By Jennifer Poindexter
Onions are inexpensive to buy , but they savor much better when grown smart in the garden . Plus , they ’re a round-eyed craw to grow . Are you toying with the idea of growing your own onion plant ? If so , I have some data for you . I ’m not give-up the ghost to say youhow to get onion .
alternatively , I ’m going to help oneself you overcome some common obstacles gardeners face when maturate their own . If you ’re interested in assure your onion do well in the garden , here are the mutual error you should annul making when growing onions :
1. Transplants vs. Sets: Deciding Which Is Best
Transplants are onion plant plant started from germ . circle await like diminished Allium cepa that are typically second - year plants .
Some people finger you should stay forth from readiness as they be given to run off well-fixed because of the dry nation they ’re in at the meter of planting .
However , some hoi polloi palpate onion set are the best room to insure you receive a full - sized onion at harvest .
This is a personal preference , but a determination best made up front when deciding to grow onion . Give this decisiveness consideration before starting your craw .
2. Separate Plants from Seed at the Right Time
Should you go with onion source , you may start them in the ground or in a container . If you grow them in a container , select nutritive , well - draining soil to plant in .
I wish to use a foil , disposable lasagna pan . Then sow the semen thickly in the soil . Once the seedlings are or so four - inch improbable , separate them into growing tray .
This method of start onion seeds ensures the seedling stay moist which is critical in fend off beetle off .
3. Pick Onions Based Upon Your Growing Location
Were you aware there are different type of onions ? You have shortsighted - day , average - sidereal day , and foresightful - Clarence Day Allium cepa varieties .
shortsighted - mean solar day onions form bulb when the Clarence Shepard Day Jr. are between ten and twelve minute long . average - Clarence Day onion shape incandescent lamp when the days are between twelve and fourteen hours long .
Long - day onion plant form bulbs when the days are between fourteen and sixteen hours long . What does this think for you ?
Short - day onions typically do best in southern region . Intermediate - daylight onions do well in the middle part and recollective - day onion do best in northern regions .
Understanding this can assist you resolve which onion variety would work best for your rise location , but planting the wrong type of onion plant for your area could have a negative impact on your harvest time .
4. Transplant Onions at the Right Time
The next thing some gardener miss the mark on is transplanting their onions at the haywire sentence . Onions are cold brave crop .
Therefore , it ’s best to transplant them while frost is still occurring . It ’s best to graft your onion plant one to two months before the final icing date of spring .
This means you should originate your onion seeds indoors eight to ten week before the final hoar escort . If you plant too belatedly , this could dry your plant life out and encourage bolting .
5. Provide the Right Growing Conditions
Next , ensure you provide the right grow conditions for your Allium cepa . This is important to encourage healthy works .
onion need a growing area with full sunshine . This think of the plants should receive eight 60 minutes of direct sunshine per day .
The soil they grow in should be loose and well - draining . This will allow the roots of the flora to receive the wet they involve but not left in an oversaturated state .
Plus , lax soil will allow the onions to replete out . If your grow positioning has thick stain , be sure to amend it prior to implant .
eventually , be certain the onion are plant one inch deep and four inches apart . There should be eight inches between each row of onions .
By providing the right farm conditions , it should encourage your onions to be healthy and full at the time of harvest .
6. Don’t Forget to Fertilize
onion are fleshy feeder . If you do n’t supply the right nutrient and enough of them , your plants may not be successful .
Therefore , be sure to provide fertilizer that ’s high in phosphorus at the time of planting . Then three hebdomad afterwards provide a fertilizer that ’s mellow in nitrogen .
Feed the onion flora once per month until the bulb begin to form . Once you see medulla oblongata , do n’t practice anymore fertilizer to your onions .
By supplying the nutrients needed in the other stages , your onion should have what they need to produce as anticipate .
7. Water Onions Correctly
Some people do n’t realise that there ’s a correct way of life to water onion plants . When you implant Allium cepa , you should water them deep at this metre .
You should also be sure to water your plants after each software of fertilizer . Outside of these prison term , onions should receive one - inch of water per week .
Be sure to water the plant life deeply to further a strong etymon system . Should the leaves of the plant turn lily-livered , it means you ’re overwatering . Reduce the amount of moisture being add to the plant life .
When you see the tops of the onion plant plants wither , it ’s sentence to terminate water the plants all together as you ’re nearing harvest time .
8. Harvest at the Right Time
There ’s a right metre to harvest onions as well . Do n’t glean them until the tops have die back . Once this pass , commemorate it on your calendar .
One week after this mark appointment , it ’s clock time to harvest them . When the industrial plant are ready to reap , use a nigga to relax the soil around the onion .
Gently rob them from the land . Be mindful not to damage the bulb during the harvesting process as this will encourage waste in the long - terminal figure .
9. Know Which Direction to Plant Sets
Should you decide to grow onion plant from sets , it ’s vital that you implant them the right direction in the ground .
You ’ll notice onion sets have a pointed ending . You might think this end is a tip and should be pointed towards the ground .
This is n’t the pillow slip . The pointed end should be show towards the sky . Otherwise , the plant will farm away from the sunlight which will lead to the plant ’s demise .
If you grow onions from sets , pay very close attention to this small item as it can make all the difference in your horticulture experience .
10. Don’t Toss Your Bolted Onions
Sometimes onion deadbolt even if you try everything to keep this from occurring . Should your onions bolt , do n’t put away them .
Instead , harvest them . These Allium cepa should be the first onions you utilize . Instead of liquidate onion or growing discouraged , just put these small onion to unspoilt use around your kitchen .
11. Preserve Onions Correctly
One of the big mistake gardeners make with onions is not storing them correctly . It ’s sad when you ’ve put a short ton of crusade into your onion plant and collect a nice harvesting only to suffer it .
With this in psyche , let ’s talk over how you canproperly store onions . The first affair you must do is shake the poop off the fresh harvest onions .
Then find a dry location with equal airflow to allow your onions to bring around . I like to station a pallet in our b and lie the Allium cepa out there .
This render protection from wet , the pallet keeps the onion off the ground which avoids putrefaction , and the tenuous elevation allows for air to flow around the onions . In or so seven days , the onion should have cure .
From there , stack away them in a dark , dry location to utilize them in the coming month . You may also buy Allium cepa bags and hang the onions . Some masses care to braid onion as well .
12. Don’t Forget to Provide Adequate Care
Our last mistake to avoid is neglecting your onion plants . onion have very specific needs that must be met . We ’ve discuss fertilizing and watering . However , you should be indisputable to mulch around your Allium cepa plant as this help them keep on wet .
It ’s also important that you keep their grow location free of dope as this creates competitor for your onion industrial plant .
Last , it ’s important to rotate your onion craw each year . This will aid keep disease and pests under control .
However , should you spot an issue with pests or diseases , be sure to play quickly before too much clock time has passed and your harvest time is damaged .
These are the error that gardeners frequently make when growing Allium cepa . Yet , if you supply the needs of these plants , protect them , and put in them correctly , you might find that onions are one of the easier crop to originate around your garden .
Whether you ’re trying to grow more of your own food or lay aside money , rise onions in your home garden could be a simple-minded way to take step towards being tight to your food and saving money as well .
Learn More About Growing Onions
https://extension.umn.edu/vegetables/growing-onions
https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/hyg-1616
https://extension.umd.edu/resource/growing-onions-home-garden
