Onions

[curly_kate]

I thought this was discussed recently, but couldn't find it in a cursory search, so here's my dilemma. The past 2 years I have grown onions and have only gotten smallish, VERY strong onions. They have been white onions, and I've grown them in raised beds/containers. I don't really mess with them a whole lot except water when it's really dry & pull the weeds. I pull them when the greens start to fall over, but don't usually wait until the greens look really wilty or anything. I'll put them out to cure in the sun for 1-2 weeks. Also, I just threw a couple of smallish ones away that have been in my cupboard because the onion inside the paper seems to have disappeared.

What am I doing wrong?

 

[Rosalind]

1. Onion type may be an issue. In your area, you might just not get enough sunlight to get certain types of onions. There are long day vs. short day onions. Long day onions will begin to make bulbs and die back when sunlight is 14-16 hours per day, as it typically is in northerly summers. Short day onions will make bulbs and die back at 12 hours of sunlight/day. So if you have a short day onion seedling that you set out in April/May, and you're in the north, the seedling will right away start to make a bulb and stop growing, and you end up with little bitty onions. You need the onion plant to grow powerful and strong before it makes a bulb.

2. Onions can take more fertilizer than you think. You can fertilize those buggers three times in the middle of summer with serious manure, and they will be happy with it.

3. Are you starting seeds or sets? Seeds take a loooooong time to get started, and I personally have never had good luck with seeds--by the time they are at the scallion stage, our autumn is just about over. I've actually had better luck buying onion sets in spring, storing them in the root cellar, and planting them in fall like garlic, to overwinter.

 

[digitS']

Rosalind did such a good job explaining, I can only second what she has to say:

I have grown Granex onions, the variety sold as "Vidalia." It is wonderful but I was fairly sure I was only going to get tiny onions and they didn't disappoint that way . They bulbed-up while they were still very small. Granex onions are "supposed" to be grown in Texas or Vidalia Georgia.

Now up here near 49 North latitude, we have Walla Wallas. The community of Walla Walla is only about 150 miles, uh, south. Anyway, I like 'em and grow them from seed started in the greenhouse or from plants that I buy.

I also buy some sets each year and I'm really interested to learn that Rosalind can get those thru the summer, stored in her basement. I plant them in the spring but I'd be happy to try for a fall planting, if'n I can keep them that long.

You know those white stringy things that hang down from the onion? Those are the onion's roots. That bulb that you are planning to eat - that is the base of the leaves. Leaves - what do you feed your lawn grass (leaves) to make it grow?! Nitrogen . . . lots and lots of nitrogen!

Put onions in good fertile ground, fertilize your plants while they are growing, and keep them watered. When the end of July comes around and harvest time approaches - you'll be glad you did .

Steve

 

[curly_kate]

Thanks! That is a lot of help! I think that fertilizer might be what I need more of. I always do sets so I don't have to wait even longer for seeds. It's hard to decide if I'm long-season or short-season smack dab in the Midwest! When I read tips for north or south, I always wonder which I should pay attention to.

How deep are you supposed to plant the sets? My onions always seems pretty far out of the ground by the time I pick them, even tho I plant them just with the tips poking out. Should I hill up dirt over them?

 

[Rosalind]

In Indiana, you want long-day onions. I think you are planting the sets more or less correctly, I push em down maybe an inch with my thumb, but with just the tips poking out is OK. It's normal for them to "pop up" as it were, that always happens. You don't need to hill up around them, that's only for leeks. The bottom part of the plant will stay white/yellow/red on the bottom few inches even exposed to sunlight after bulbing has started.

Steve: Some dry up, but most are fine under a layer of straw. I put them in the root cellar part of the basement where there really isn't any light and it's always cool. The worst thing that ever happened was when one of our cats peed on them. My choice of onion sets in this area seems to be "red, white or yellow," as opposed to actual varieties, and most people just use them for scallions. If I overwinter under about 10-12" of leaves, I can at least get smallish onions. I tend to underestimate their fertilizer needs too, as I grow them alongside beans or peas that don't have any substantial fertilizer requirement.

 

[curly_kate]

In Indiana, you want long-day onions. I think you are planting the sets more or less correctly, I push em down maybe an inch with my thumb, but with just the tips poking out is OK. It's normal for them to "pop up" as it were, that always happens. You don't need to hill up around them, that's only for leeks. The bottom part of the plant will stay white/yellow/red on the bottom few inches even exposed to sunlight after bulbing has started.

That is good to know! I've always wondered about that.

 

[HiDelight]

bumping onions ...I am drooling over the catalogs omg they know how fragile we are right now all us gardening addicts don't they?????

I hope vs starting a new topic the OP does not mind if I just talk onions here?

I am going to do a large bed of onions this year and want a variety to include some cippolini's

I live in zone 7b have grown onions from seed but they took two freaking years and while they were wonderful to eat they never quite grew to size

so this year I am going to order starts and wondered about all the advice everyone who loves to grow nice onions have?

some of my mulitude of questions have been answered here in this thread already so thank you!

who do you like to get your onion starts from?
what type of cippolini should I try?
is it ok to plant a mixed bed? I was pondering over one of the mixed onion packages in some of the catalogs?
what besides manure should I stick in the bed?
plant the starts in March? (or sooner like when I plant peas?)
do I have to feed them or can I just stick them into good fertile soil and let them grow?
they need a very sunny spot correct?

I know I could google and search for the answers but I am looking more for "over the fence" advice from folks who have grown or know how to grow in my soil

so I am asking for help please tell me how to grow beautiful onions this year? also I have planted a lot of garlic ..any problems planting onions and garlic near eachother?

I grow garlic every year and do quite well with it but have not done much with onions except as I said the seeds and that is not much!

thanks for any and all help!

 

[lesa]

I think you will have great results with sets purchased locally (for your zone). I tried seeds and that was useless. The sets grow perfectly- I don't think I lost one. Here in zone 4, I can plant them the minute I can work the ground, which I did last year. I had a wonderful harvest, but the onions were ready in July. I didn't really like that- first I had a big part of the garden empty, when I pulled the onions and they didn't last into the winter- because we used them up in the summer! I think this year, I will buy more sets and plant in two plantings. Having some early onions and some later...If your soil is good and you have plenty of sunshine, they should be very easy to grow. I throw mine in the ground, weed and harvest. I have not heard of cippolini, what is that onion like??? Good luck!

 

[digitS']

I grow onions from sets, seeds and purchased starts. Scallions, sweets, and storage onions get prime locations in my garden. The seeds are sown in a small greenhouse and transplanted into the open garden.

The only source for onion starts (other than my greenhouse) has been Dixondale Farms, so far. They have provided me with nice starts but last year, they sent me more onions rather than some leeks with my order. Still, I was happy with the Sterling Whites that I would not have otherwise grown .

Cippolini has been only in my garden once. They were so hot :/ I couldn't find much use for them . . . I believe that they were Borettana.

Mixing them in their growing beds seems reasonable.

What I've found is that giving them fertile soil is essential. Another early summer dose of a high-nitrogen fertilizer while they are still growing well has great benefits.

I'm not one to plant peas very early . . . onions go in before peas in my garden.

Full sun doesn't seem critical but it does help. If they need to go where there's some shade and have a choice - I think they would choose shade in the afternoon rather than in the morning .

Steve

 

[boggybranch]

Only had one problem with onions, myself, last year..........didn't plant NEAR enough of them.
That won't happen this year, by cracky.