Other names for Indian onions are tailed poultry, marine onions, Chinese, false, Mongolian, crab, hell root. In England, onions are called the Star of Bethlehem, in Germany - the milk star, in Israel - the milk of hawk.
Indian onion has a lot of useful properties
Indian onion
The root of the onion is located on the surface of the soil
General characteristics
Indian onion is an exotic vegetable, which is common in South Africa, India, China, in the Mediterranean regions, European continents (central part, southeast). In the CIS countries, onions appeared after the 50s of the last century.
The poultry catcher belongs to a perennial plant of the Liliaceae family, is a distant relative of lily of the valley and other flowers. In external indicators, it resembles Kalanchoe, aloe and similar plants, therefore, the small clover is often confused with indoor flowers.
It has a lot of useful properties, therefore it is popular in traditional medicine and cosmetology. To prepare tinctures, all parts of the onion are used.
Indian onions are unpretentious in care, live up to 30 years, do not require a lot of light, heat and humidity, grows on the street and in residential premises. Age is determined by the number of leaves - a new element appears during the year of vegetation.
Indian bulbs are used with extreme caution, since they contain milk juice (whitish), which contributes to a severe burn. For this reason, fresh liquid and prepared products are taken in strict accordance with the indicated dosages.
Plant description
A feature of Indian onion is the location of the root part on the surface of the soil, making the plant different from other varieties. External indicators have their own characteristics:
- The root consists of numerous white cord-like roots that are connected to the bulbous part.
- The bulb has a light green hue, white compacted flakes that firmly adhere to the bulb with a diameter of up to 10 cm. The husk is white-brown.
- The foliage originates near the root, has a width of 3-5 cm, a length of 30-100 cm. The leaf plate is linear, with a vein of white color running along its middle part. As they grow, old leaves break off in the middle due to the severity of their own weight. The tips have the ability to twist.
- Fruits are small boxes in which there is seed material - black shiny and flattened grains.
- The flowers have a white color, alternating with green veins. Their maximum size is 10 mm, the arrangement of racemose inflorescences is a fleshy peduncle. The process of flowering begins from below, the shape resembles small stars. Feature - the first flowers appear after 2-3 years.
- The length of the flower arrow is about 1 m.
- Children are formed in the bulb, after which they fall to the surface of the soil and take root.
Composition and properties of Indian onion
Indian onion consists of biologically active and beneficial substances that have a therapeutic effect on the body. What is included in the composition:
- essential oil;
- alkaloids - colchicosides, thiocolchicines, colchicines;
- glycosides;
- organic acids;
- quercetin antioxidant;
- trace elements;
- macrocells.
Thanks to these compounds, Indian onion has the following effects:
- anesthetizes;
- eliminates inflammatory processes;
- suppresses pathogenic microbes;
- expands capillaries and blood vessels;
- accelerates peripheral blood circulation;
- prevents the formation of blood clots, thinning the blood;
- destroys parasites and viruses;
- regenerates damaged tissues and cells;
- possesses keratolytic, antitumor, antigout property;
- warms up;
- strengthens the walls of blood vessels.
Official medicine does not recognize Indian onions as a medicinal product for oral use, but without skepticism, it refers to gels based on brandochki and hot pepper, since the plant warms and irritates the receptors in the joints, which leads to a decrease in inflammation.
Fields of application
Indian onions are part of the group of poultry farmers, which are strictly forbidden to eat. However, the caudate variety is an exception - it can be used for frying, pickling, baking and fresh consumption. The infernal root has found application in cosmetology - alcohol tinctures, lotions, tonics, decoctions for face and hair are made from it.
The most popular Indian onion in folk medicine. Tinctures, ointments and other therapeutic agents are made from it for such pathological conditions:
- Immune system disorders - dermatitis, seborrhea, eczema, psoriasis, allergic reaction.
- Diseases of the oral cavity and throat - herpes, periodontal disease, stomatitis, tonsillitis, gingivitis.
- Skin lesions, insect bites, burns, frostbite.
- Infection with fungi.
- Purulent boils, acne, papillomas, adipose, warts, dropsy, swelling on the skin.
- Joint-muscular diseases - arthritis, arthrosis, myalgia, osteochondrosis, nerve infringement, gout.
- Pain in the teeth and head.
- Cold.
- Mastitis.
- Phlebeurysm.
- Hematomas, fractures.
Traditional healers recommend using Indian onion to lose weight and eliminate cellulite, and in an external way. To do this, plant pure juice is diluted 1:10 with vegetable-based oil and rubbed into the skin of the problem area daily.
How to plant and grow Indian onions at home?
Indian onion is a perennial plant that does not tolerate cold, so it is impossible to grow it only on beds. Therefore, stock up on large pots (the root of an adult culture reaches 1 m) for transplanting for wintering. A small branch is planted in different ways, depending on the type of reproduction.
Seed material
The main condition is pollinated seeds, which can be harvested independently in the spring or summer. How to sow them:
- First prepare the planting material - soak in the refrigerator for 4-5 months. Place the grains in a gauze flap and place on the shelf in the refrigerator.
- Take a container with holes in the bottom so that when watering the liquid does not stagnate.
- Lay pebbles (pebbles) at the bottom, fertile soil on top (you can buy a universal substrate or mix perlite and peat in equal proportions).
- Sow the seeds at a distance of 1-3 cm from each other, deepening into the soil by 1 cm.
- Moisten the soil.
- Over 6-7 months, sprouts form. During this period, properly care for planting material. Water as the soil dries, monitor the temperature (+ 15-22 degrees).
- When the first 3 leaves appear, dive into separate containers filled with such a composition - 2 parts of river sand, 1 part of turf and leaf soil.
Bulbs
To obtain individual bulbs, it is necessary to divide the adult onion into parts. Landing method:
- make pots from natural material (clay, peat);
- pour expanded clay on the bottom;
- add a substrate of sand, sheet and turf soil;
- make a hole;
- deepen the onion;
- sprinkle with soil;
- moisturize.
Sprouts
Children are harvested after the Indian onion fades. The landing method is identical to the previous one. The period of root formation is 14-16 days.
Do not forget that the onion grows fast enough, and the root system develops long. Therefore, periodically dive the bulbs into large pots. Do it boldly, as the root is durable, easily tolerates transplant events.
Care Rules
When growing an Indian bulb culture, follow the basic rules for care:
- Onions love light but cannot withstand direct sunlight. If you grow it on a windowsill (or in winter), do not put it on the sunny side in the daytime - it is better to provide the plant with artificial lighting (phytolamps, fluorescent devices, etc.).
- Humidity of the room should not exceed 75-80%, but also overdried air harms the plant. To prevent this, spray feathers with warm water 2-4 times a week. If the onion is near heating appliances that dry the air, spraying is carried out more often.
- The temperature in summer is a maximum of 20-22 degrees, in winter - at least + 10-12. The optimum temperature is room temperature.
- Indian onions are not afraid of drought - it is ruined by increased soil moisture, so you don’t need to worry much about watering. To determine the exact period of wetting, inspect the topsoil - it should not be moist and cracked very much (a light, dry crust is acceptable).
- Water for irrigation must necessarily be rain or settled. You can not water from the water supply, as such a liquid contains many substances harmful to the plant (chlorine and the like). Water must be defended in an open container. The temperature of the liquid should be close to room temperature.
- Loosening the soil is necessary, since without oxygen, the root system stops development, as a result of which the culture dies. This must be done carefully so as not to hook the roots.
- To ensure proper gas exchange and photosynthesis, remove dust from the feather with a soft cloth or special tools.
- Potted soil quickly loses its beneficial properties, so Indian onions need to be fed organic and minerals. The favorite fertilizer for brandochki is wood ash (10%), which is bred with water. Frequency of feeding - every 2 weeks. Potassium permanganate can be added in a weak solution. The best option is complex fertilizers purchased in a specialized store.
Outdoor landing
The minimum temperature regime at which Indian onion develops is +10 degrees, which obliges gardeners to transfer the plant to a warm room for the winter period. The brandochka easily adapts to new conditions, therefore it is not afraid of a dive and transplant.
Features of planting in the garden:
- Bulbs should be taken out into the open ground at a steadily warm temperature: for the middle regions of Russia this is mid-late May.
- The place should be shaded, as the variety does not tolerate exposure to direct sunlight. However, there should be a lot of light.
- Watering should be moderate - waterlogging should not be allowed.
- Before planting in the soil, onions can be grown all winter, but there is a way to let it rest. To do this, in the fall, put the pot away from the light and stop watering completely (only occasionally spray from the sprayer). Moisturizing resumes immediately after transplanting to the garden.
- It makes no sense to fertilize the soil - onions are unpretentious. The only requirement is moderate acidity.
Culture for the summer period can not be transplanted at all, but simply carried out in a pot on the street, but this will not contribute to rapid growth. Why it is advisable to transplant Indian onions in garden beds:
- there is no need to fertilize often - it is enough to use organic matter once a month;
- feather development accelerates;
- natural pollination is carried out, due to which the number of seeds and children increases;
- the plant blooms more abundantly and longer.
Transplant Process:
- carefully remove the root system from the pot;
- prepare a bed - dig a hole along the length of the root (depending on age);
- moisten the earth;
- insert the bulbs at a distance of 2-5 cm from each other;
- sprinkle with soil, compact, pour over water.
Breeding methods
Indian onions reproduce easily and quickly at home. In addition, there are three possible ways to do this:
- Onion method. Small bulbs are used, which are planted in pots.
- The seeds. It requires patience and diligence, as planting material emerges for several months. The peculiarity is that seeds are formed in bulbs pollinated by insects, so plants for the summer period are first taken to fresh air (in the absence of pollinating insects, the process is excluded). If there is no possibility of transplanting into the soil, you can pollinate the culture artificially.
- By the kids. The most common and convenient way. Children themselves are released from the bulbs as they grow. It is enough to collect and drop them, according to the requirements.
How to collect and store Indian onions?
If you grow bulbs of this variety for therapeutic purposes, it is enough to prune the leaves as needed.
If there are too many feathers, and you need to prepare them for the future, you should collect them, put them in a plastic bag and place them in the refrigerator.
Another way is to squeeze out the juice right away. Bulbs are stored in the same way as regular onions.
From this video you will learn how to grow Indian onions, as well as what useful properties it has:
The use of Indian onion has restrictive contraindications, so consult with your doctor in advance if you have chronic diseases. And when growing a small house at home, follow agrotechnical requirements.