How to Grow Onions

How to Grow Onions

The onion family can bring tears to your eyes, literally. Tears aside, onions are a popular vegetable, and a favorite of the home gardener. If they make you cry, why do so many home gardeners grow onions? There are lots of reasons. Try, easy to grow, takes up little space in the home garden, and lots of culinary and medicinal uses. Is that enough reasons!?!

Onions have a place in a tremendous number of recipes from main courses to soups and salads, dips and hors d'oeuvres. It is used in Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, breads, and for snacks. We once thought the only thing onions were not used in was dessert. A reader led us to onion dessert recipes!

Tip: There are lots of ideas to help avoid the tears while cutting onions. Try chewing gum. Others have suggested chewing bread, taffy, etc.

Onions are easy to grow, have a fairly short growing period, and importantly, they take up little space. With just one square foot of garden space, you can grow an onion or two. As a result, even the most space limited gardener usually has a few onions in the garden.

Onions are also good for your health. They were once believed to ward off evil spirits. (We recommend Garlic to be more effective for this use). Onions also have medicinal value. Recent medical studies suggest onions help to lower cholesterol and heart disease.

Did you Know? If you don't have a vegetable garden, place a few in your flower garden. If you rent, put a few in a planting pot or box, and set it on the deck or in a sunny window. Yes, you can grow onions just about anywhere.

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Types:

Common Slicing Varieties: White and Yellow, or Spanish onion

Purple onion -our favorite with it's mild taste, is easier on the gastro-intestinal system

Scallions or Green Onions: Grown for it's long stem, and little or no bulb.

Pearl Onions or Pickling Onions: You guessed it, for pickling

Shallots: A mild tasting, small bulb

Leeks: Like a scallions, it is mild, yet distinctive tasting. The stalk is eaten.

Vidalia Onions - defined more by where they are grown, than the variety. Learn about Vidalia Onions

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Long Day or Short Day?

Most onion varieties begin to form a bulb, when the temperature and hours of daylight reach certain levels.

"Long Day Bulbs" begin to form a bulb, when there is 14-16 hours of daylight. They include Sweet Spanish Onions and Walla Walla onions.

"Short Day Bulbs" will begin to bulb when there is 12 - 14 hours of daylight hours. Short day bulbs include Yellow Granex, Texas Grano and Red Burgundy.

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Growing Onions:

Home gardeners have three choices for starting onions. Onion seeds, seedlings, and sets (or bulbs). Seeds take the longest time, and should be started indoors. Seedlings give you a jump start on growing and are hardy. They can be bought at a garden store or bought mail order.

Plant onions 3 to 4 inches apart, in double rows six to ten inches apart. Leave enough room to get between the rows to weed.

Onions grow best in rich soft soil or loam. But they tolerate most soils, especially if you add sufficient fertilizer. Keep the soil moist, and allow good drainage.

ature sends a message to the onion plant to form a bulb. that signal is warm up and longer daylight hours. Onions are biennials. They will go to seed in the second year, sending up a tall, hard stalk with a seed pod. Many growers do not know this, as we harvest our onions in the first year. Occasionally, the onions go to seed in the first year.

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Harvest:

Pull onions when after the tops have fallen over. Rinse off dirt, and allow the onions to dry in the open air for a few days. Then, cut the tops off the onion and cut off the roots. Allow the cuts to air dry for two or three more days. This will help to seal the onion and avoid pre-mature spoiling.

Tip: To get a really early start, buy onion sets as early a possible. Place a few in some moist (not wet), loose starting mix or potting soil about two to three weeks before you can set them outdoors. They will sprout and develop a good roots system for an early start.

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Insects:

Most members of the onion family are resistant to insect problems. Root maggots can attack the bulbs.Tiny thrips are an occasional problem. Insecticidal soap sprays or sevin are very effective.

Did you know? Onions, garlic and even chives are an ingredient in a number of organic insect sprays.

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Disease of Onions:

The onion family is resistant to most disease.While they are resistant, there are a number of potential ails. Wet, and humid weather can increase the likelihood of disease.

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Hardiness:

Onions are as hardy as they come. Frosts, freezing temperatures, and even snow will not kill them. It will only slow their growth until warmer weather returns. Extended cold below 20-25 degrees however can kill them if they are growing when exposed.

Tip: Plant chives amidst your flower or herb garden once and grows for decades. Plant it along the wall of a house and you extend the season. Chives can also be grown in a sunny window all winter long.