Mid-early onion hybrid "Helenas" with high yield

The Helenas onion variety was developed by specialists from Holland. Medium early culture. Technical maturity of the fruit is noted 3.5-4 months after emergence. Root vegetables are grown as an annual plant from seeds.

Bow Helenas

The culture is heat-loving, recommended for cultivation in the Lower Volga region. In Moscow, Siberia, and the northern regions, it is cultivated in greenhouse conditions. What are the characteristics of the Helenas onion? What kind of care does it require?

Description of the hybrid

Helenas is a first generation heterotic hybrid . Suitable for fresh consumption and as an additive to various dishes, as well as for canning.

Origin and development

Helenas onion was bred in 2009 in the Netherlands , the originator is the company ENZA ZADEN BEHEER BV

It was included in the State Register of Russia in 2011.

Chemical composition, trace elements, vitamins and beneficial properties

Onion Helenas contains:

• vitamins A, C, PP and group B;
• essential oils;
• phytoncides;
• iron;
• potassium;
• carotene;
• zinc.

The vegetable prevents vitamin deficiency and strengthens the immune system, destroys microbes, increases hemoglobin, supports the functioning of the cardiovascular system, speeds up metabolism, and helps remove toxins from the body.

Ripening time and yield

This is a mid-early ripening hybrid. Bulbs are formed within 90-105 days .

The marketable yield of Helenas is 434-601 c/ha.

Reference. The maximum yield was recorded in the Volgograd region - 982 c/ha.

Disease resistance

The hybrid is immune to diseases, but only with proper care. In case of sudden temperature changes, the risk of developing fungal infections increases.

Characteristics of the bulb, description of appearance, taste

Onion Helenas has tubular leaves of a rich green color , covered with a thin layer of waxy coating. The bulbs are round, weigh on average 100-170 g, covered with dark brown husk. The pulp is white with a greenish tint, has a semi-sharp taste and a characteristic onion aroma.

Growing regions and climate requirements

The hybrid is included in the State Register for the Lower Volga region, but due to its unpretentiousness to climatic conditions, it is successfully cultivated in other areas.

Advantages and disadvantages

Pros of Helenas onions:

• early maturation;
• large onions;
• unpretentiousness;
• disease resistance;
• high productivity;
• ripening rate – 90%, after ripening – 100%.

Minuses:

• sensitivity to temperature changes;
• impossibility of growing from your own seeds.

Difference from other varieties and hybrids

A comparison of Helenas with other varieties and hybrids is presented in the table:

Is it worth growing Helenas onions in your garden?

Onion Helenas F1, Dutch selection, is a 1st generation hybrid. This is a heterotic hybrid, which received its excellent qualities from the best representatives of ordinary varieties.

Helenas is a mid-early variety, its bulbs form on average in 3-3.5 months. The color of its juicy scales is white with a green tint, the upper (dry) scales are golden-bronze. Helenas is a low-germinating variety and produces 1 bulb. Its neck is of medium thickness (the thinner the neck, the longer the shelf life). The bulbs are dense, round in shape, and have a semi-sharp taste.

Features of planting and growing

The quality of the harvest depends on how correctly the seed was prepared and planted in the ground in a timely manner.

One of the main advantages of this hybrid is the ability to grow from sets and seeds.

Preparing for landing

A week before sowing, the seeds are soaked for 24 hours in a solution of potassium permanganate until they swell , then they are laid out on a damp cloth and left to germinate in a bright room at a temperature of +20...+25°C, making sure that the cloth remains damp. Before sowing, they are dried at room temperature for half an hour.

Reference. Many farmers, instead of germinating, soak the seeds for 18-20 hours in a growth stimulant solution.

The soil mixture for growing seedlings is made from equal parts of sand, soil from the garden, peat and compost. To disinfect the finished substrate, it is spilled with a fungicide solution or calcined.

Before planting, the seedlings are heated for 8 hours at a temperature of +35°C , and then the upper part is cut off along the neck line to speed up the emergence of seedlings.

In autumn, plant remains are removed from the site, the soil is dug up 30 cm deep and humus is added. In the spring, they dig again and enrich the soil with superphosphate, ammonium nitrate and potassium salt.

Soil requirements

The soil should be loose, nutritious, with weak or neutral acidity and good moisture and air permeability.

Dates, scheme and rules of planting

The time for sowing seeds for seedlings depends on the climate of the region. If it is early spring in the region, sowing is carried out in the second half of February, in other regions - in mid-March.

The process of growing seedlings:

1. Pour the soil mixture into the prepared containers and make furrows 1 cm deep in it every 5-6 cm.
2. Place seeds in the furrows at 3 cm intervals.
3. Sprinkle them with soil and water lightly.
4. Cover the container with polyethylene and put it in a bright place with a temperature of +20...+25°C.
5. When shoots appear, remove the polyethylene and reduce the room temperature to +16...+20°C.
6. After 3 weeks, water the seedlings with mineral fertilizers, repeat the procedure after 10 days.

Seedlings are planted in open ground 2 months after emergence . In the south this is the end of April, in other regions it is mid-May.

Instructions for planting seedlings:

1. Make furrows 1-2 cm deep in the area, maintaining a distance between them of 25-30 cm.
2. Lightly moisten the soil along the furrows.
3. Place the seedlings in the furrows at a distance of 5 cm from each other, sprinkle with soil and water.
4. Mulch the beds with peat.

Sevok is planted in the ground at the end of April or beginning of May. In areas with moderately cold winters, winter Helenas onion sets can be planted in late October or early November.

Important! During winter planting, the air temperature should not exceed +5°C.

Set planting scheme:

1. Mark rows on the site at a distance of 20-25 cm from each other.
2. Every 5-8 cm, dig planting holes 3-4 cm deep.
3. Place an onion in each hole, cut side up.
4. Cover the holes with soil and tamp lightly.

The beds are watered in the spring and mulched in the fall.

Nuances of care

Onions are grown in a well-lit area where moisture does not accumulate, so it is better to choose places on the plain or hills.

Helenas should not be planted after garlic and carrots. The best predecessors for it are legumes, cabbage, tomatoes, cucumbers, and potatoes.

Reference. The optimal air temperature for crop development is +20…+25°C.

When caring for plants, it is necessary to follow the rules of watering, loosening and weeding the soil, as well as timely apply fertilizers and treat plantings from pests and diseases.

Watering mode

The hybrid does not tolerate drought and excessive moisture , so when watering the main thing is regularity and moderation.

During active growth, plantings are watered every 3-4 days, during the period of bulb formation - weekly, focusing on the condition of the top layer of soil. 20 days before harvesting, watering is stopped so that the bulbs have time to dry and are better stored.

Loosening the soil and weeding

The ground is weeded as weeds grow , which shade the sprouts and take moisture and nutrients from the soil.

Loosen the soil to a depth of 2-3 cm after each watering . The procedure helps to get rid of the dense crust on the soil surface and improve the access of oxygen and moisture to the roots.

Top dressing

Fertilizers are applied according to the scheme:

• 14 days after emergence - diluted bird droppings (1 kg per 15 liters of water);
• during the formation of bulbs - 10 g of potassium chloride and superphosphate per 1 m².

Disease and pest control

Despite good immunity, if planting and care rules are not followed, plants can be affected by diseases and pests, so it is important to know how to deal with them:

• onion flies - remove the affected parts of the plants, dust the beds with tobacco dust and lime, and in case of severe infestation, treat with the insecticides "Aktara", "Corado" or "Vantex";
• onion mites - scatter a mixture of tobacco and ash between the rows, treat the plantings with Nugor, Fostran or Kemidim;
• peronosporosis and gray rot - get rid of infected plants, and treat the remaining ones with fungicides “Quadris”, “Ridomil Gold”.

Difficulties in growing

Some problems may arise when cultivating Helenas onions :

• poor seed germination as a result of sowing without prior preparation;
• rotting of bulbs due to excessive moisture;
• poor growth and weak development of bulbs, damage by diseases and pests if crop rotation rules are not followed.

Harvest and storage

Onions are stored well only if they are harvested in a timely manner.

How and when to collect

The harvest is harvested 10-14 days after the feathers have turned yellow and died . When planting in spring, onions ripen at the end of summer, and when planting in autumn, in the second ten days of July.

The bulbs are carefully dug up 10 cm from the neck and pulled out of the ground by the leaves.

Storage features and shelf life

The dug up bulbs are manually cleaned of soil, sorted and all specimens with mechanical damage or signs of rot are removed.

The harvest is dried in the sun or under a canopy for 2-3 days , placing the leaves in one direction, and then the above-ground part is cut off.

Store onions in cardboard or wooden boxes with holes for ventilation . The storage room must have good ventilation, humidity within 70-80% and air temperature +4°C. In such conditions, Helenas is stored for 4-6 months.

Reproduction

Not all varieties of winter onions can throw arrows with seeds. Therefore, propagation is carried out in two ways: with the help of arrows and by dividing the onion bush, depending on the variety:

1. Vegetative method . When dividing, many children grow near the mother bulb, which are subsequently used as planting material.
2. Using seeds. When an onion bush shoots out an arrow with an inflorescence, the seeds are collected, processed and used as planting material. How to grow onion seeds is described in this article.

Like many seeds, onion seeds have almost 100% germination when stored for a year.

With each year of storage, the percentage of seed germination decreases. To check the quality of planting material, you need to pour them into a container of water. Those seeds that float are not suitable for planting.

Reviews

Reviews from gardeners confirm the positive characteristics of the hybrid.
Marina, Volsk : “I have been growing Helenas for 3 years.
The first time I bought seeds and sowed them for seedlings, but then I didn’t want to bother with it and started buying ready-made seedlings. I like everything - the yield is good, the bulbs are large and beautiful. The only thing that onions lack is resistance to temperature fluctuations.” Vasily, Saratov region. : “I saw a photo and read a description of the Helenas onion variety on the Internet, and heard about it for a long time, but somehow I never got around to planting it. I started growing it last year. I was pleased with the result - the bulbs grew on average 120-150 g, the harvest was rich, it lay in the cellar for 4 months, then some of the bulbs began to deteriorate.”

ONION SEEDLINGS FOR A SEASON - VIDEO

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