covers around 200 different Allium species. There is a very brief section on their usage and good information on the requirements for growing them.
[While a few variants, such as spring onions and everlasting onions, have been chosen for their edible leaves, the majority of types are grown primarily for their edible bulbs. There are multiple subspecies, including:
The perennial onion, Allium cepa ‘Perutile,’ normally grows as an evergreen and can produce new leaves throughout the winter.
The shallot and potato onion are members of the Allium cepa aggregatum family. These are real perennials, with the bulb increasing by division and growing at or just below the surface of the earth. Every year, as the plants die off in the summer, they can be divided to produce bulbs for eating and breeding.
The tree onion, Allium cepa proliferum, develops bulbils in the inflorescence rather than flowers. These bulbils can be used raw, cooked, or pickled and have a good strong onion flavor. As a hybrid of the Welsh onion, this variety is now known as Allium x proliferum in the majority of current treatments (Allium fistulosum).
Most plants, including roses, carrots, beets, and chamomile, grow well with onions; however, they impede the growth of legumes.
Which month is ideal for planting onions?
As a cool-season crop, onions can endure temperatures well below zero. They can be planted from seeds, packs of tiny bulbs, or transplants.
Although seeding is less expensive, it takes longer until onions are ready. Plant your onions for bulbs 1/4 inch deep between October and December. Seeds should be spaced 1 inch apart. Thin the plants to one plant every 2 to 3 inches when they are about 6 inches tall. Consume the surplus plants like green onions.
Plant sets or transplants 3/4 inch deep and 3 inches apart if you’re using them (Fig. 1). Onions should not be transplanted deeper than 1 inch.
How is Allium Cepa harvested?
When the bulbs are fully developed, the tops of bulb onion plants naturally fall over. Lift all the bulbs from a planting when half the tops have collapsed, then set the plucked plants in a warm, dry location (out of direct sunshine) to cure.
Do onions need direct sunlight?
Planting onions will give your garden some flavor. Selecting the types to grow is the most difficult step. Onions are one of the simpler crops to cultivate, therefore learning how to grow them doesn’t need much effort.
Following are our best advice for growing onions:
- Onions should be grown in a location with full sun and good drainage.
- Plan your planting schedule based on the kind you desire and the number of daylight hours you have.
Can you plant an onion’s bottom?
You now have one or two sprouts onions in your cupboard that you purchased from the grocery store. Can I plant these sprouted onions and have a brand-new, fresh onion grow instead?
The short answer is “YES”! An onion that has sprouted can be planted to produce more. Actually, from a single sprouting onion, you can occasionally get three new ones!
The sprouted onion, however, cannot simply be planted in the ground. There will be some preliminary work required. It’s not at all difficult, so don’t worry.
Are onion plants contagious?
Red onions are tunicate bulbs, like are other types of onions. Tunicate bulbs grow by accumulating layers in a circle around a core. This particular bulb variety also produces an outer papery husk. Tunicate bulbs reproduce by producing offsets on their own. From the parent plant’s bulb’s underground base, the offsets sprout. The onion plant will grow and spread if left in the ground as new offsets form and develop. By taking the offsets for transplanting and digging up the onions, gardeners can take use of this innate reproductive ability.
PLEASE DON’T CRY…
The easiest way to raise onions is from bulbs, or “sets. One onion can be produced from a single bulb, and it can either be picked early as a scallion or “green onion” or allowed to grow to maturity into a large cooking onion. If you buy onions by the pound or scoop, smaller bulbs (diameter less than a dime-sized) will produce more and are less likely to ‘bolt’ (go to seed) early. The bigger, the worse! Onions grown from varieties used for sets will mature with higher flavor than those grown from “plants or slips. Instead of sets or plants, onions can be grown from seed, but it will take them 3 to 4 months to reach maturity. In roughly six weeks, green onions grown from sets will be ready for harvest. Plant the bulbs 10–12 inches apart and slightly below the soil’s surface if you want huge onions for cooking. To prevent weeds, keep them well-watered, fertilized, and softly cultivated.
Growing: Loamy, well-drained soil with moderate fertility is best for onions. They need to be gently weeded because they have shallow root systems. Scallions can be made from onions, so plant them closely together; there shouldn’t be much space between them. Instead of planting in rows, consider planting in blocks to make better use of your garden space. Pull the onions alternately to leave space between the ones that will be left in the ground if you want some for scallions and some to store for the winter. During droughts, give onions plenty of water.
If white onion sets are utilized, the portion of the onion below the ground will be white, and the portion above the ground will be green. Although both sections are edible, most people only utilize the white portion. To give your onions a larger white section, either plant the bulbs 2-3 deep or mound up the dirt around them when they are 3–4 tall. Scallion sets are typically white, but they can be any color.
Yellow onions retain their quality in cool storage for a longer period of time than red or white onions. Scallions made from young onions will be milder than those made from older onions. If an onion plant produces a blossom stem, remove it and use the onion right away. It will quickly degenerate. The bulb will cease growing if the top of the onion plant is knocked over.
Onions should be collected gently and allowed to dry for a few days in a warm, airy area before being stored for the winter. The onion will be protected if the peel is not damaged or removed.
The majority of onions are grown from bulbs, or “sets, in the spring, but can usually provide a good harvest when planted in the fall. Sets can be planted 2 apart if picked as scallions or “green onions,” or 4-6 apart if allowed to mature into a full-sized culinary onion. One bulb will produce one onion. 24 scallions may grow in a 1″ by 1″ square, so you don’t need to plant in rows! Onions grown from varieties used for sets will mature with higher flavor than those grown from “plants or slips. In roughly six weeks, green onions grown from sets will be ready for harvest.
For a brief length of time, onions can withstand chilly temperatures, even below freezing. When they are young, a floating row cover will provide some protection. If you haven’t finished harvesting all of your onions by late autumn, cover them with a thick layer of mulch, and you might be able to store them until spring harvest. It’s advisable to prepare to remove them from Indiana before winter because our winters can be unpredictable in terms of temperature and amount of snow coverage (which insulates the ground).
The optimal soil for growing onions is well-drained, loamy, and of moderate fertility. They need to be gently weeded because they have shallow root systems. The bulb will cease growing if the top of the onion plant is knocked over. Trim any brown tips that are visible above ground before you plant the bulbs to prevent birds from plucking them up (they mistake the tips for worms!). Plant the bulbs 1-1.5 inches below the soil’s surface. During droughts, give onions plenty of water. Use a high nitrogen fertilizer, such as blood meal or fish emulsion, to fertilize the soil prior to planting. Eat and relish green onions as soon as they are harvested because they do not keep well.
How is an onion patch planted?
We hope you are as excited about spring as we are. The harvesting, packing, and shipping of our onion plants keeps our farm busy. Our farm needs to run well, thus preparation and organization are essential.
Planning is a key component of a successful expanding strategy. So, whether you’re an experienced gardener or just starting your first garden, we offer a straightforward four-step approach to help you have a great growing season in this issue.
Select a lovely, sunny area for your onion patch. The next step is to test your soil. You may either do this yourself or contact a local agricultural extension agent to do it for you by using a kit or electronic tester, both of which are readily available online or at garden or feed stores. You must incorporate limestone if the pH of your soil is acidic (below 7.0). Add peat moss if it has an alkaline pH (over 7.0).
Make sure the dirt is as loose and crumbly as possible before planting. Compost can be included if necessary to enhance drainage.
Set the beds up. Raised dirt beds or raised rows that are at least four inches high and 20 inches wide are ideal for growing onions (see the chart in Step 2, below).
You don’t have to plant your plants straight away after receiving them; simply remove them from the box. Do not submerge them in soil or water; instead, spread them out in a cool, well-ventilated place. Although it’s usual for the roots or tips to be a little dry, the plants are dormant and can survive for a short while on the bulb. In two weeks, just get them in the ground.
4-6 weeks prior to the last anticipated spring freeze, plant your onions. Consult this frost chart or speak with your agricultural extension agent if you’re unsure of when that is.
Referring to the chart below, carry out the following steps:
- Create a trench that is four inches wide and four inches deep. For every 10 linear feet of row, spread one-half cup of fertilizer, and then cover it with two inches of soil.
- On both sides of the trench, plant the onions six inches from the edge. In the trench, DO NOT plant the onions! The onions should have a two-inch space between them and the bed’s outer edge.
- Plant the onions no deeper than one inch since planting them any deeper will prevent them from bulbing.
- Place the onions four inches apart if you want them to all mature. Place them two inches apart and pick every other onion during the growing season if you choose to harvest some green onions sooner rather than later. Leave the remaining onions to mature.
- Leave a space of 16 inches between the outer edges of each bed when planting multiple rows of onions. The distance between the centers of the fertilizer trenches should be 36 inches.
- As soon as the plants are buried in the soil, ONLY water from the bottom; subsequent top watering may result in fungal issues.
After planting, immediately start watering your onion plants, and keep doing so often. At all times, the soil must be damp but not wet. When you stick your finger in the ground and feel the dampness, the soil is sufficiently moist. Reduce watering if you notice a yellow tint on the foliage.
Your onions will require more water as they get bigger. Stop watering the onions when the tops begin to droop, and wait until the soil is completely dry before harvesting.
Three weeks after planting, fertilize your plants. Then, repeat this process every two to three weeks until your onions begin to bulb. Start with a fertilizer like 10-20-10 to get the critical micronutrients that onions need, like magnesium, zinc, boron, copper, iron, manganese, and molybdenum. To enhance growth and bulbing potential, fertilize with ammonium sulfate (21-0-0), a strong source of nitrogen. When the onions begin to bulb, stop fertilizing and immediately water the onions. Bulbing occurs when the ground at the plant’s base begins to tremble. This is the dirt being pushed aside by the expanding bulb.
To prevent weeds from depriving the soil of vital nutrients, keep your onions free of them. Start with Dixondale Farms Feed and Weed 10-20-10, which is both a fertilizer and an organic pre-emergent herbicide. Our All Natural Feed and Weed 2-5-3, which combines an all-natural humus fertilizer with the pre-emergent weed control strength of corn gluten meal, is a fantastic organic solution.
Examine your onions before harvesting. When stressed by cold weather, onions will occasionally bolt (produce a flower stalk). If you discover that some of your onions have bolted, you should eat them as soon as possible. They are unstoreable.
When the tops of the onions turn yellow or brown and tumble over, the remaining plants are ready to be harvested. Each plant should have 13 leaves by that time, though some may have fewer. On a sunny day in the morning, remove the plants and let them outside for a few days to dry. Cover the bulb of one onion with the top of another to prevent sunburn.
After drying, trim the tops and base of the roots, leaving a neck of one inch to seal and safeguard the interior. Then, keep the onions dry, cool, and well-ventilated; hanging them in pantyhose or mesh netting works wonders.
As you can see, the procedure for growing onions is simple, starting with the preparation of the soil and continuing through harvest and storage. Make sure they have plenty to eat and drink in between, but don’t overdo it. After the season is over, it’s up to you what you do with them, but each month we provide you with a fantastic onion-based recipe to try!
To assist you in protecting and fertilizing your produce, we provide a variety of goods. All of our fertilizers, feed-and-weed products, and our brand-new resealable 12-pound bags are available in four-pound bags.
Use a 10-20-10 fertilizer when starting your plants to aid in the development of their root systems.
Dixondale Farms Onion Special 10-20-10 is something we advise. To enhance growth and bulbing potential after your plants are established, give them Ammonium Sulfate Fertilizer 21-0-0. Your onions will produce more foliage as a result, leading to more rings and bigger bulbs.
Maintain nutrient-rich soil for strong onions.
Your onions will have everything they need to develop big and strong in OmegaGrow, our proprietary, all-organic foliar feed that is also kind to the environment. Dixondale Farms Feed and Weed 10-20-10 can be used to feed and weed your plants at the same time. This product combines an organic pre-emergent herbicide with a distinctive fertilizer.
All Natural Feed and Weed 2-5-3 is the best choice for completely organic feeding and weeding.
The pre-emergent weed control capabilities of corn gluten meal are combined with an all-natural fertilizer in this wholly organic product.
“Here, Dixondale Farms’ onions are being planted by my uncles Charlie and Richard. We sowed Texas 1015, Candy, and Candy Apple last year. Since we started planting onions, no other variety has ever grown as well as these. As many as we can grow are sold at the farmer’s market.”
Bruce attends meetings regarding the industry of growing onions when he isn’t busy taking care of onions.
He most recently spoke to lawmakers and their staffs about several crucial topics at the National Council of Agricultural Employers meeting in Washington, D.C. Bruce spoke about the necessity of a “guest worker program” for agricultural companies, whereby “guests” from other nations labor in American agricultural jobs that cannot be filled by Americans, among other things. The main advantage, according to him, is that this scheme would give farmers and others more employment possibilities. Bruce also expressed grave worries about the safety of laborers who cross the Mexican border to enter the United States for employment as well as the wellbeing of inhabitants in border villages.
Bruce recently discussed the development of Dixondale over the past 20 years as well as the evolving responsibilities of a CEO in the modern agricultural market with a group of agriculture broadcasters and media. Highlights included Dixondale’s transition from contract growing exclusively for farmers to direct selling to customers and retail establishments. Costs of production have increased as a result of this. Few businesses are able to afford the costs, hence Dixondale has dominated the local market. Bruce added that every part of running a farm, such as marketing, customer service, logistics, manufacturing, and technology, has grown more complicated.
Bruce keeps himself active by speaking, traveling, and learning, as you can see. It is crucial to Dixondale’s development.
- Arborio rice, 1 1/2 cups
- Olive oil extra virgin, 2 tablespoons
- 1 diced red onion
- chopped half a cup of button mushrooms
- Bay leaf, one
- 12 ounces of sweet white wine
- 4 and a half cups chicken broth
- 1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
- 14 cup chopped fresh parsley
In a big pan, saute the rice in the olive oil for two minutes, stirring now and again. Add the wine, bay leaf, onion, and mushrooms. Add the chicken stock to the rice one cup at a time as it cooks, letting the rice absorb the liquid before adding more. Before the rice is tender, about 25 minutes total, add a bit extra liquid if necessary. Just before serving, toss in the cheese and top with parsley after the rice has finished cooking. Serve immediately. serving six.
A. If you order ahead of time, your onions will be delivered by the day your postal Zip Code has designated as the safest time to plant them. The shipment chart is shown below. To use the Zip Code search tool or to consult the chart at the bottom of the page, scroll down.
Have you ever wondered where the name “Ailsa Craig” came from? It bears the name of an island in the Firth of Clyde, ten miles off the west coast of Scotland. According to David Murray, the Marquis of Ailsa’s gardener, who created and introduced the onion in 1887, it was called after the scenic 216-acre rock.
The island of Ailsa Craig, which translates from the Gaelic as “fairy rock” and is recognized for its picturesque beauty, is best known as a supplier of granite used to produce curling stones. The onion is not a storage variety; it is best consumed fresh.
For simple reference, you can also download a PDF version of our electronic Planting Guide or print it out.
Also, be sure to watch our quick movies on subjects like fertilization, bolting, harvesting onions, and how to deal with cold weather.
Dixondale Farms, the largest and most established onion plant farm in the United States, provides a huge range of premium, disease-free, ready-to-plant onion plants. Visit our website to view our entire product selection, request a catalog, or for growing advice and cultural details.
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