- Authors: Burak S.Yu.
- Name synonyms: Gelios
- Year of approval: 2018
- Ripening terms: mid-season
- Bulb weight, g: 100-120
- The form: rounded
- Dry scales: light yellow
- Coloring juicy scales: white with a greenish tint
- Density: medium density
- Taste: spicy
Onions are in the refrigerator of every housewife, since they are both healthy and widely used in cooking. It is not difficult to grow onions in a garden ridge if you choose the right variety, as well as familiarize yourself with the intricacies of growing. Popular varieties include the mid-season Helios, a Dutch selection.
Breeding history
Onion Helios is a variety developed by Dutch scientists of the Avista agricultural company in 2015. The author of the vegetable crop is the famous breeder Burak S. Yu. The onion variety was added to the State Register of approved for use in the territory of the Russian Federation in 2018. The culture is zoned in the Central region.
Description of the variety
Helios is a plant with a compact ground part - neat feathers that grow in height up to 30-35 cm. The feathers are arranged vertically, evenly covered with a rich green color. During the growing season, arrows are practically not formed. A distinctive feature of the variety is its powerful root system.
This variety is suitable for cultivation on private households, as well as for commercial purposes - for sale. You can cultivate and harvest vegetables in a mechanized way.
Characteristics of the appearance of plants and bulbs
Onion Helios belongs to the category of medium-fruited species. Bulbs weighing 100-120 grams are ripened. The length of each specimen reaches 10 cm. The shape of the bulb is neat - rounded or elongated-rounded. The neck of the vegetable is slightly elongated. The surface husk consists of 3-4 dry scales of light yellow or golden color. Onion pulp (juicy scales) is white, which is slightly diluted with greenish stripes. The structure of the bulb is of medium density.
As for primordiality, Helios is small-nested, since there is one nest in the structure of the bulb. The dug out onion easily tolerates transportation, and also has a long shelf life - up to 10 months. Good keeping quality is due to the tight fit of the thin, strong skin to the fruit. It is important that during winter maturation, the bulbs do not rot, do not lose their density and taste.
Purpose and taste
Onions have a classic taste. The snow-white-greenish pulp is characterized by juiciness, tenderness, piquant taste and aroma. The taste is dominated by pungency, complemented by light sweetness. The slightly elongated shape of the onion makes it very easy to cut.
The dug vegetable has a wide range of uses in cooking - it is added to vegetable salads, to various hot dishes, pickled, and used in canning.
Maturation
Onion belongs to mid-season varieties. From the first shoots to ripe bulbs on the ridge, 90-96 days pass. The germination and ripening of the culture are friendly. Harvesting begins in the second half of July - as soon as the tops are partially covered.
Yield
The variety is declared as highly productive. On average, 321-470 centners of leveled bulbs are harvested from 1 hectare of plantings. The maximum yield was noted at the level of 600 c / ha.
Planting dates with seeds, seedlings and seedlings
The dates for planting onions in open ground begin from mid-April to the first half of May. Podzimny sowing is carried out in September-October, that is, on the eve of the first frost. More accurate planting dates directly depend on the climatic features of the region.
Growing and care
Onions are cultivated in several ways - by seed and set, but it is from the set that high-quality and tasty specimens ripen. When growing through sowing seeds, it is recommended to pre-sort the seed and disinfect it in a solution of potassium permanganate. Seeds are sown mainly in common containers (boxes), since it is impractical to cultivate onions in individual cups. The seeds are deepened by 1.5 cm, keeping the distance between the seedlings about 5 cm.
Sevok is selected for planting of high quality - the bulbs should be dense, the husk is absolutely dry, the color is uniform, without foreign smell.
Caring for onions does not require special skills, it is enough to water the culture regularly so that water penetrates to a depth of 8-10 cm (watering stops 3 weeks before digging), weeding, periodically loosen the soil, and also apply additional fertilizing (nitrogen and phosphorus-potassium complexes ). In addition, disease prevention should not be neglected.
Since the onion is an unpretentious and cold-resistant plant, it can be planted both in spring and autumn. It is necessary to properly prepare the planting material, competently prepare the garden bed and determine the timing of planting.
Soil requirements
Onions prefer loose, nutritious, breathable, moist soils. It is important that the acidity of the soil is lowered or neutral.
The bow is not as unpretentious as it seems. For good growth, you need fertile soil, quality care and nutritious fertilizers. Without top dressing, the bulbs will grow small, and the greens will not be lush. At different stages, it should be fed with different substances. The vegetable needs organic and mineral feeding. A good result for fertilizing onions is the use of folk remedies.
Required climatic conditions
Onion Helios is a stress-resistant culture, therefore it easily withstands cold snaps down to -18, light shade and heat. You need to plant onions in sunny areas, where there is a lot of heat and light, and there is also a barrier from drafts.
Disease and pest resistance
Thanks to its good immunity, onions are resistant to a number of fungal diseases. The culture is resistant to neck rot, attacks of thrips, aphids and onion flies. Experienced vegetable growers plant fragrant plants near onion ridges - calendula and marigolds, which scare off pests with their smell.
Despite the fact that the onion is a very useful plant, capable of repelling and killing many microbes and bacteria, it itself is often damaged and suffers from various misfortunes. Diseases and pests of onions can significantly reduce the yield. It is necessary to correctly determine the presence of this or that disease and take appropriate measures in time.