
Important! Be careful with the amount of fertilizer, as excessive feeding can lead to disruption of plant development.
Disease and pest control
In general, Alves is resistant to pests and diseases, his only weakness is downy mildew.. To prevent the disease, onions are fed with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers in a volume of 15-20 g per square meter. m. If the disease has already attacked the plant, whey is used to combat it. It’s easy to make: add water to yogurt or sour milk in a ratio of 1:10.
Harvest and storage
It is important to know the timing of harvesting, as well as storage conditionsso that the vegetable pleases with its taste for a long time.
How and when to collect
The plant matures quickly: leaves appear within a month after sowing. During maturation, about 2-4 feather trimmings are carried out. The cutting height of leaves is 5 cm from the ground.
Storage features and keeping quality of the variety
The bulbs of the crop have good keeping quality. It is recommended to store onions in a well-ventilated area at room temperature.. Greens are dried or frozen.
What difficulties may there be when growing
Gardeners do not have any difficulties when following basic care rules.. The culture is characterized by drought resistance, resistance to cold, and minimal requirements for lighting conditions.
Be careful with nitrogen fertilizers in spring, with their excess, the plant becomes sluggish and prone to disease, and the bulbs become loose. Accordingly, the shelf life is reduced.
Advice from experienced gardeners
Recommendations from experienced farmers will facilitate the process of growing Altai onions:
If you want to please yourself with a harvest in winter, plant Alves on the windowsill.Experienced gardeners advise preparing the material for planting in advance (in the fall) along with a lump of earth and placing it in a box. Store seedlings at a temperature of 2-4°C.- It is not recommended to grow Alves onions in the same place for five years.
- Experienced farmers advise feeding Altai onions with phosphorus-potassium fertilizer to accelerate ripening and increase shelf life.
Reviews of the Altai onion variety Alves
The variety has proven itself among summer residents, who speak positively about Altai onions.
Albina, Asha: “Alves has a delicate pen. We collect the first feathers in July and have juicy onion greens all summer. Although the onion has been growing for the first year, it already produces good feathers that are suitable for vinaigrettes and other salads. After pruning it grows very quickly".
Irina, Tyumen: “Altai onions can withstand absolutely any frost in winter. At least –40°C. Moreover, its young leaves easily tolerate spring frosts down to –10°C! And the first greenery appears right from under the snow. The taste is with a slight spicy bitterness.”
Conclusion
Alves is an unpretentious onion variety that does not require constant watering and grows steadily even in the harshest conditions of Siberia and central Russia. Gives a rich and tasty harvest of bulbs and herbs, which harmonizes perfectly with any dish. In addition, flowering onions are used as a picturesque garden decoration.