{"id":1999,"date":"2019-10-05T22:53:28","date_gmt":"2019-10-05T22:53:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/?p=1999"},"modified":"2020-04-07T02:35:42","modified_gmt":"2020-04-07T02:35:42","slug":"onion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/2019\/10\/05\/onion\/","title":{"rendered":"Onion"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Allium cepa<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Introduction<\/strong>: The onion is an almost universal kitchen ingredients and one that few cooks would willingly do without. It probably originated somewhere in central Asia, but has been cultivated by every major civilization from the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans onward. Its use as a flavoring has spread around the world and it is prized by people everywhere. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apparently the word onion comes from the Latin unio meaning one,\nbecause it only produces one bulb, unlike the related garlic, shallot and\npotato onion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Onions are biennial and spend their first year growing a nutrient\nfilled bulb. In their second year they flower and set seed (and then die). When\ngrowing onions you have to be careful not to vernalize them, as this will cause\nthem to flower in their first year (see Bolting<\/strong> below).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Ease of growing<\/strong>: The most important thing to remember about growing this biennial\nis that it is day length sensitive. It is programmed to produce bulbs when the\nappropriate day length arrives, no matter how big or small it is. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is your job as a gardener to get the plants as big as possible\nbefore the onset of bulbing. To do this you must use a variety that is\nappropriate for the day length of your location. You should also plant them as\nearly as possible, so they can put on the maximum amount of vegetative growth\nbefore they start to produce a bulb. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you do everything at the right times, you will find onions are\na pretty easy crop to\ngrow. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Crop value<\/strong>: Though the onion isn\u2019t the most nutritious crop, it is so\nindispensable in the kitchen that it is one of the most important crops you can\ngrow. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

About Onion<\/strong>  <\/strong>
Seed facts<\/strong>
Germ temp: 50 (60 – 65) 85\u00b0F
Germ time: 7 – 28 days
136 days \/ 32\u00b0F
30 days \/ 41\u00b0F
13 days \/ 50\u00b0F
7 days \/ 59\u00b0F
5 days \/ 68\u00b0F * Optimum
4 days \/ 77\u00b0F
4 days \/ 86\u00b0F
13 days \/ 95\u00b0F
Seed viability: 1 – 4 years
Germination percentage: 70%+
Weeks to grow transplant: 10 – 12  

Planning facts<\/strong>
Hardiness: Hardy
Growing temp: 55 (65 – 75) 80\u00b0F
Plants per person: 25
Plants per sq ft: 16  

Planting<\/strong>:
Start: 10 – 16 weeks before last frost
Plant out: 2 – 4 wks before last frost
Direct sow: 4 – 6 wks before last frost
Fall crop: Plant 6 – 12 before first fall frost  

Harvest facts<\/strong>
Days to harvest:
Seed: 160 – 180 days
Sets\/plants 90 – 120
Yield per plant: 4 oz
Yield per sq ft: 1 – 4 lb   <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Nutritional content<\/strong>: Actually the nutritional value of onions shouldn\u2019t be\nunderestimated, as they are eaten in quantity. The bulbs are a good source of\nvitamin C, potassium and calcium. They also contain a variety of beneficial\nphytochemicals, including diallyl sulfide, kaempferol and quercitin. They\ncontain about 200 calories per\npound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The leaves are rich in vitamin A. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Climate<\/strong>: Onions grow best if it is cool (55 – 75\u00b0F) for all of their\nvegetative growth, but warm (70 – 80\u00b0F) and dry when they are bulbing up and\nripening. They are very day length sensitive, so it is important to plant at\nthe right time and choose the right variety for your latitude. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soil<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

pH:\n6.0 (6.8) 7. 5<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Onions are not very efficient feeders because their roots are weak\nand shallow (they may only venture about 6\u02dd from the plant). Consequently they\nneed a loose, rich, moisture retentive soil with lots of organic matter. They\ndon\u2019t like compacted, heavy, dry, acid, weedy, salty, or poorly drained soils.\nThey are very sensitive to wet soils and their roots may rot if it is too wet\n(especially over the winter). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Onions don\u2019t require a lot of nutrients, but they aren\u2019t very\nefficient feeders, so they need to have plenty available. For example they only\nneed about 150 pounds of nitrogen per acre, but you may have to add 300 pounds\nfor them to get even that\nmuch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Soil preparation<\/strong>: Prepare the soil by incorporating 2\u02dd of compost, or aged manure,\ninto the top 10\u02dd of soil, which is where most of their feeder roots are to be\nfound. For an early spring planting you could do this in fall, using fresh\nmanure if necessary. Cultivate the soil deeply, remove stones and debris and\nmake a nice seed bed. This encourages their weak roots to penetrate more\ndeeply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Onions don\u2019t need a lot of nitrogen, but they do like potassium\n(wood ashes or greensand) and phosphorus (colloidal phosphate), so add some to\nthe soil if necessary. They also need plenty of micronutrients, so seaweed can\nbe a big help. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the pH is low then add lime, as they don\u2019t like acid soil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Raised beds work very well for onions, as you can give them the\nperfect deep, well-drained soil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A traditional method of growing onions is to dig a trench 6 – 8\u02dd\ndeep and 6 – 8\u02dd wide and put a layer of fertilizer mix in the bottom. Mix\ncompost (or aged manure) with the soil and put it back in the trench. You then\nplant into this. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You might also add a layer of phosphorus fertilizer 3\u02dd down, to\nfurther improve their growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Planning<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bulbing<\/strong>: The onion bulb is a food storage organ comprised of layers of\nspecialized leaves. Bulbing occurs when the plant stops producing new leaves\nand starts to store food in the base of the leaves. This causes them to swell\nand form the bulb. When the bulb is mature, all of the food has gone from the\nleaves to the bulb, so they wither, fall over and die. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each of these leaves forms a layer of the onion bulb, so the more\nof these there are the bigger the bulb will get. A fully mature onion will\nideally have 12 – 13 leaves when\nit starts to bulb up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Day length<\/strong>: The main trigger of bulbing\nis day length; the plants will start to produce bulbs when they receive a\ncertain number of hours of daylight (or more accurately hours of darkness). Different\nvarieties require different day lengths, which is why we classify them as\neither short, intermediate or long day length.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Onion day length<\/strong>
Short day: Under 13 hours
Intermediate day: 13 – 14 hours
Long day: 14 hours or more
Very long day: 16 or more hours
A few varieties are day neutral  
<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Generally short and intermediate day varieties are grown below 36\ndegrees latitude, while long day types are grown above this line (which is\nroughly from San Francisco to Washington DC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If a long day variety is planted where the days are too short, it\nwill grow well enough as a green onion, but will never produce a bulb. It can\nbe used for green onions though.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you plant a short day variety where the days get too long, it\nwill bulb prematurely when it gets the day length it needs, so the bulbs won\u2019t get very big. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Temperature<\/strong>; This also affects bulbing: cool weather may slow it down slightly, while warm weather\nmay hasten it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Where<\/strong>: Onions prefer a warm, sunny site, protected from strong winds.\nIt is important that the soil is well-drained, especially if they are to be in\nthe ground over the winter. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Onions are vulnerable to weeds, so a very weedy site isn\u2019t good. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Crop rotation<\/strong>: Don\u2019t plant onions where any other Alliums have grown in the past 3 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When<\/strong>: It is important that bulb onions are fully grown when the\nappropriate day length arrives, so they will bulb up fully. You have several\noptions as to what and when to plant, but remember the more time the plants\nhave to grow, the bigger they will get and the bigger the bulbs they will\nproduce. If the winter is cooperative this usually means planting in fall or\nearly winter, If this isn\u2019t possible then you will plant in early spring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you don\u2019t plant onions early, they won\u2019t have time to produce large plants before bulbing starts and you will end up with small bulbs. Of course they may also grow slowly for some other reason (poor soil, root damage, pests) and they will only produce small bulbs then too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spring<\/strong>: Spring planted onions must be\nstarted early if they are to grow large enough before long summer days trigger\nbulbing. This means putting sets or seedlings into the ground (or starting them\ninside) as early as January or February. They will put on vegetative growth\nsteadily through spring and early summer and bulb up when the days get to be\nthe right length. They need warm weather to ripen and cure the bulbs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can speed up early spring growth by growing them under tunnels\nor cloches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Fall<\/strong>: One way to give the plants more time for vegetative growth is to\nstart them in autumn (if the climate is suitable). Some varieties are\nspecifically intended for over-wintering and these will work best. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Timing a fall planting is somewhat tricky because if the plants\ngrow too big over the winter they will bolt when spring arrives (this is why\nsets and transplants don\u2019t usually work out well). On the other hand if you\nplant too late they may not survive the winter. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fall crops are best grown from seed, planted 6 – 12 weeks before\nthe first fall frost. The exact date will depend upon your growing conditions\nand you may have to experiment a bit to get it right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Planting<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You have three choices of planting method when growing onions; you\ncan use seed, transplants or sets. All of these are fully hardy and can be\nplanted as soon as the soil is workable in spring. When you first try growing\nonions it isn\u2019t a bad idea to try two different planting methods at the same\ntime, to see which works best for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Seed<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Growing your own onions from seed gives you the greatest choice of\nvarieties. The problem is that they are quite slow, growing only half as fast\nas lettuce. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Onion seed is one of the shortest lived of all common vegetables,\nso it is important that it is fresh. Fresh seed germinates quickly (7 – 10\ndays) and grows more vigorously. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is most\ncommon to use the seed to grow transplants, but you could also direct sow it,\nor use it to grow your own sets<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Direct sowing<\/strong>:\nThis is slower than transplanting of course, but easier and can work well in\nsome situations (especially if you have a long growing season). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is\nconsidered the best way to plant onions in fall for a spring crop, as they are\nless likely to bolt than transplants or sets. Time your fall planting so the\nseedlings are well established before frost arrives. In cold areas, protect\nthem with mulch over the\nwinter. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Onions are\nvery hardy and can be direct sown as soon as the ground can be worked in early\nspring. This may be 6 weeks before the last frost (the soil should ideally be\n50\u00b0F ). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can either broadcast the seed, or sow in drills \u00bc – \u00bd\u02dd deep.\nKeep the soil moist and free of crusting until all of the seed has germinated.\nIt is usual to sow quite thickly and gradually thin it out to the desired\nspacing (you can eat the larger thinnings). Thinning is very important if you\nwant to grow large bulbs, so don\u2019t neglect it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Onion sets<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

These are small onion bulbs (\u215c – \u00be\u02dd in diameter) grown in crowded\nconditions, so as to induce premature bulbing. They are the easiest way to grow\nonions, as you don\u2019t have to worry about germination and are actually starting\nwith a small bulb. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The problem with using sets is that there are very few varieties\navailable. In fact often packages of sets often don\u2019t even say what type they\nare, other than yellow, red or white onions! Hopefully the sets sold in your\narea will at least be appropriate\nfor your day length.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Buying sets<\/strong>: Every spring sets are available in every garden center, so they\nare probably the commonest way to grow onions. It is good to get and plant them\nas soon as they become available, if left too long they will eventually start to sprout in the bag.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Growing sets<\/strong>: This is easier than you might imagine and has the advantage in\nthat you can grow whatever variety you want. Simply scatter the seed on a\nprepared bed in spring, \u00bc\u02dd apart and cover with \u00bc – \u00bd\u02dd of sifted soil \/ compost\nmix. Don\u2019t feed the plants and go lightly on the watering. Because they are\ngrowing so close together they will crowd and stunt each other, which is what\nyou want When the tops turn brown, dig and dry the small bulbs for at least 10\ndays. Store them in the fridge or root cellar (below 40\u00b0F). Sets with a\ndiameter of less than 1\u02dd are the best, as they are less likely to bolt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Planting sets<\/strong>: This is pretty straightforward, simply place them on the ground, with the right (pointed) side up, at the desired spacing (adjust if necessary). If the soil is very loose you can just push the sets down into the soil to the proper depth (they should be just barely visible) with your finger and close up the hole. If the soil is dense pushing on the bulb may damage it, in which case you should either loosen it with a fork beforehand, or poke a small hole for each bulb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some gardeners sort out their sets and use the small ones (dime size or smaller) for bulb onions and larger ones for scallions. This may seem counter-intuitive, but the larger ones are more inclined to bolt. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You may have to protect the newly planted bed from birds (they\nsometimes pull the sets out of the ground) or cats (who use it as a litter\nbox). To foil cats just cover the bed with a piece of wire mesh fencing until\nthey are established.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Transplants<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using transplants gives you\nthe largest onion bulbs and is generally considered the best way to grow onions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Buying<\/strong>: Many\npeople buy their transplants (either by mail order or from the garden center)\nin bundles of 50 – 80 plants. These work well, but are a little expensive,\nespecially when you consider how easy it is to raise your own. They also have\nquite a big interruption in growth while they are in transit to your garden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you can\u2019t plant your bundles of transplants when you get them,\nkeep them in a cool moist place for up to 2 weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Growing transplants<\/strong>: Start the seeds about 8 – 12 weeks before planting out time.\nRemember the longer the plants grow before bulbing, the bigger the bulb can\nget. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Onions don\u2019t mind transplanting (it may even encourage good root\ngrowth), so are usually planted in flats (or plant pots), \u00bc\u02dd apart and \u00bd\u02dd deep\n(cover with a sifted soil \/ compost mix). You can grow a lot of plants in a\nsmall area. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The seeds will germinate much quicker if you put them in a warm\nplace (75 – 80\u00b0F). Once they have germinated they should be moved to a cool\nplace (60 – 70\u00b0F), as this gives you stockier, hardier plants. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the stems are smaller than \u00bc\u02dd diameter when you plant them out,\nyou shouldn\u2019t have to worry about vernalization (see Bolting<\/strong> below). However you want\nthem to be close to this size, so the bulbs will get bigger. If you don\u2019t plant\nthem out until the weather has warmed up, you won\u2019t have to worry about this too much anyway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Planting transplants<\/strong>: The seedlings can be transplanted out 2 weeks before the last\nfrost date, but I prefer to wait a bit longer, to avoid the possibility of\nvernalization. Use only the largest, healthiest seedlings and plant them 1\u02dd deep.\nSome people cut off part of the top and root before transplanting, claiming it\nencourages new root growth and vigorous recovery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The transplants may take a week or so to recover from\ntransplanting before they put on much growth. Keep the soil moist and feed them\nevery 3 weeks or so to maximize growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spacing<\/strong>: Onions don\u2019t like competition so spacing has a direct effect on\nthe final size of the bulbs. A wider spacing results in larger bulbs, but of\ncourse you get less of them. For maximum production of food you should plant\nfairly closely. The individual bulbs may be fairly small, but you will get a\nlot more of them (often\nsmall bulbs are more convenient than large ones anyway). Close spacing can also result in faster maturation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course the fertility of the soil also affects spacing. In rich\nsoil you can put the plants closer together. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I like to plant onions in offset rows at a fairly wide spacing\nacross the bed, so it\u2019s easier to weed them with a hoe. Some gardeners\ninitially plant at half the final spacing and remove each alternate plant for\nuse as green onions (if growing from seed you can afford to be extravagant). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bed spacing<\/strong>: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Large bulbs: 4 – 5\u02dd apart<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Medium bulbs: 3 – 4\u02dd apart <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pickling bulbs: 2 – 3\u02dd apart <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Green onions: 1 – 2\u02dd apart<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Row spacing<\/strong>: Put the plants 3 – 5\u02dd apart, in rows 12\u02dd – 15\u02dd – 24\u02dd apart\n(exact spacing depends upon variety and soil).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Care<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You want onions to grow as fast as possible, so by the time the\nday length is right for bulbing, they will be have stored enough food to\nproduce large bulbs. This means spacing them properly and giving them all the\nnutrients and water they need. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Weeds<\/strong>: Onions don\u2019t produce much foliage and don\u2019t get very big, so\nthey can\u2019t shade out, or outgrow weeds as they mature. This means that\ncompetition from weeds can be a major problem, especially for direct sown\ncrops. It is critical that they are weeded methodically, especially during\ntheir first two months in the ground. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You need to be careful when weeding, as their shallow roots are\neasily damaged by careless hoeing. As the plants get bigger, a mulch is helpful\nto keep weeds down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Water<\/strong>: Though onions are quite drought tolerant, a lack of water makes\nthe bulb smaller and more pungent. It can also make the plant liable to bulb\nprematurely, which also means smaller bulbs. For best flavor and largest bulbs,\nyou should keep the soil moist at all times, so there is no interruption in growth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Give your onions water in the form of\nfrequent shallow watering (there\u2019s no point watering these shallow rooted\nplants very deeply). It is best to water in the morning, so the tops dry out\nquickly, as this reduces the potential for diseases such as downy mildew. Don\u2019t\nover-water though as too much water may result in bulbs that don\u2019t store\nwell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stop watering the bulbs when they stop enlarging, as they need to\nbe dry for curing. If the soil isn\u2019t dry enough the bulbs may start to put out\nnew roots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thinning<\/strong>: It is important that the plants have enough room to grow without\ncompetition, so thin if necessary. Use the thinnings as green onions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Frost protection<\/strong>: Use row covers to protect seed beds from hard frost, as this could\ndamage them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fertilization<\/strong>: If your soil isn\u2019t very fertile and the plants aren\u2019t thriving,\ngive them a feed of compost tea or liquid seaweed every 2 – 3 weeks.\nAlternatively you could side dress with a fertilizer mix every 4 weeks. Stop\nfeeding when the bulb ceases to grow rapidly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mulch<\/strong>: The sparse foliage doesn\u2019t shade the soil\nvery much, so a mulch is helpful to conserve soil moisture in dry weather. It\nwill also help to keep down weeds. Mulch also insulates the soil, so don\u2019t\napply it until the soil has warmed up.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Problems<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bolting<\/strong>: Sometimes onions will bolt instead of bulbing, or bolt while\nbulbing. This usually happens because the plants were vernalized. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For a plant to be vernalized it must be at least \u00bc\u02dd in diameter\n(smaller plants aren\u2019t usually affected) and must be exposed to temperatures\nbelow 50\u00b0F for two weeks. When warmer weather returns the plant thinks it has\ngone through a winter and so sets about following its destiny, which is to\nproduce seed. This sometimes happens when there is a very late cold spell in\nspring. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This phenomenon means you must be careful when planting onions in\nfall or early spring. If they get too big (over \u00bc\u02dd diameter) they may bolt when\nspring arrives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If a plant bolts remove the whole flower stalk promptly. Don\u2019t\njust pinch off the flower, otherwise the plant will continue to waste energy on\nthe remaining stem (which will swell up).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bolting doesn\u2019t affect edibility, you can just remove the woody\nstem core when chopping the bulb. However it does mean the plant is wasting\nenergy, so the bulb won\u2019t get as big as it could have. Bolted onions don\u2019t\nstore as well, so should be\nused first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pests<\/strong>: <\/strong>Onions are relatively pest\nfree, except for a couple of (not insignificant) insects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Onion maggots<\/strong>: This small fly is found in the northern (above 40\u00b0 latitude)\nUnited States and Canada. The larvae burrow into onion bulbs and seedlings,\nstunting or killing them, or causing them to rot in storage I have had no\nexperience with them, but row covers are an effective solution<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Onion thrips<\/strong>: These creatures suck juices from the plants. They survive the\nwinter in weeds so keep the garden clean. Spanish onions are resistant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Disease<\/strong>: Though the Alliums in general are rarely affected by pests,\nthere are quite a few potential disease problems. Onion leaf blight and purple\nblotch are the most serious, especially in wet or humid weather (provide good\nair circulation). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other diseases include fusarium rot, downy mildew, rust, smut,\npink root, onion smudge and neck rot (I can\u2019t help thinking that the people who\nnamed these diseases didn\u2019t display much creativity).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nutrient deficiency<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tip burn<\/strong>: A deficiency of potassium or manganese may cause the tips of older leaves to die back. Liquid kelp\nwill supply both of these (as will compost of course). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Harvesting<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bulbs<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When<\/strong>: For immediate eating you can start harvesting bulbs as soon as\nthey are big enough to be worth using. However if you want to store the bulbs\nfor any length of time, they must be fully mature. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When bulbing is complete the tops turn yellow and die back, as\nthey have no more energy in them. Stop watering at this time, to allow the\nbulbs to dry out and cure. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some gardeners knock over any remaining green leaves at this\npoint, to hasten their drying. Don\u2019t do this prematurely though, wait until at\nleast a half of the tops have fallen by themselves and take care not to bruise\nthe bulb. Leave the bulbs for another\nweek to die back fully. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How<\/strong>: Lift the bulbs with a fork and leave them\nin a dry place with good air circulation for a few days to dry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Onion bulbs are fairly delicate, so handle them carefully at all\ntimes and don\u2019t throw them around. This is particularly important if you want\nto store them. Damaged or bruised bulbs will rot easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If it isn\u2019t too hot and sunny you can leave\nthem outside, but if the sun is hot, you should move them into the shade, as\nthey can be cooked by very strong sunlight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there is danger of rain or dew you should\nmove them under cover, as you don\u2019t want them to get wet while they are drying!\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Indoor drying is often done on screens or\nslatted shelves in a warm, dry, well ventilated place. You can also dry them on\nsheets of newspaper. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the tops have dried out completely, it is common to cut them\noff, leaving just 1\u02dd on the bulb, but some people say they store better if the\ntops are left on. Obviously if you want to braid your onions you need the tops\nintact. Finally put the bulbs in a warm, dry place for 2 – 3 weeks, to cure fully. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Greens<\/strong>: You can harvest individual leaves from your bulbing onions at\nany time. Just don\u2019t take too many or it will affect bulb formation. Actually\nit is a better idea to leave the bulb onions alone and plant extra plants for\nscallions (use the largest sets, or the weakest looking plants). Even better is\nto plant some perennial welsh onions or Egyptian onions to supply green onions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Storage<\/strong>: How long your onions will store depends\nupon what variety they are. The sweeter ones don\u2019t store well and must be used\nrelatively quickly. The more pungent ones may keep for many months. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before storing the bulbs, you should examine them carefully. The\npapery outer skin should be in good condition, there should be no bruising and\nthe neck should be dry and papery. If the neck is still thick it didn\u2019t mature\nproperly and won\u2019t store very well. Any bulbs that are less than perfect should\nbe used first. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Store the bulbs in boxes or mesh bags (old panty hose works well).\nYou can also make onion braids. Ideally keep them in a cool dry place at 32 –\n50\u00b0F with 60% humidity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Excessive moisture will encourage sprouting, so the fridge isn\u2019t a\ngood place for them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Large onions can be sliced and dried, small ones can be pickled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Onion braids look great hanging in the kitchen, but it is too warm\nand dry to store them there for any length of time (they will dry out). You\ncould make small braids and bring them into the kitchen as you need them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If your onions start to rot in storage, it is usually either\nbecause they weren\u2019t cured properly or because of fungal infection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Seed saving<\/strong>: Onions are cross-pollinated by insects, but this isn\u2019t usually a\nbig problem as there are no close wild relatives and most people don\u2019t let\ntheir onions flower. They will cross with shallots, potato onions and welsh\nonions (even though the latter is a different species).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Onions are biennial and will flower in the spring of their second\nyear. In mild climates you can leave the bulbs in the ground over the winter,\nbut in cold <\/p>\n\n\n\n

climates you may have to store them inside and re-plant in spring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Use the best onions you have for seed. Larger bulbs produce larger\nflowers (they sometimes get to 4 feet in height) and more (and perhaps healthier) seed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make sure the flower heads are thoroughly dry before collecting\nseed. When they are fully dry remove the seed from the head and dry it some\nmore before storing. Onion seed doesn\u2019t remain viable for very long, 2 – 3 years is probably typical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unusual\ngrowing ideas<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interplanting<\/strong>: Onions are commonly interplanted with carrots, but do well with\nmany crops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Containers<\/strong>: <\/strong>Green onions are well suited to growing in\ncontainers and don\u2019t require much work. Bulb onions can be grown too, though\nthey need a deeper container and you probably won\u2019t get a very big harvest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Green\nonions<\/strong>: These are varieties of bulbing onion, sown in fall and harvested\nas scallions or green onions in spring (which is why they are sometimes known\nas spring onions). They can be planted very closely together, with as many as\n30 plants per square\nfoot. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Green onions can also be multi-planted, with up to 10 seeds in one\nsoil block, or plug tray (in this way you can grow a bunch of green onions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are varieties specifically bred for this purpose (White\nLisbon is one), or you can use any surplus onion sets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Green onions may be hilled up with soil to increase the length of\nwhite stem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you grow a long day onion in a short day area, or vice versa,\nyou may end up with green onions by accident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Varieties<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

More than with most crops, the selection of the right onion\nvariety for your location and purpose is extremely important. You must choose a\nvariety that is suited to your day length. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I already mentioned how onion varieties are commonly classified\naccording to the amount of daylight they require to produce bulbs. European\nvarieties tend to be long day, because they come from more northerly latitudes.\nFor some reason seed packets often don\u2019t contain day length information, which\nseems rather negligent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short\nday onions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

These are grown in the south, up to 36\u00b0\nlatitude and bulb when the day length is under 13 hours. If you plant them\nfurther north they tend to bulb prematurely. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In very mild climates it is common to\nplant them in fall to grow over the winter and bulb in spring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pungent<\/strong> – California early red, Ebenezer, Red Creole, White\nCreole<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sweet<\/strong> – Texas Early Grano, Texas super\nsweet, White Bermuda, Yellow Granex, <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Intermediate\nday onions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

These are grown from 34\u00b0 – 38\u00b0 N and\nbulb when the day length is 13 – 14 hours. Generally they don\u2019t store well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pungent<\/strong> – Stockton Red, Super Star, Australian Brown,\nSouthport Yellow globe, Italian red, White Portugal.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sweet<\/strong> – Candy, Red Candy Apple, Walla Walla<\/strong>, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Long\nday onions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

These are grown in the north, above 36\u00b0\nN and bulb when the day length is more than 14 hours. They are often hard and\npungent and generally store well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pungent<\/strong> – Ailsa Craig, Copra, Early yellow globe, Red\nZeppelin, New York Early, Yellow globe danvers, Sweet Spanish, Cipollini.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sweet<\/strong> – Walla Walla<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other\ntypes of bulb onion<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Storage\nonions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

These tend to have pungent flesh and\nthick skins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Copra,\nF1, Ebenezer, Yellow Globe, Yellow Of Parma<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sweet\nonions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

These have such a mild flavor they are\noften eaten raw. Their skins tend to be rather thin and they contain a lot of\nwater, which means they don\u2019t keep very well. They are mostly short day types\n(but not all).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yellow\nGranex F1, Walla Walla<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cipollini\nonions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

These flat Italian onions have a fairly mild, sweet flavor and\nstore for up to 5 months. If you grow them well they can get quite big. They\nare long day onions, though may do okay in intermediate areas too. They are\noften planted in fall to mature in spring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Borettana<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Red\nCipollini<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Japanese\nonions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

These <\/strong>are simply Japanese\nvarieties that have been bred for growing in mild climates. They are planted in\nlate summer or fall and harvested the following summer, slightly before other\nbulb onions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Senshyu\nSemi-Globe <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Imai\nEarly Yellow<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shonan<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kitchen use<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Onions resemble garlic in that their pungent flavor only develops\nfully when cell walls are ruptured. If you bake a whole onion this will\ninactivate the enzymes and the flavor\nwon\u2019t be anywhere near as strong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Onion Bhaji <\/strong>  
1 large onion
1 small hot pepper (de-seeded and chopped, the hotness is up to you)
4 oz chickpea flour (grow your own)
1 oz cilantro
\u00bc tsp chili powder
\u00bd tsp turmeric
\u00bd tsp baking powder
\u00bd tsp ground cumin
Salt
Water
Vegetable oil  

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl, then add enough water to make a batter (this should have the consistency of whipping cream). Let
it sit for 15 minutes. Cut the onion into \u00bc\u02dd thick slices and coat them with the batter. Then fry in 350\u00b0F oil (it needs to be hot) first on one side until crisp and then turn over (you can also deep fry, but this takes more oil).  

Drain well on kitchen paper and serve hot with mango chutney.   <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Allium cepa Introduction: The onion is an almost universal kitchen ingredients and one that few cooks would willingly do without. It probably originated somewhere in central Asia, but has been … Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2000,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[244],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1999","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bulb-and-stem-vegetables","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/onion1.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1999","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1999"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1999\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2696,"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1999\/revisions\/2696"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2000"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1999"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1999"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1999"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}