Early high-yielding onion hybrid “Cupido” for growing in greenhouses and open ground

Gardeners increasingly prefer to plant onions of Dutch selection in their plots, as they are more hardy, unpretentious and have a pleasant taste. Cupido is one of the popular onion hybrids, suitable for growing on personal plots and in large farms.

Description of the hybrid

Cupido F1 is a heterotic (with accelerated growth and increased vitality) hybrid of the first generation.

Its bulbs are used universally: they consumed fresh, added to salads and preparations, used for cooking, stewing and frying.

Origin and development

The hybrid onion Cupido F1 was bred by Dutch breeders, the originator is NICKERSON ZWAAN B.V.

The hybrid was included in the State Register of Russia in 2015.

Chemical composition, trace elements, vitamins and beneficial properties

Cupido contains:

• essential oil;
• proteins;
• carbohydrates;
• Sahara;
• mineral salts;
• vitamins B, C, PP;
• macro- and microelements.

Onions stimulate the immune system and metabolism, protect the body from viruses, have an antibacterial effect, act as a source of essential vitamins and minerals, and help remove toxins from the body.

Ripening time and yield

This is a mid-early ripening onion - the harvest is harvested 75-85 days after emergence.

Marketable yield is 266-355 c/ha.

Reference. The maximum yield was recorded in the Moscow region - 604 c/ha.

Disease resistance

With proper care of plantings, Cupido is not prone to disease. Among the pests, onion flies pose the greatest danger to this onion.

Characteristics of the bulb, description of appearance, taste

The hybrid forms dense two-bud bulbs with a neck of medium thickness, which have a round shape and weigh 90-120 g.

The heads are covered with a brownish-yellow husk, the flesh is white, with a greenish tint. The taste is soft, semi-sharp.

For which regions is it best suited and what are the climate requirements?

The hybrid is included in the State Register for the Central, Central Black Earth, Lower Volga and Far Eastern regions.

Reference. When cultivated in areas located north of central European Russia, onions need protection from frost.

The main advantages and disadvantages of a hybrid

Pros:

• high productivity;
• early maturation;
• pleasant taste;
• resistance to bolting, drought, insects and diseases;
• possibility of long-term storage;
• unpretentiousness;
• high commercial quality and transportability.

Minuses:

• low resistance to frost;
• sensitivity to sudden temperature changes in spring;
• impossibility of self-harvesting seeds.

What is the difference from others

A comparison of Cupido with other hybrids is presented in the table.

Features of planting and growing

Cupid's onion is a biennial plant. First, sets are grown from seeds, which are used in the second year to produce large turnips.

The hybrid can be grown in open ground and greenhouses, it is suitable for spring and winter landing.

Preparing for landing

First of all, it is important to choose the right planting material: the seeds must be from last year, and the seedlings must be dry, dense, without traces of mold, rot or unpleasant odor. The optimal size of the bulbs is 1-1.5 cm. Specimens whose diameter exceeds 1.5 cm are prone to bolting, and bulbs that are too small are inconvenient to plant.

Before sowing, the quality of the seeds is checked by dipping them into a saline solution: empty grains float, and full grains sink. After this, the seeds are soaked in a solution of potassium permanganate for disinfection and dried well.

Important! Seeds purchased in specialized stores do not require additional processing.

Before planting, Cupido onion sets are dried and heated for 7-14 days at a temperature of +30...+35°C, then treated with a solution of potassium permanganate or copper sulfate for disinfection and growth stimulants.

The site is cleared of weeds and plant debris in advance, dug up and organic fertilizers are added to the ground - compost, humus or rotted chicken droppings.

Soil requirements

The hybrid prefers loose, nutritious, fertile soil with good moisture permeability, aeration and a neutral or slightly alkaline reaction (pH 6.6-7.4). The best option is sandstones and loams.

Dates, scheme and rules of planting

Scheme for sowing seeds for seedlings:

1. Pour the nutrient soil mixture into the prepared container and water it generously.
2. After absorbing the water, make furrows in the soil no more than 1.5 cm deep every 5 cm.
3. Place the seeds along the length of the furrows and cover them with soil.
4. Cover the container with polyethylene and put it in a bright place at a temperature of +20...+22°C until shoots appear.
5. Remove the plastic after the onions sprout.

In the case of sowing seeds in open ground, the scheme remains the same, and the distance between the rows should be sufficient for weeding and loosening.

The timing of transplanting seedlings into open ground depends on climatic conditions: the main thing is that the soil warms up, the weather is consistently warm and there is no threat of frost.

Transplanting seedlings:

1. Prepare the beds at a distance of 20 cm from each other.
2. Make holes in them 5-6 cm deep every 10 cm.
3. Pour 0.5 liters of warm water into each well, to which growth stimulants can be added.
4. When the water is absorbed, place the plants removed from the container along with a lump of earth into the holes.
5. Pour soil into the holes and compact it.
6. If desired, mulch the beds.

Sevok is planted in the ground in the fall (3-4 weeks before frost) or in the spring, after stable warm weather has established, according to the following scheme:

1. Prepare the beds in the area, taking into account that the distance between them should be at least 20 cm.
2. Make holes in the beds for planting onions every 10 cm.
3. Place the onions in them, deepening them by 3-5 cm for spring planting and 10 cm for autumn planting.
4. Cover the seedlings with soil, leaving the tails on the surface.
5. Mulch the beds with straw or peat in case of winter planting.

Features of cultivation

The site for planting Cupido should be open to sunlight, but protected from the wind.

The best predecessors for this hybrid are cucumbers, zucchini, squash, chili peppers, tomatoes, potatoes, cabbage, spinach, radishes, and salads.

You should not plant onions after dill, parsnips, celery, peas, beans, turnips, and radishes.

Nuances of care

Proper care is the key to a bountiful and high-quality harvest. Therefore, it is important to know about the nuances of watering, loosening the soil and applying fertilizers.

Watering mode

Cupido develops well in moderately moist soil and tolerates drought better than excessive watering, so when irrigating, they focus on the condition of the top layer of soil. In moderately dry summers, watering is carried out once every 2-3 weeks.

Watering is stopped 3-4 weeks before harvesting - this helps improve the taste of the bulbs and increase their shelf life.

Loosening the soil and weeding

After each watering, but at least once a week, the soil between the rows is loosened to a depth of 4-6 cm. This procedure improves the access of moisture and air to the underground part of the plants and helps get rid of weeds that interfere with the growth and development of onions.

Reference. When loosening, you must not allow the spouts of the sets to become covered with soil, otherwise the onion will stop growing.

Top dressing

If the hybrid is planted in fertile soil, then the fertilizer applied before planting is sufficient.

Otherwise, during the growing season, fertilizing is applied twice:

• at the end of May - ammonium nitrate (10-15 g per 1 m²);
• in the second ten days of June - potassium salt (10-15 g per 1 m²).

Before applying fertilizer, the beds must be watered.

Disease and pest control

If agrotechnical requirements are met, Cupido remains resistant to diseases. However, plants can be attacked pests, in particular, onion flies.

To prevent insect attacks, the beds are mulched with peat, and the soil and plants are dusted with wood ash or tobacco. If parasites have already infected the plantings, they are treated with insecticides, for example, “Mukhoed” or “Alatar”.

Harvest and storage

The Cupido onion harvest can be stored for a long time, but for this the bulbs need to be properly collected, prepared and provided with optimal storage conditions.

How and when to collect

When planting in autumn, onions ripen in May, when planting in spring - in August. A signal that the crop is ready for harvest is the drying and lodging of the feathers.

The bulbs are carefully dug up with a shovel or a special bracket and removed from the ground.

Storage features and shelf life of the hybrid

The dug up bulbs are inspected and sorted, discarding or setting aside spoiled or damaged specimens for immediate use.

After this, the onions are left in a dry and well-ventilated place to dry for 5-7 days. Then they crush it, separate the dry tops from the turnips and send the bulbs for a week to dry again at a temperature of at least +30...+35°C.

The prepared bulbs are placed in baskets or wooden boxes and stored in a dark room with moderate humidity and air temperature +5...+7°C. In such conditions, the crop is stored for about 9 months.

What difficulties may there be when growing

When growing Cupido onions, some problems may arise:

• bolting - the hybrid releases arrows if it freezes, in case of sudden temperature changes or when planting too large a seed;
• the development of fungal and other diseases in case of improper care, in particular excessive watering;
• death of plants due to untimely application of fertilizers, for example, at the stage of growing seedlings.

Advice from experienced gardeners

Experienced farmers recommend:

1. Plant carrots, marigolds or calendula next to onion beds - these plants repel onion flies.
2. When the feathers begin to dry out, open the onion bushes a little and pull them up, tearing some of the roots - this has a positive effect on the ripening of the turnip.
3. Do not use organic fertilizers during the growing season if the goal of growing onions is to produce turnips. Such fertilizing is only suitable for planting onions on feathers.

Reviews of the onion hybrid Cupido

Farmers respond mostly positively to the Cupido hybrid.

Pavel, Amur region: “I often try to grow new varieties of onions, I read the description of Cupido - I couldn’t pass it up. I bought seedlings because I don’t like messing with seeds and seedlings. I especially liked that the onions do not require much care - I water them a couple of times a month and that’s it. At the same time, the productivity is beyond praise. The onions were stored for more than six months, and this is an excellent indicator.”

Irina, Volsk: “I don’t see any flaws in this onion at all - it is unpretentious, gives a good harvest that is stored for a long time, is not too spicy, practically does not get sick and is not affected by pests. The only thing is that it’s a pity that you can’t prepare the seeds yourself, but this is a problem with all hybrids, not just this one.”

Conclusion

Cupido onions appeared on the market recently, but have already gained popularity among gardeners. The hybrid adapts well to climatic conditions, does not require labor-intensive care, is resistant to diseases and pests, is characterized by a pleasant semi-sharp taste, abundant yield and good shelf life.