Mid-season onion variety “Carmen” with a mildly pungent taste
Carmen is an easy-to-care mid-season onion variety. People call it red or lilac. The culture is popular due to its unusual color, mild taste, and rich vitamin composition.
From the article you will learn how to properly grow Carmen onions in the garden, what are the advantages and disadvantages of this variety.
Description of the variety
Carmen onion is widely distributed in the Russian Federation, including in the northern regions.
The variety is characterized by the following features:
- average ripening period ranging from 75 to 90 days;
- excellent germination rate, reaching up to 100%.
- high productivity;
- small nest (1-2 bulbs in a nest);
- medium-sized neat bulbs, their average weight is 50-70 g;
- snow-white pulp with lilac veins and dark red or purple husk;
- excellent keeping quality of the crop.
Reference. Carmen onions are especially tasty fresh. It is recommended to use it when preparing salads. It is not advisable to heat-treat the bulbs. When stewing, baking and cooking, most of the nutrients are lost.
Origin and development
Carmen is an achievement of Dutch selection. The variety is popular all over the world, but in Russia it began to be grown not so long ago. It is loved by domestic gardeners for its pleasant, mildly spicy taste and ease of care.
Chemical composition, trace elements and vitamins and beneficial properties
The Carmen variety is distinguished by its rich chemical composition and medicinal properties, due, in particular, to the high content of anthocyanins. These antioxidant substances give onion skins their beautiful purple color.
Red onions are high in flavonoids, particularly quercetin. It has anti-inflammatory, antihistamine, antispasmodic, and diuretic effects.
The vegetable crop of this variety is rich in essential oils, beneficial microelements (magnesium, iron, potassium and others), and vitamins. It is distinguished by a high content of ascorbic acid - the onion contains from 4 to 19.5 mg.
Carmen bulbs contain a lot of sucrose and fructose.
Eating vegetable crop of this variety:
- reduces the risk of developing cancer;
- reduces the level of “bad” cholesterol;
- reduces the activity of bacteria and viruses.
Ripening period
Carmen is a mid-season variety. From the moment the seeds are planted until the harvest takes place from 75 to 90 days. After 100 days, yellowing of onion feathers is observed.
Reference. If you grow a vegetable crop from seedlings, onions ripen in 6-7 weeks. This makes it possible to harvest 3 crops per summer in the southern regions of the country.
Productivity
The variety is characterized by high productivity. From 1 m² of planting, 1.5 - 2.5 kg of onions are harvested, in industrial fields from 1 hectare - 15-17 tons.
Disease resistance
Carmen is characterized by strong immunity to diseases and is not prone to bolting. Onions are not susceptible to rot, downy mildew and rust. It is rarely harmed by thrips and onion flies.
Characteristics of the bulb, description of appearance, taste
The bulbs are round in shape, quite strong, covered with dark red or purple husk. They have white flesh with lilac veins.
The average weight of the bulb is 50-70 g. Under particularly favorable conditions, it reaches 120 g. Green feathers have a length of 30 cm.
The bulbs are sweet, juicy, moderately spicy. The fibers do not differ in density.
For which regions is it best suited and what are the climate requirements?
Carmen onion grows well in the following regions:
- Central;
- Srednevolzhsky;
- Central Black Earth.
It can also be grown in the northern part of the country. The variety tolerates temperature changes, drought and rainy periods well.
Important. The vegetable crop is photophilous. Lack of sunlight provokes fungal diseases.
The main advantages and disadvantages of the variety
Among the advantages of onions of this variety are:
- possibility of cultivation in any region;
- cold resistance;
- strong immunity;
- high productivity;
- bulbs of the same size, even;
- attractive presentation and excellent taste;
- good keeping quality.
The variety has virtually no disadvantages except for its demanding soil conditions for cultivation.
What is the difference from other varieties
Carmen differs from other varieties of onions:
- special mild taste, sweet and slightly spicy;
- appearance;
- increased content of vitamins;
- the presence of anthocyanin antioxidants in the vegetable;
- resistance to diseases and pests.
Comparison of popular varieties of onions:
Name | Ripening period | Productivity, kg/m² | Weight of bulbs | Husk color | Taste |
Carmen | average | 1,5 — 2,5 | 50-70 | dark red, purple | sweet, mildly spicy |
Veselka | average | 3-4 | 75 | violet-red | semi-sharp |
Ruby | average | 2,8-3,2 | 60-80 | pink-violet | semi-sharp |
Skvirsky | average | 1,6-2 | 60-90 | yellow | semi-sharp |
Strigunovsky Nosovsky | average | 1,5-2,1 | 60-125 | light yellow | spicy |
Tkachenkovsky | average | 4-5 | 70 | light brown | spicy |
Features of planting and growing
Carmen in the garden plot is grown from seeds or from small annual bulbs (sets). Sevok must be of high quality, even and dense. Otherwise there will be no good harvest.
Reference. Experienced gardeners sow seeds the first year to obtain sets, and in the second year they plant them to obtain large onion heads.
Preparing for landing
Sevok requires preliminary preparation before planting in open ground. The bulbs are kept in a weak solution of potassium permanganate, then heated on a radiator. Afterwards they are germinated, covered with damp gauze. As soon as shoots appear, planting begins.
The area for onions is prepared in the fall. Choose a well-lit place where potatoes, cabbage, cucumbers, beans, and tomatoes were previously grown. The earth is fertilized with humus. In the spring, before planting, the soil is sprinkled with wood ash to prevent the bulbs from rotting.
Soil requirements
The Carmen variety is demanding on soil. Acidic soil is not suitable for growing vegetables. The situation can be corrected by liming and creating high beds. Red onions grow well in neutral soils. When growing in sandy soil, the lowest possible beds will be required.
Dates, scheme and rules of planting
Landing time is determined by the climatic conditions of the area and lasts from the second half of April to the first days of May. The earth should be warmed up to + 16ºC.
Onions are planted according to the standard pattern. The distance between rows should not exceed 20 cm, between holes 5-7 cm. The depth of the hole is 2.5-3 cm.
Features of cultivation
Vegetables are not grown in the same area for several years in a row. There is a risk of fungal infection. It is recommended to return to the former landing site no earlier than after 4 years.
Nuances of care
The variety does not need special care. But it is important to follow basic procedures:
- carefully weed the beds (weed residues can cause plant diseases);
- water as the soil dries out;
- control the presence of pests and destroy them in a timely manner.
Watering mode
After planting, onions need abundant watering, then the frequency is reduced. They try to avoid waterlogging in order to protect the planting from fungal infection. If it rains regularly, stop watering altogether.
Loosening the soil and weeding
Onions require soil aeration and do not tolerate weeds. When growing it you need:
- shallow loosening of row spacing the next day after each watering or rain.
- regular weeding to eliminate weeds.
Top dressing
The variety requires 2-3 feedings during the season according to the following scheme:
- application of nitrophoska, urea 14 days after planting;
- fertilizing with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers 28 days after planting;
- on day 43, repeated application of the phosphorus-potassium composition.
Reference. After applying fertilizers, water the soil abundantly and wash off any residues from the plants.
Disease and pest control
The most dangerous vegetable pests:
- onion secretive proboscis;
- onion fly;
- stem nematode;
- onion moth;
- root mite
Spraying plants with the following means will help prevent pest damage and infection by fungal organisms:
- "Glyocladin";
- "Fitosporin-M";
- "Alirin";
- "Gamair";
- Zineb solution (0.04%);
- copper oxychloride solution (0.5%);
- Bordeaux mixture.
Harvest and storage
A timely harvest and proper storage conditions are the key to a high shelf life of the product.
How and when to collect
Harvesting is carried out in late August - early September, depending on the region. 30 days before harvesting, stop watering. The onions are dug up when the feathers are dry and the tops of the onions are visible from the ground. This is done in clear, dry weather.
Storage features and keeping quality of the variety
The harvested crop is dried in the sun, then stored in a dry, clean place where the humidity does not exceed 70%. The keeping quality of the Carmen onion is good. The harvest is stored almost without loss for 8 months.
What difficulties may there be when growing
When growing Carmen onions, the following difficulties sometimes arise:
- yellowing of feathers;
- the appearance of bitterness in the onion.
Causes of yellowing:
- nitrogen deficiency in the soil;
- the crop is affected by a pest or disease;
- violation of agricultural technology.
Causes of bitterness:
- shortage of phosphate fertilizers;
- dry soil.
Advice from experienced gardeners
To prevent diseases and pests, experienced gardeners recommend:
- refuse to use questionable and low-quality planting material;
- carry out pre-planting treatment of soil and equipment with Inta-Vir, Iskra, and Grom;
- plant garlic, coriander, horseradish, wormwood, and marigolds next to the Carmen onion bed.
Reviews about the onion variety Carmen
Reviews about the Carmen onion variety are overwhelmingly positive.
Nikolay 54 years old, Tver: “My friends told me about Carmen’s bow a couple of years ago. I bought some seeds and started growing them. There were no particular difficulties during cultivation. Care is similar to caring for regular onions. The next year I planted seedlings. At the end of August I reaped a good harvest.I like this onion for its pleasant sweet taste.”
Nina 46 years old, Novosibirsk: “Despite the fact that I live in Siberia, I managed to grow many different vegetable crops in my garden. Two years ago I decided to grow the red variety Carmen. I reaped an excellent harvest, which pleased me with its not very spicy taste. The variety has good shelf life, the harvest lasted the whole winter with virtually no losses.”
Conclusion
Carmen is an unpretentious variety that is resistant to adverse conditions and has excellent taste. By growing crops according to all the rules of agricultural technology, you will get an excellent harvest with minimal care. By performing basic preventative measures, it is easy to protect your crops from pests and diseases.