All about sweet onions

Allspice is known as one of the oldest and most useful food crops. Due to its medicinal properties, this plant is popular in many countries of the world. The article provides both general information about this culture, as well as detailed recommendations on the process of its cultivation, as well as professional advice on the care of allspice onions.

The plant is known by completely different names, such as Chinese garlic, allspice, wild garlic, Siberian onion and, finally, dzhusai. This culture comes from the countries of the Far East: Mongolia and China. Fragrant onions are most common in Southeast Asia, Central Asia, Kazakhstan, as well as in Siberia and the Far East of Russia. Despite the fact that the plant has taken root in some parts of our country, it has not yet found much popularity among Russians. Depending on the area in which this crop is grown, it can also be called branched, odorous, or mountain onions.

Allspice is a perennial plant due to the fact that it can grow under favorable conditions for up to five years. Plants are grown mainly for the leaves: due to their soft surface and juicy taste, they are widely used in cooking. They contain a low amount of fiber, and therefore, even after a long time, the leaves do not become coarse, which is why they can be stored for a long time. However, onions can also be used during flowering, because even then it has a wonderful and unusual taste.

This effect is achieved due to the many white flowers, from which a delicate and memorable aroma emanates, which is generally unusual for such plants. It is because of this that fragrant onions can be grown not only for food, but also for additional comfort in the garden or in the garden.

Fragrant onions are divided into many varieties, each of which has its own characteristics. At the same time, nine such varieties were registered in the State Register. Only they are recommended for cultivation in all regions of the country. Some of them are worth considering separately.

• "A priori" - mid-season variety of aromatic onions. The period during which its leaves fully grow is 37 days. The main advantages of the variety are its resistance to low temperatures and the large yields that it is capable of giving. The plant itself stands out for its garlic and not very pungent taste, due to which the variety is popular as an ingredient in salads.

• "Caprice"... Like the previous one, it belongs to mid-season varieties. A distinctive feature is its flat and narrow leaves with a not too pungent taste of garlic. On average, for each cut "Caprice" is able to bring up to one and a half kilograms per square meter. In just a season, the cut can be done twice.

• "Spicy" - a variety characterized by perennial and mid-season. It should take about forty days from regrowth before it is time for cutting, and all this is only in the second year of the plant's life. Green leaves reach 30 centimeters in length and small width (one centimeter). Weak garlic taste. The yield of one cut reaches one and a half kilograms.

• "Jusay" refers to late-ripening varieties of sweet onions. Up to five flat leaves are formed from each plant.Suitable for both natural consumption and as an ingredient in any recipe. In total, it gives three cuts per season, from which you can collect 4-5 kilograms of the crop.

All varieties of allspice are distinguished by perenniality, and therefore they grow best only four years after the planting was made. The flowering period occurs in the second year. At this stage, the onions produce seeds that can be used for planting for another two to three years after harvest. The plant itself degenerates by a maximum of the sixth year.

In total, there are two ways to propagate aromatic onions: by dividing the bushes and using seeds. The choice of this or that method depends on the conditions in which the planting is to be carried out, and on what are the dimensions of the site where the onion will grow.

When using this planting method, you need to remember that the seeds of this plant are capable of sprouting even at temperatures slightly above zero degrees, although these are quite low rates for other crops. Proceeding from this, it is possible to plant seeds already in March, however, it is possible to extend this period until April, or even until May. The sowing phase can also fall in November and December. The seeds are very frost-resistant, and therefore they can withstand low temperatures.

If this particular planting option was chosen, then you should know that the onion will not develop very quickly, especially during the first year. During this entire period, he will be able to form a few small leaves at most. A full harvest can only be harvested in the second year. At the same stage, a lot of weeds appear, which should take a lot of time to fight.

Before planting itself, you need to take into account that the seeds must be properly processed. First, they must be moistened in water with a temperature of forty degrees and left there for twelve hours. By the time they cool down, they need to be placed in a container of room temperature water and left for two days. Only then are the seeds ready for planting.

Planting by dividing the bush is best done in autumn or spring. A bush that has reached the age of three should be chosen for this purpose. An important indicator of whether a bush is suitable for dividing or not is the presence of bulbs. The planting method itself is quite simple: it is necessary to root the shoots in small moist pits, located at a distance of thirty centimeters from each other. The holes must be sprinkled with earth, and then watered abundantly.

Taking care of scented onions is easy, unlike many other plants. For him, it is enough just to loosen the soil in a timely manner, regularly weed, feed and water. So, top dressing is necessarily carried out in the spring, for which up to 25 grams of potassium chloride or superphosphate is consumed per square meter. These are the best fertilizer options. After that, top dressing is carried out after each subsequent harvest. Also suitable as fertilizers are cow dung or chicken manure, which must first be thoroughly diluted with water.

By the time the growing season ends, the leaves should have already died out due to frost. They need to be cut off along with the arrows. When the plant enters the growth phase, it will yield three or even four times the crop. As a rule, this happens in the second year, then the cutting stage begins. You can determine readiness by the length of the leaves. If it reaches 20-30 centimeters, then the time has come. The final cut is carried out just before the onset of frost. At this time, it is best to store the crop in the refrigerator, up to 12 days.

Since this crop does not differ in any dormant periods, it is also well suited for growing at home.Small pots of up to 500 milliliters are best for where the onions can grow. Planting and leaving take place according to the same rules as in summer cottages. However, it should be remembered that the seeds must first be treated with a fungicide solution. You can grow onions directly on the windowsill or on the balcony.

As for forcing, it is best done during the spring months by placing the onions under dense film cover. Plants that are three or four years old are well suited for this purpose.

Any part of the onion can be eaten if it was harvested before flowering. After this stage, the stems and leaves will be too tough. A full harvest is harvested only in the second year after planting. Otherwise, the bulbs simply cannot appear before the onset of cold weather. Leaves and stems are best suited for food. The bulbs themselves should be left to harvest next season.

During pruning, first of all, you should pay attention to the leaves that have reached 25 centimeters. They are best suited for later use. The crop itself is harvested three times on average over the entire season. The last such stage occurs a month or two before the beginning of winter. The yield is usually between three and five kilograms per square meter.

Immediately after the end of the harvest, the leaves can be stored for a maximum of several days, and then they will deteriorate. In order to preserve them for a long time, the leaves need to be well processed. They can be frozen, fermented or pickled.

Scented onions are mostly consumed in their natural form. So, in China, it is eaten either fresh or pre-dried. In Asian countries, its taste is best appreciated during the flowering period. However, in Europe it is not as common as in Asia. Recently, it has been used as a condiment due to its pleasant aroma and garlic flavor. Onions are ideal as an ingredient in any vegetable salad. You can add it to any other dishes for taste. By themselves, the leaves are well stored in salted, pickled or dried form.