why aren't my onions growing??

[sheeshshe]

They started to bulb about a month ago, and they got to about 1 inch and then stopped. they're the right day onion for my climate, I grew them last year and they got nice and big. what could be going on?

[gixxerific]

I belive mine didn't do well do to the extreme heat, not sure what your weather has been like.

Paging Dr James, Paging Dr James.

[rainbowgardener]

Same question re acidity:

Soil Requirements
Onions grow best in a loose, well-drained soil of high fertility and plenty of organic matter. Avoid heavier soils such as clay and silt loams unless modified with organic matter to improve aeration and drainage. Onions are sensitive to highly acid soils and grow best when the pH is between 6.2 and 6.8.

https://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/1000/1616.html

[digitS']

Once they begin to bulb, onions have moved into the nutrient-storage stage. Onions start bulbing when the daylight hours are of the proper number. They have reached a time where the clock has run out.

Until they get to that time, the more leaves they can grow - the better. The leaf bases form the bulb and if there are 12+ leaves - that will be a nice big onion!

I think of onions about the same as I think of lawn grass . . . or, that other grass we often have in the garden: corn. They need lots of nitrogen to grow lots of leaves. So for me, it is high-N fertilizers applied about every month thru the growing season for the crop.

Steve

[sheeshshe]

Same question re acidity:

Soil Requirements
Onions grow best in a loose, well-drained soil of high fertility and plenty of organic matter. Avoid heavier soils such as clay and silt loams unless modified with organic matter to improve aeration and drainage. Onions are sensitive to highly acid soils and grow best when the pH is between 6.2 and 6.8.

https://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/1000/1616.html

this is in a place where I had the soil brought in last year. I think the pH of the soil is still great in this area. everything else in it is growing superbly!

[sheeshshe]

I mulched them with horse manure.... is that not enough you think?

[Gary350]

I grew them last year and they got nice and big. what could be going on?

If you grew them in the same place the soil probably needs some fertilizer.
Add 15/15/15 about 2 lbs to a 25 ft row. Add Ammonium Nitrate about 1/2 lb to a 25 ft row every 2 weeks with water. Let them grow all winter then harvest about June next summer.

[sheeshshe]

I did add manure to the top. and I don't think they were in the exact same place last year, they were over a bit... they are now where the potatoes were. but I did add the manure. hmmmm....

so yiou're saying to leave them over the winter? they won't get mushy or anything?

[rainbowgardener]

I plant onions in Sept or so and leave them over the winter and they are fine, harvested the following summer. I don't know if you planted these in spring, leaving them til next year seems really long...

[jal_ut]

All good info already.

When did you plant them. Best to start onions as early as you can get on your ground. They need to grow and get many leaves before the day length is right for bulbing. When the days are long enough for bulbing, they will bulb then lay down and be done.

Variety too has a bearing on how large they will get. Some varieties just get larger.

Soil fertility, yes, very important for onions.

I don't think there is anything you can do now for these onions. Eat them. However if you can get some dry onion sets you can plant now for a nice crop of green onions in the fall. They are not likely to bulb because of day length, but make nice green ones.

[jal_ut]

Fall planted onions left over winter, and any large onion sets planted in the spring, just want to go to seed in my garden. They are, after all, biennial.
Small onion sets about marble size, early spring planted, will make nice bulbs.

I don't fall plant onions, nor leave them in the ground over winter. The winters are such that they won't make it through.

The one exception for me is the walking onion. I can plant the bulbils in the fall and in the spring they come up and make some nice green onions early. But then the walking onion is a different critter. That reminds me, I need to plant some bulbils for some fall green onions. Hey, if you onion lovers don't have walking onions, you should get some. You will have onions forever. The woman who gave me my start many years ago called them "Forever Onions".

I have been planting White Bunching onions and Yellow Spanish Onions from seed, for green onions. This has worked out very well for me. The yellow onions will make small bulbs if left in long enough. I about used them all up as green onions.

[sheeshshe]

awesome advice, thanks guys!


I think what happened, at least initially, was I about killed my seedlings about 5 times. my cats dug them up, burnt some in the greenhouse, etc. but Once I got them in, they recovered fine. they were behind, but that was it. they started to bulb in july and then just STOPPED. they haven't grown any since. they've just stayed the same size and aren't growing new leaves at all.

I think there are too many weeds too, how can I get the weeds out without pulling up the onions? any time I try and get the weeds out the onions start to pull out too!

[applestar]

You need the kind of hoes designed to slice the weed roots off just below the surface -- scuffle/action hoe, collinear hoe, Japanese hand weeder.... My latest fave is a looped metal dog/horse grooming tool I bought for like $8.

[greenstubbs]

Avoid heavier soils such as clay and silt loams unless modified with organic matter to improve aeration and drainage. Onions are sensitive to highly acid soils and grow best when the pH is between 6.2 and 6.8.

https://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/1000/1616.html

That really isn't true and I can atest to it! The area I live in is heavy in clay content and onions do just fine as there use to be a onion factory near my home. I see other gardens around town that have bigger property than mine and their onions seem to be fine as well as whats at the farmers market. I haven't really added alot to my garden in 11 years and does take some work to break up the soil, but after a few good soakings it gets compacted good. Maybe my hot and long wx makes up for the hard soil?

[sheeshshe]

You need the kind of hoes designed to slice the weed roots off just below the surface -- scuffle/action hoe, collinear hoe, Japanese hand weeder.... My latest fave is a looped metal dog/horse grooming tool I bought for like $8.

I need that.. totally!

[Ohio Tiller]

You need the kind of hoes designed to slice the weed roots off just below the surface -- scuffle/action hoe, collinear hoe, Japanese hand weeder.... My latest fave is a looped metal dog/horse grooming tool I bought for like $8.

Are you talking about the hair shedding rake? I never thought of using one of those for weeding. That would work great!