Onion Cupido – characteristics of the variety, photo, cultivation, reviews

The Cupido onion is selected in Holland, has the F1 badge, is distinguished by its unpretentiousness in cultivation, resistance to diseases and pests. A feature is a developed powerful root system, due to which moisture is retained for a long time, arrows do not form. Culture easily tolerates dry summers and climate.

Characteristic of the variety

Cupido is a heterotic hybrid, therefore it significantly surpasses the “parents” (varieties from which the onion was bred) in terms of quality. An increase in yield and other factors was achieved in this way – they crossed the mother liquor of an onion grown from seed material and the mother liquor of a plant obtained from sevka.

F1 has another distinctive ability – it is almost impossible to get seeds at home, so you have to buy them in specialized stores. If it is possible to obtain planting material, then with each new planting, the positive qualities of the bulbs decrease.

Characterization Luca Cupido:

  • the term for the formation of heads from the formation of sprouts is 75-80 days;
  • preferred climatic conditions – the southern regions of Russia, the middle lane;
  • developed root system;
  • the degree of exfoliation of the scales is low;
  • sharpness – medium;
  • weight – from 110 to 150 g;
  • the fit of the skin to the head is tight;
  • juiciness is increased.

Appearance

You can recognize the Cupido variety by the following external signs:

  • the color of the husk is golden-straw;
  • the bulb is firm to the touch;
  • peel – thin;
  • shape – rounded-elongated;
  • feather height – up to 30-35 cm;
  • the shade of the pulp is white-creamy.

Productivity and keeping quality

Onion Cupido is considered a high-grade vegetable – farmers collect 1-300 kg from 400 hundred square meters, from 1 sq. m – 3-4 kg. You can store the heads up to 9-10 months without changing the taste.

Advantages and disadvantages

Among the many undeniable benefits The most important varieties are:

  • high productivity and keeping quality;
  • lack of pronounced bitterness and sharpness;
  • duration of storage;
  • transportability;
  • fast maturation;
  • unpretentiousness in care;
  • resistance to diseases and pests;
  • presentable appearance;
  • preparedness of seed material (no need to carry out pre-sowing preparation);
  • excellent germination and ripening rates – up to 99%;
  • drought tolerance;
  • the ability to plant before winter and spring;
  • suitability for cultivation in greenhouse conditions and open ground;
  • versatility of application;
  • no inclination to shoot arrows;
  • relatively inexpensive cost of planting material.

But onions have shortcomings:

  • intolerance to severe frosts;
  • the need for shelter during sudden changes in temperature.

Composition and Properties

Like other varieties of onions, Cupido is considered a useful product, since it contains a variety of substances:

  • phytoncides;
  • vitamins – C, E, PP, H, group B;
  • fructose;
  • glucose;
  • essential oil;
  • malic acid, citric acid;
  • flavonoids;
  • oligosaccharides;
  • monosaccharides;
  • maltose;
  • sucrose;
  • macroelements – phosphorus, potassium, sulfur, chlorine, sodium, magnesium, calcium;
  • trace elements – zinc, iron, fluorine, iodine, nickel, boron, copper, manganese, etc.

Chopped onion

Such a rich composition has a therapeutic effect on the human body, having the following useful properties:

  • antibacterial action;
  • antiviral effect;
  • antiseptic properties;
  • strengthening the immune system;
  • body toning;
  • hematopoiesis;
  • diuretic effect;
  • antiscorbutic, expectorant effect.

Where to use?

Due to the absence of strong pungency and bitterness, the variety has a wide range of uses in cooking – for cooking first and second courses, onion pancakes, sauces, casseroles, salads, snacks, preservation, marinades, etc.

In addition, Cupido’s onion is actively used in folk medicine for the treatment of many diseases. In cosmetology, it is used to strengthen hair follicles.

Preparing for planting

The Cupido variety is not very demanding and whimsical in cultivation, but in order to increase productivity and improve the quality of root crops, it is necessary to comply with agrotechnical requirements, which also provide for preparatory measures before planting planting material.

Terms

Bulb culture does not require special conditions – they are standard:

  • lack of strong wind;
  • sunny side;
  • moderate soil and air humidity;
  • soil fertility;
  • neutral acidity of the soil;
  • no frost;
  • optimal land – sandy loam, loam;
  • temperature regime: for planting in open ground – from +12 to + 18 ° С, for seed germination – 4-5 ° С;
  • the ripened formed bulb does not die in frost at -7 ° C.

Site Selection

When planting Cupido’s onions in open soil, you need to choose the right place – it should be well lit, ventilated (but without gusts of the north wind).

The variety does not tolerate high humidity, against which putrefactive diseases develop, so the site should have a slight slope for rain to drain.

Be sure to observe crop rotation – plant onions after zucchini, cucumbers, legumes and nightshade crops, watermelons and melons, pumpkins and squash.

Soil preparation

For the successful cultivation of a bulbous crop, fertile and loose soil is required, therefore, regardless of the planting period, the soil is fertilized and carefully dug up. Organics are usually applied from fertilizers – compost, slurry, humus, chicken manure.

Immediately before planting the planting material, weeds are removed along with the root system, the surface of the earth is leveled with a rake, after which grooves can be made from 5 to 7 cm deep (the distance between rows is 20 cm).

Selection and preparation of seed material

Since the Cupido onion is a heterotic F1 hybrid, seeds are usually purchased from specialized stores. Such material has already been processed for disinfection, so the first preparation points are skipped.

However, today you can also find non-certified seeds on sale (without a certification document from the manufacturer), so you should take advantage of all the preparatory measures:

  1. Carefully inspect the appearance of the planting material for signs of damage, mold, rot, stains. If they are present, discard them. If you chose the seeds, they should have an even shape, if the sets – golden husks, a thin neck.
  2. It is important to determine the hollowness of the material, since such seeds will not germinate. To do this, dip the grains in a saline solution for 10-15 minutes – healthy material will sink.
  3. For disinfection, prepare a weak solution of potassium permanganate, dip seeds or seedlings into it for 20-40 minutes. Then rinse them under running water and dry.
  4. To speed up the germination process, use special growth stimulants that can be bought at the store.
  5. The penultimate stage is germination. To do this, the planting material is wrapped in a moistened cloth, laid out on a flat container and left in a warm place for 3-4 days. As the fabric dries, spray it with water to keep the seeds in a moist environment. But there is another way to germinate seeds and sevka – in a peat cup.
  6. In conclusion, it is necessary to harden the sprouted material – daily reduce the air temperature in the room.

Onion seeds

Terms of planting

Seeds are planted in autumn or spring in open ground. In the first case, it may be October-November, depending on the climate of the region. If we talk about spring planting, then in the middle lane the onion is transferred to the ground after April 25, in the south – from April 10.

If the temperature conditions on the street do not meet the standards (frosts are expected, etc.), it is more expedient to plant onions under a greenhouse or in a greenhouse. Seedlings are transferred to open ground after the weather stabilizes.

Landing technology

Cupido is grown according to 2 technologies – seedlings in open ground and seedlings. Each method has its own planting pattern and cultivation features.

In the open ground

If the sevok is planted immediately into the ground, regardless of spring or autumn, the following must be followed scheme:

  • distance between rows – 18-20 cm;
  • the distance between the heads is 8-11 cm;
  • the depth of laying the bulbs is from 3 to 5 cm.

Boarding process:

  • break the plot into beds – make grooves with garden tools;
  • moisten with warm settled water (you can add Kornevin, Epin – growth stimulants of the root system);
  • allow the liquid to be absorbed;
  • press the seedlings into the ground;
  • sprinkle with earth, compacting as much as possible;
  • mulch, which allows you to maintain the desired level of humidity.

Planting seedlings and transplanting in open ground

After careful preparation of planting material, seeds are planted for seedlings. For this, any container is used – peat cassettes, pots, boxes and the like. The soil can be purchased at the store or prepared independently. To do this, mix the soil from the garden with peat and humus, which is replaced by compost or vermiculite. The variety loves loose soil, so you can add coconut fibers, for aeration – river sand.

Seeds are planted for seedlings starting in February, depending on the climate and the capabilities of the gardener. At the same time, it is taken into account that seedlings are fully formed 60 days after planting the seed material.

Before laying the seeds, be sure to disinfect the ground, as weed roots and pest larvae may remain in it. This is done in different ways:

  • pour the substrate with boiling water, soak for several minutes, dry;
  • treat with a solution of potassium permanganate;
  • place the soil in the oven or microwave for 10-15 minutes.

Disembarkation process seed material:

  1. Disinfect seedling containers with potassium permanganate.
  2. Make small holes in the walls for oxygen to enter.
  3. Pour the substrate into the container, placing a few expanded clay pebbles on the bottom for drainage. The soil layer should be at least 8-9 cm.
  4. Lightly tamp the surface and make grooves up to 1,5 cm deep.
  5. Pour warm water over.
  6. Insert the grains at a distance of 3-5 cm from each other. In each hole, you can lay 2-4 units.
  7. Sprinkle with earth, spray with water from a spray bottle.
  8. Be sure to cover with plastic wrap or glass (if using plastic containers, then cover).
  9. Put in a warm place (temperature – 22-26 degrees).

The first shoots appear in a week, mass – in 12-15 days. During this period, it is necessary to open the shelter once a day for ventilation, moisten the soil, and maintain the appropriate air temperature.

Rules for the care of seedlings after the formation of sprouts:

  1. When strong shoots appear, the film is removed, the temperature regime is slightly reduced (up to + 10-20 ° C).
  2. Watch the illumination – the light should be present for 12-14 hours. Additional lighting devices help in this – fluorescent or phytolamps.
  3. Water the bulbs often enough to keep the soil moderately moist. Water should be slightly above room temperature and must be settled, as tap water contains substances harmful to plants (chlorine, etc.). After settling for 2-3 days, the elements evaporate, the water becomes suitable for irrigation.
  4. When the seedlings grow, be sure to thin them out – a maximum of 2 bulbs should remain in one hole, but preferably 1.
  5. Seedlings need feeding. The first time fertilizers are applied 5-7 days after mass emergence. The second time is 2 weeks later. What is used: water – 9-10 l, urea – 10 g, superphosphate – 20 g, potassium chloride – 5 g. If there are no such components, use chicken manure mixed with water in a ratio of 1:10.
  6. To develop the root system, trim the leaf part by a couple of centimeters.
  7. 12-15 days before transplanting to garden beds, seedlings need to be hardened, that is, prepared for other climatic conditions. To do this, the containers are taken out into the street (balcony) or windows are opened. Plus artificially create a shadow. The procedures are introduced gradually – on the first day, an hour is enough, on the next – 2, etc.

onion seedling

Cupido’s onion is not subjected to a pick, so the seedlings are immediately planted in open ground. But if you have a desire to transplant plants into other containers, you can safely do this, since the roots of the variety are strong and are not afraid of picks.

Care instructions

Agrotechnics for growing onions involves observing special rules for caring for plants planted in the ground. If they are not adhered to, then it becomes impossible to grow a quality product and harvest a decent harvest.

Watering

The Cupido variety is characterized by increased resistance to drought, so you should not overmoisten the soil. In addition, stagnant water contributes to the development of fungal diseases that lead to rotting of the plant. On average, in the absence of rain, it is enough to water the variety 2-3 times a month.

In order to prevent a shortage or excess of water, adhere to the main rule of irrigation – there should not be large cracks on the surface of the earth, the soil cannot be mushy.

Loosening

The beds are loosened after watering or rain, which eliminates the risk of dry crust formation, saturates the soil with oxygen. When loosening, be careful not to catch the heads with the tools. Try not to expose the bulbs.

Weeding

In the presence of weeds on onion beds, the culture stops its growth, as the grass absorbs all the important trace elements from the soil. In order for the onion to develop normally, it is necessary to carry out weeding as weeds form, tearing them out of the ground along with the root system.

Feeding

Cupido’s onion prefers fertile soil, but it is undesirable to fertilize too often, so it is enough to feed the land even before planting the crop. If there are few useful substances in the soil, minerals and organics are introduced. If you want to get a feather, fertilize at the stage of its growth with nitrogen fertilizer, if a large bulb is required, add potassium and phosphorus.

An alternative is chicken manure, compost, humus or slurry. You can make a mixture of humus – 3 kg, ammonium nitrate – 10 g, potassium salt – 15 g and superphosphate – 30 g. Distribute the resulting slurry over 1 sq. m.

Fighting diseases and pests

Cupido is not afraid of diseases and pests, as it has a powerful immune system. But the onion has one enemy – the onion fly. You can recognize its presence by the following signs:

  • wilting of green mass;
  • rotting heads;
  • suspension of feather growth;
  • the appearance of white larvae under the husk.

What to do for the prevention and control of onion fly:

  1. In the autumn, dig the beds to a depth of 20-25 cm, so that the larvae will be on the surface of the earth and die before spring.
  2. Plant carrots or marigolds next to the onions – these plants repel the onion fly.
  3. Prepare a decoction of coniferous branches – pine, if, fir. Add some mint to it, sprinkle the feathers.
  4. Every 10 days, add a saline solution to the soil (for 10 liters of water – 1 cup of table salt).
  5. Dandelion root helps a lot – pour chopped roots with boiling water, let it brew for 2-3 days, then dilute with water (200 g of grass – 10 liters of water).
  6. Water the plant with a weak solution of manganese.
  7. Combine wood ash – 200 g, 1 tsp. ground black pepper, the same amount of tobacco dust. Sprinkle the composition onion beds.
  8. In the store you can buy specialized products – Mukhoed, Aktara, Medvetoks, Sochva, Tabazol, Karate Zeon, Zemlin. Preparations are used in strict accordance with the instructions for use.

How to harvest and store crops?

Onions are harvested from mid-summer, depending on the planting date and climatic conditions. Some collection rules:

  1. About 2 weeks before the expected date, stop watering the onions.
  2. The weather should be sunny and dry. The collection begins in the early morning, after which the heads are laid out on the beds until the evening to dry.
  3. It is forbidden to pull the heads by the tops – it is necessary to dig up the root crop with a shovel or fork, and then remove it from the ground.
  4. Do not crush the soil by hitting the bulbs on hard objects. It is better to wait until the soil dries out and the dirt falls off on its own.
  5. Depending on the storage method, the tops are cut off (if you intend to weave braids, leave the greens). The neck should be up to 4 cm long.

Onion storage

What is the right way to store Cupido’s onions:

  1. Wooden or plastic boxes. A mandatory requirement is to make ventilation holes on the sides.
  2. Carton boxes.
  3. Baskets made of natural vine (small size).
  4. Fabric bags made of burlap, cotton, linen without synthetic threads.
  5. Old nylon pantyhose.
  6. Nets made of polypropylene.

Braiding is considered the best option for storing onions. The principle is identical to weaving braids from hair, but in this case twine is required. The rope is folded in half, one bulb is fixed by the tail and other heads are woven. Advantages – the bow is ventilated, looks beautiful, does not rot.

Storage conditions:

  1. In the basement, the bulbs are stored at a temperature of 0 to +4-7 degrees at a humidity level of 80-85%.
  2. In an apartment or house, the air temperature should be 20 degrees, humidity – 70%.

Reviews

Valery K., 51 years old, farmer, Krasnodar Territory. I have been growing onion crops for many years. But the Cupido variety was acquired only 3 years ago. Onions do not require special conditions that create difficulties – it is enough to weed and loosen in a timely manner. I don’t even water it in the fields, but I collect an excellent harvest.

Marina Vitalievna, 55 years old, amateur gardener, Moscow region. Cupido was advised to me by a neighbor in the country, she has been growing this onion for 5 years. I was satisfied with the variety – very tasty and juicy, and most importantly – not demanding in care, which is very important for me personally. Only this summer, an onion fly attacked the onion, and whatever I did, nothing helped, but then I read that you can stir ground pepper and wood ash and sprinkle the plants. And so she did – the fly disappeared, though not in 1 day, but nonetheless.

The onion variety Cupido is distinguished by its unpretentiousness, high yield, excellent taste indicators, therefore it is popular among summer residents and farmers. It has an important feature – resistance to drought and diseases, therefore it does not require frequent watering, taking measures against diseases and pests.

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Anna Evans

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