Aflatun onion, otherwise called anzur, is an ornamental plant with beautiful purple ball-shaped flowers. It owes its name to the place where it gained the greatest popularity - Aflatun Pass. Mountain varieties grow there.
It is valued not only for its extraordinary appearance, but also for the healing benefits of the bulbs for the human body. They are shaped like tulips and taste like garlic. Today, onions are widely cultivated in summer cottages, as they are easy to care for. Due to a sharp decrease in the population, the crop is listed in the Red Book.
Description of the plant
Anzur onion, Suvorov onion, giant, Dutch, stalked, tall - all of these names belong to one perennial plant - wild onion, which has a huge number of varieties. The natural habitat of the culture is the territories of Altai and the western region of Central Asia - gorges, mountain slopes, salt marshes.
However, it is cultivated in almost all corners of the world. And this is not surprising, because the spicy culture is “not capricious” either to the soil composition or to the climatic conditions. Since there are many species and subspecies, as well as hybrids obtained through breeding work, their external parameters also vary.
But this bow has common characteristics:
- At the beginning of the growing season, the green part is similar in appearance to tulips, and as it grows it becomes more and more similar to garlic, only much larger in size.
- The stems are tall, from 1 to 1.5 m, in some subspecies they can grow up to 2 m in height.
- The leaf blade is wide (up to 10 cm), shaped like lily of the valley leaves, only larger in size. The leaves are the earliest “vegetable” greens, but after a short time (14–20 days) they become coarser, become hard and fibrous, turn yellow and become unsuitable for food.
- A distinctive feature of ansurs are decorative spherical inflorescences of small bright lilac or white flowers that appear in the upper part of the onion.
- The underground part of the plants is formed in the form of huge bulbs (can reach 15 cm in diameter), which appear 2–3 years after planting the plant on the ridge.
- The taste combines both onion and garlic flavors, but at a more mature age, the taste of garlic increasingly prevails. In this regard, the culture is used as a savory preservation.
Important! Anzur bulbs cannot be consumed raw, as they are poisonous! The vegetable should be pre-treated (soaked, pickled).
Varieties of onions
Mountain onions are divided into two large groups, which were formed based on the degree of ribbing of the stem. The first group includes types of onions that have pronounced ribbing on the stem.
This includes:
- Giant onion. The oval-shaped bulb grows up to 6 cm in diameter, and the leaves and stems are 2 m. The flowering period begins in early summer and lasts until the end of June, delighting amateur gardeners with attractive inflorescences of purple or snow-white flowers, which are used for decorative purposes in landscape design, and also in cutting.
- Dutch . This type of anzur is somewhat smaller than the previous one - it grows about 1 m in height, however, the bulb is impressive in size (about 5 cm) and covered with paper-like scales. The lower part of the stem has pronounced ribbing. The plant blooms in the last month of spring and for several weeks pleases with attractive spherical inflorescences of all shades of pink.
- Yezdiansky . Somewhat smaller than the Dutch one (the diameter of the underground part of the plant is about 35 mm, and the width of the leaf blade is about 4 cm). Flowering occurs in June. The flowers are soft purple with characteristic white stamens.
- McLean Bow (High). It is distinguished by pronounced ribs on the stems. It has the same dimensions as the previous type, but the flowers are of a soft lilac hue, which delights the entire first summer month.
- The pinkest . The bulb of this species, flattened in the lower and upper planes, can be classified as miniature (30 mm in diameter). A distinctive feature of onions is the inflorescences with pale pink flowers, in which pinkish stamens are clearly visible.
- Suvorov's bow. Very similar to Rozoveishy, but the “Suvorov” bulb is distinctly round, and the leaf blades have a rough edge. Inflorescences can be either symmetrically round or asymmetrical.
The second group includes plants with a smooth stem surface.
Important! A nuance that should be taken into account in the case of cultivating anzurs as a home garden crop is intolerance to excessive soil moisture.
This includes:
- Aflatun onion. The green part reaches 180 cm in height, and the diameter of the bulbous part (oval) is 60 mm. The flowering period lasts 4 weeks and occurs in early summer, delighting with umbrellas of bright purple color.
- Supreme. In appearance it is similar to the Aflatun one, but is distinguished by its neatness and miniature size.
- Rosenbach bow. The main distinguishing feature of this subspecies is the presence of only 4 leaf blades (some sources call the number “6”) and a silvery shade of deep pink inflorescences. On sale it may have the name “Salute, Maria!”
- Zarevshansky . Very similar to Rosenbach, the only difference is that the leaf width reaches 0.1 m, and the plates are covered with a bluish coating.
- stalked. Anzur, distinguished by early flowering (at the very beginning of May) and snow-white flowers (less often - red). Plant height ranges from 60 cm to 150 cm.
In addition to the two groups of standard species, there are hybrids and varieties that are also actively used as ornamental plants.
The most popular ones:
- Lucy Ball;
- Glory of Pamir;
- Goliath;
- Globus;
- Gladiator;
- Album.
Planting Suvorov's onion
Anzur can be planted with seeds or bulbs. Each of these methods has its own characteristics that you need to pay attention to.
Growing from seeds
It is recommended to plant the seeds of the crop in the fall during the garlic planting period, since they need stratification for successful germination. To do this, it is recommended to make ridges 10-12 cm high to prevent getting wet during thaws. The optimal embedment depth is 2 cm.
Onion seeds germinate at the end of March, at the beginning of April, when the daytime temperature will confidently remain at +5 ° C. When the seedlings begin to dry out in June, they should be dug up and the bulbs should be dried well. In the fall, replant in the ground at a distance of 5 cm. Repeat the procedure for the third season, and already in the fourth year, Suvorov’s onion can be transferred to a permanent place.
Vegetative method
Planting can also be done using plant bulb segments. To do this, it is necessary to dig up Suvorov's onion in June, when the leaves begin to fade sharply. Then dry well and leave until autumn. After this, divide into cloves, like garlic, and plant immediately in a permanent place. In this case, marketable bulbs can be collected the following year.
Important! The best predecessors for Anzur are cabbage, potatoes, and cucumbers.
Useful properties of the plant
Anzur onion is cultivated as a vegetable crop for preparing salads, okroshka and soups, using young green shoots. Due to the rapid hardening, the sheets are not stored for a long time, but they are excellent as raw materials for freezing, which after thawing retain their taste and vitamin properties.
The bulbs should be subjected to a lengthy pre-prep process (soaking for about 4 weeks, often in water) to remove the sulfurous smell and toxic compounds present in the vegetable. Used as a raw material for pickling and baking. Boil with honey.
Did you know? The sugar content in onions is higher than in pears and apples, so when frying, when the essential substances are destroyed, the vegetable acquires a sweet taste.
Such foods should be eaten in small portions and infrequently. The plant has a number of beneficial properties, which are due to the presence of large amounts of ascorbic acid, vitamins E and B, as well as salts of mineral origin.
Namely:
- bactericidal;
- vitamin;
- medicinal (improves digestive functions);
- phytoncidal;
- spicy.
In addition to the above characteristics, varieties of mountain onions are excellent honey plants and very decorative.
Benefits and harms
People in the East have known about the benefits of the Anzur onion since ancient times and used it to heal many ailments:
- headaches, depression, epilepsy;
- colds, coughs, ear and throat pain;
- poor digestion;
- bladder stones;
- joint diseases;
- skin diseases, hair loss.
The latest research on Anzur bows has shown that its use:
- increases tone;
- strengthens the immune system;
- stimulates brain activity.
Important!
Anzurs are useful for older people to strengthen memory and reduce age-related hand tremors.
The juice of fresh Anzur bulbs is sometimes used for medicinal purposes. But this method of treatment must be approached with extreme caution. Due to the high content of biologically active substances such as saponins in the bulbs, exceeding the dosage can cause poisoning. It is safer to use baked or boiled Anzur with honey or milk for treatment.
Planting in open ground
Let us dwell on the main points related to planting anzurs in open ground.
Optimal timing
When planting Dutch onions using seeds as planting material, the recommended sowing time is the end of October, after the ripened seeds have been collected from the “parent” plant. Of course, the dates should be correlated according to the weather characteristics of a particular region.
Important! If spring planting is planned, experts recommend pre-planting stratification. To do this, a mixture of onion seeds and wet sand is kept in a refrigerator for 6 months, after which they are completely ready for sowing.
Site selection and soil preparation
Mountain onions are not particularly demanding when it comes to planting sites, so choose both a sufficiently lit area and a semi-shaded area. The crop also does not make any special demands on soils; the main thing, as mentioned above in the article, is to avoid waterlogging the soil.
Experts advise:
- to minimize the risk of fungal infections, the consistency of the soil should be loose and the composition should be sandy loam;
- peat and well-rotted humus are used as fertilizing (in small quantities);
- predecessor crops - cabbage, cucumbers, potatoes, in place of which onions can be planted;
- give preference to high, bulk beds (5–10 cm), with a well-loosened soil surface free of weedy plant residues.
Sowing seeds
Shallow grooves (1.5 cm) are made on the surface of the prepared ridge and seeds are placed in them. Sprinkle the top with a layer of peat or compost (2 cm). Shoots appear in March-April.
Onion sowing scheme.
Features of planting and growing
When growing mountain onions, no special measures are required to protect plants from diseases and pests, but attention should be paid to soil preparation and fertilizing.
Preparing for landing
Prepare the beds taking into account all the characteristics of the plant:
- do not plant in places where precipitation and melt water accumulate;
- the plant is a light-loving plant, so choose a place where nothing will shade it;
- the beds are made in bulk to prevent waterlogging of the soil;
- The soil is deeply loosened and weeds are removed.
For propagation, select bulbs without visible damage, blemishes or rot .
Before planting, the cloves are scarified (the top layer is damaged) for the rapid appearance of sprouts. The planting material is treated with coarse sand or cut with a knife. Breaking the bulbs is also considered scarification.
The seeds are inspected, damaged ones are removed, then soaked in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for half an hour.
Soil requirements
The soil must be fertile, deeply worked , since the roots of the onion penetrate into the ground to a depth of 50 cm. Sandy loam soils are chosen. In clay soil there is a high risk of fungal infection.
Dates, scheme and rules of planting
Onions are planted at the end of October . The distance between rows should be 30-35 cm, between plants - 20 cm. The planting depth depends on the size of the segment: large specimens are buried by 20 cm, medium ones - by 12 cm, small ones - by 7 cm.
Onion seeds are sown to a depth of 1.5-2 cm , the distance between rows is 10-15 cm.
Nuances of care
Anzur is unpretentious, is not afraid of harsh winters, and tolerates temperatures down to –35°C . In winter it does not require additional shelter.
Onions have a short growing season.
To increase the volume of the bulb, the arrows with inflorescences are broken off . Yellowed leaves are removed for aesthetic reasons.
Watering mode
The plant does not like excessive moisture . Even slight waterlogging is detrimental: the bulbs will hurt and rot. Only when the weather is hot, dry, these onions are watered 1-2 times a week.
Two weeks before harvesting, watering is stopped.
Important! At the first appearance of signs of putrefactive processes, the affected onion is dug up.
Loosening the soil and weeding
Loosen the soil after each watering or rain . Weeds are removed immediately.
Top dressing
Anzur responds well to feeding . Fertilize it several times per season:
- The first fertilizing is carried out when the shoots appear. Nitrogen preparations and urea are used.
- The second - 2-3 weeks after emergence to enhance photosynthesis. Spray with the drug “Ferovit”.
- 14-20 days after the second feeding, the soil is enriched with ash and potassium sulfate.
Disease and pest control
Anzur is not afraid of diseases and pests . The beds are not treated with chemicals, resulting in an environmentally friendly harvest.
Difficulties in growing
If you follow all the rules for sowing, growing and harvesting, there will be no difficulties . Every gardener can grow onions and garlic.
Onion care
Stem onions should be watered in doses, avoiding waterlogging of the soil layer even for a short time. After each irrigation, loosening is carried out and weeds are eliminated along the way.
Fertilize the vegetable plant, adhering to the following schedule:
- nitrogen fertilizing (urea) - upon emergence of seedlings;
- spraying with “Ferovit” - 14 days after the first fertilization. It will enhance the process of photosynthesis in the leaves;
- wood ash + potassium sulfate - add the mixture three times during the entire growing season of the plants. Combined with loosening the soil.
Did you know? The world leader in onion consumption per capita is Libya. In a year, according to statistics, every citizen of the country eats 33 kg of vegetables, while in France this figure is only 5.6 kg.
How to propagate anzur onion?
In addition to the seed method, vegetative propagation is practiced (by children, slices, bulbs). This method is considered simpler. To do this, the planting material indicated above is placed in the prepared soil, deepened by 13–15 cm and maintaining a distance of a quarter meter.
Bulbs for propagation. It is important to plant before frost sets in so that the material has time to take root well.
Harvest and storage
If the giant onion is grown for food, it is removed from the ground immediately after flowering, before the leaves dry out. If cultivation occurs for the purpose of obtaining decorative inflorescences, the underground parts of the plant can be left in the garden bed. After drying, store the vegetable in paper bags in a dry and dark place.
The long and labor-intensive process of preparing onion raw materials for subsequent consumption, as well as the specific taste, make anzurs a rather specific vegetable in cooking. However, thanks to its decorative properties, the giant onion is increasingly attracting the attention of gardeners and flower growers.
Diseases and pests
Reference. Anzur onion is practically not susceptible to diseases and pests. This is one of its advantages. After all, the beds do not require additional treatment with chemicals, making the harvest environmentally friendly.
The only thing that can affect the plant bulbs is rot. This happens when there is excess moisture in the soil. This problem is eliminated by digging up all affected specimens and providing the remaining healthy bulbs with a normal watering regime.
Onions are always in demand; they are a healthy and tasty vegetable. We suggest reading articles about such varieties as Bessonovsky, Parade, Snowball, Karatalsky, Strigunovsky, Elan, Stanfield, Turbo, Danilovsky, Setton.
