Onion Candy: description, cultivation and care of a hybrid variety with a photo

Without this culture, almost no cooking is complete. The Candy onion is a very early Dutch species and is easy to grow.

Description of the hybrid

This is an early onion variety that grows from seed in one season. Plant characteristics:

• Taste: sweet.
• Size 300-800g
• Diameter 15 cm.
• The shape is round.
• Golden brown.
• Crop volume 5 kg per 1 m^2.
• Matures within 90-100 days.
• Shelf life six months.

The declared criteria for the Candy onion variety are confirmed subject to the requirements of agricultural technology.

Date of landing. Plant site preparation

Sow Candy seeds. To obtain large heads, they are planted in greenhouses at the end of March. Or at the end of April in the ground, to obtain medium bulbs.

If you plant the selected bulbs, then they will have a peduncle that does not allow the heads to develop normally.

It is advisable not to grow a crop 2 years in a row in the same place. It is best if they grew in the beds before:

• Cabbage.
• Beans.
• Cucumbers.

The plant does not need special conditions for growth.The site is selected in the sun, away from trees and drafts. The soil must be nutritious. To do this, sand, black earth, wood ash and fertilizers for onions are added before planting. The grooves are made 4 cm deep, the distance between rows is 25 cm.

Growing by direct seeding in the ground

Onion planting material is thrown 2-3 seeds every 5 cm. 4 g of seeds should be enough for 1 m^{2. Summer residents recommend covering with covering material to speed up the germination process. It should be removed after germination.}

Place plants in raised beds if the soil is damp, or on flat beds if the summer is dry.

Further care is to thin out, as Candy onions do not like thick plantings. This should be done when the seedlings get stronger. Some housewives leave it in the garden and during the season break through and use for cooking.

Seedling growing

To get an earlier onion crop, seeds are planted for seedlings. The sowing time is calculated by each gardener individually. Since the climatic features of all regions are different. The approximate age of seedlings when transferred to a permanent place is 60 days.

Candy onion seeds need to be prepared by pre-soaking in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. To speed up the germination process, the seeds are wrapped for 2-3 days in a damp cloth.

After drying and planting in prepared soil. The composition should be loose and nutritious. Planting material is laid out, sprinkled with earth and watered with warm water. Then tighten with polyethylene. Observe the temperature regime, maintaining + 22-25 ⁰С. The containers are kept in a dark but warm place. As soon as shoots appear, they are transferred to a lighted place and the temperature is reduced to + 16-18 ⁰С.

Seedling care

As with any other plant, it is recommended to properly care for onions. Timely water, loosen and feed. For irrigation use water at room temperature, preferably settled.

When watering, make sure that water does not fall on the leaves, strictly under the root.

Once every 10 days they feed, take chicken manure and dilute it in a ratio of 1:20. It should be remembered that overfeeding the plants is also not worth it. After the appearance of 2 leaves, carefully cut the tops, this contributes to a better development of the root system.

As with direct sowing in the ground, onion crops need to be thinned out. Torn seedlings are planted in a separate container.

Hardening seedlings will help to adapt faster when transplanting, and reduce stress. When transferred to the ground, onion seedlings are rejected, choosing large and strong plants. After transplanting, the earth is slightly tamped.

Providing care in a permanent location

Growing onions in the garden is not difficult, it is enough to follow the usual agrotechnical measures for any summer resident:

• Remove weeds.
• Irrigation.
• Fertilization.
• Hilling and loosening.

Weeds in the beds develop much faster than a cultivated plant, so it is necessary to fight them. Do not leave uprooted plants in the same place from which they were removed. Since they are a source of bacteria and insect pests.

Water the onions as needed, avoiding excessive moisture. Drip irrigation is recommended. It does not allow the soil to compress, it remains loose, and does not become covered with a crust that restricts oxygen access.

Row spacing is done very carefully. Do not damage the onion roots. Fertilizers are applied 1 time in 21 days. Use mullein, bird droppings or complex top dressing.

Plant immunity

Candy onion is a hybrid, therefore it is not subject to pink rot and bottom rot. But this does not mean that you need to leave the plant without proper care.

Crop rotation, removal of weeds and cultivation of beds are used against the development of diseases characteristic of a particular crop.

Apply dusting with tobacco or ash. Against pest attacks, infusions of Bordeaux liquid or hot pepper are used.

All infected bulbs are burned or removed from the site.

Hybrid advantages and disadvantages

Before choosing which variety of onion to grow, any summer resident must get acquainted with the presence of positive and negative characteristics.

Pros:

• Early ripening.
• Great taste.
• Low maintenance.
• High yield.
• Immunity to certain diseases.

Cons:

• Bad storage.
• Does not produce seed.

Everyone has the right to decide for himself which of the signs of a plant hybrid are decisive when choosing.

Opinion of summer residents regarding the Candy hybrid

Analysis of reviews of vegetable growers gives a complete picture of the merits of the variety, in addition, novice summer residents find specific recommendations and tips for growing onions in the plots.

Vadim: “I sow immediately in the garden. Candy's bulbs are perfect. Everyone goes to salads, there is nothing left until November, so I can’t say anything about storage.”

Svetlana: “I grew onions for 2 years in a row in seedlings. I like the fact that the hybrid is fruitful and tasty, without bitterness. Demanding on watering, practically does not get sick.”

Candy is a godsend for many summer residents, unpretentious and gives a rich harvest.

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