In almost every home garden you can find tomatoes, peppers and onions growing. We always grow onions in ours. Onions do not take much room in your garden as each bulb only needs a few inches between them. This vegetable is one of the easiest to grow and best of all, they have a long storage life. You can grow onions in a traditional type garden, or in raised beds. Onions can be started from seed, but we have always bought onion sets. There are several varieties of white, red, yellow and sweet of onions to choose from. Onion sets are small onions about the size of a dime or smaller. They are planted early in the season, or as soon as the ground is workable.
Early in the spring season, when the ground is thawed and dry enough, till or dig up, the soil. Prepare the soil by amending it with some compost and well-rotted manure. Incorporate it into the top 6 inches of soil. If you are unable to get manure, use 5-10-10 fertilizer at a rate of 5 pounds per 100 square feet or according to the label directions.
Level the soil with the back of your rake. As you do this, remove any sticks, rocks or other debris that you find.
Separate the Bulbs
Before you plant the onions in the ground, inspect them for mushy spots. Also separate them into two piles of big and small onion bulbs. Throw away any onions that are soft or mushy, because they are beginning to rot. The onions should feel firm to the touch. Large onion bulbs that are larger than the diameter of a dime are best used for green onions. If allowed to grow, these sets may “bolt” and form flower stalks. The small sets that are smaller than the diameter of a dime will usually produce the best bulbs for large, dry onions. The large onion bulbs usually bolt earlier than the smaller bulbs.
Hold the onion in your fingers with the roots facing downward to the soil. If no roots are showing, you can tell which the root section is by looking at the onion bulb. The root section is generally flatter. The pointed end is the top. Insert the onion bulb into the soil with only the top sticking out or until it is an inch deep. For table onions, you can plant the bulbs close together so they are almost touching. If you want dry onions, space each bulb 3 to 4 inches apart. An easy way to plant the onions with the correct spacing is to lay a yardstick along the row. Firm the soil around the bulb with your fingers. If planting more than one row, space each row 1 foot apart. You may want to mark the beginning and ending of each row with a stick to keep track of them.
Water the Onions
Give the onions a good drink of water. Water them carefully otherwise you risk dislodging them from the ground. Onions don’t need a lot of water, when first planted or the bulbs may rot. Check on the onions every day to make sure they are still in the ground. Sometimes birds and other creatures will pull the bulbs from the ground. They will wither lay them on top of the soil, or replant them elsewhere upside down. Once the onions begin growing, this activity usually stops and your onions are left growing in the ground.
Check the soil every three or four days to keep moist. When the onions begin growing, they should receive an inch of water per week unless there has been adequate rainfall in your area. Water will also help keep the soil cool and onions grow well when the weather is cool.
Pull weeds by hand, or use a hoe to chop the weeds and cultivate the soil. Be careful with the hoe so you don’t damage the onion bulbs. Weeds will take away nutrients and water from the soil that your onions need to grow.
Harvesting
Pull table onions throughout the growing season. Do not wait for the tops to fall over
Harvest the onions at the end of the season, pull the onions when their tops have dried and have fallen over Lay them on the ground or on a screen to dry for three or more days. The onions need to be moved to a warm, well-ventilated area until the necks are thoroughly dry. This may take about two weeks. Place the onions in ventilated containers and store them in a cool, moderately dry area.
Vegetable Gardening Online: How to Grow Onions, Planting Onions, Storing Onions
Ohio State University: Growing Onions in the Home Garden
“Just the Facts”; Editors of Garden Way Publishing; 1993
