Advice for first time onion grower?

[TheWaterbug]

I wanted to try growing onions this year, so I stopped by Home Depot where they had 3 varieties--Walla Walla, Texas Sweet, and Georgia Sweet.

I have no idea which ones would be good, so I bought a bundle of each. It turns out that each bundle has a _lot_ of little plants:



I put in about 90 plants of each type, spaced every ~4" in 12" rows. I hope everybody likes onions!

I planted every single plant, even the little spindly guys, so we'll see what happens.

For soil prep, I broadforked my area, then spread ~1" of steer manure mixture on top and rototilled it in to a depth of about 8". For the onion bed I then put about 1/2" of sand on top and tilled that in to about 4".

If everything goes well, I will have mystery onions in a few months, because the bundles were not individually labeled. They all say, "Onion," which is not terribly helpful.

Aside from any irreversible mistakes I've already made , any things to do or not do now?

[gumbo2176]

I wanted to try growing onions this year, so I stopped by Home Depot where they had 3 varieties--Walla Walla, Texas Sweet, and Georgia Sweet.

I have no idea which ones would be good, so I bought a bundle of each. It turns out that each bundle has a _lot_ of little plants:



I put in about 90 plants of each type, spaced every ~4" in 12" rows. I hope everybody likes onions!

I planted every single plant, even the little spindly guys, so we'll see what happens.

For soil prep, I broadforked my area, then spread ~1" of steer manure mixture on top and rototilled it in to a depth of about 8". For the onion bed I then put about 1/2" of sand on top and tilled that in to about 4".

If everything goes well, I will have mystery onions in a few months, because the bundles were not individually labeled. They all say, "Onion," which is not terribly helpful.

Aside from any irreversible mistakes I've already made , any things to do or not do now?

I've had success with those type onions. Even if the smaller, more spindly ones don't do well enough to make bulbs, you can use the tops for green onions when cooking. Just take and pinch some of the tops off, or cut them with a small knife but leave the plant in the ground, it will make more tops. I'll pick some of the smaller onion tops when I cook and with the amount of onions I have, they don't hurt the plants.

[gumbo2176]

The only potential problem I see is you didn't leave much room to work the middle of the patch without stepping on the bed you have the onions in. I'd have left at least a couple paths at least 18 inches wide.

What I do with my onions is make a couple rows and flatten the tops to about 24 inches wide and plant the width and length of the row and leave about 2 ft. between rows.

[TheWaterbug]

The only potential problem I see is you didn't leave much room to work the middle of the patch without stepping on the bed you have the onions in.

*le sigh*

I did the exact same thing last year.

At least I seldom make the same mistake more than 3 times in a row, so there's hope for me yet.

[digitS']

You can thin them, and should probably do that fairly aggressively, Waterbug.

It probably wouldn't be more expensive to do that than to buy sets for green onions, at least. Just remember that the leaves that are on the things right now, are going to be old and coarse. You will want to strip them away in a couple weeks so as to use the fresh green leaves in the kitchen!

Another thing to remember is that neither green onions nor bulb onions are root vegetables. No, the onion roots are those white, scraggly things that hang down from what you might be interested in eating.

The bulb is the base of the leaves. So, to grow nice bulbs you need lots of "leaf fertilizer." You know, nitrogen.

It took me probably more than 3 times to learn this, Waterbug. When I finally started to think of my onions in the same way that I think of corn or lawn grass - I started to grow better onions!

Aaannd, if I only mess up once, I consider that a total success. I mean, I won't even know what I did "right" if I've only done it once! A second misstep is just a little stumble along the way . . .

Steve

[TheWaterbug]

The bulb is the base of the leaves. So, to grow nice bulbs you need lots of "leaf fertilizer." You know, nitrogen.

It took me probably more than 3 times to learn this, Waterbug. When I finally started to think of my onions in the same way that I think of corn or lawn grass - I started to grow better onions!

Hah! Good point. I was looking at fertilizers for my corn, and I kept seeing fertilizers for grass, and none that mentioned corn. After I walked the aisle for the third time, the lightbulb flickered on . . .

[jal_ut]

I recommend that for now you just water as needed. They will do just fine. Sounds like you made good preparations for the bed. As far as getting into the bed to weed etc. just straddle a row. Let them grow a while then when it looks like you have some good scallions, that is the time to thin them if you wish. The neat thing about onions, they are edible at any stage of their development. You should have enough to have some scallions and still have plenty for bulbs. Enjoy.

[SOB]

I thought the same thing as you the first year we planted - who is going to eat all these onions?! But I find that I can never grow enough onions. If you buy the storage kind and dry them properly after harvest they can last 6 months to a year (depending on the variety). I planted about 200 onions last year and we just ran out in late December. I plan on upping the number to 300 next year...

[klevelyn]

Your onions look great. They are easy to grow and you get to eat them when ever you need some. We harvest ours in the early summer or fall but start eating them as soon as they have small bulbs for salads.

Garlic is fun to grow to. We plant it in late fall here and it comes up the next spring. Easy to grow.

[Bobberman]

If you mulch with a bought potting soil or peat moss the weeds will be light. Too weed simply put two concrete blocks across the ends of the beds and place 2- 2 by 6 types of lumber across and lay down and pull the weeds before they take over the garden! Weeds will stunt the nions!

[sepeters]

The bulb is the base of the leaves. So, to grow nice bulbs you need lots of "leaf fertilizer." You know, nitrogen.

It took me probably more than 3 times to learn this, Waterbug. When I finally started to think of my onions in the same way that I think of corn or lawn grass - I started to grow better onions!

Hah! Good point. I was looking at fertilizers for my corn, and I kept seeing fertilizers for grass, and none that mentioned corn. After I walked the aisle for the third time, the lightbulb flickered on . . .

Oh. Oooooooohhh! Now I get it! Onions make so much more sense to me now. I shoulda known. The whole long day/short day thing!

You can guess what's what by when they bulb. Find out if they're long day, intermediate day, or short day onions. The one's that bulb first are short days. IDK about the Texas and Georgia sweets, but most walla walla have been selected to overwinter and are short day.

[TheWaterbug]

You can guess what's what by when they bulb. Find out if they're long day, intermediate day, or short day onions. The one's that bulb first are short days. IDK about the Texas and Georgia sweets, but most walla walla have been selected to overwinter and are short day.

Bonnie says that their Georgia Sweets are short day, the Texas Sweets are short day, and the Walla Wallas are long day.

In Los Angeles we're at 34°N, just slightly above Atlanta (33°N) and Dallas (32°N), so I suppose I should be growing short day varieties instead of long day, but the store was selling all three kinds, so I figured I'd gamble with $3.68

Walla Walla is way up at 46°N, so maybe the Home Depot shouldn't be selling Walla Wallas down here.

[TheWaterbug]

I recommend that for now you just water as needed.

I was going to complain that we never get any rain around here, and then last night we got half an inch, with another half due this weekend.

I hope it doesn't wash away all my newly-planted carrot seeds.

[digitS']

. . . Walla Walla is way up at 46°N, so maybe the Home Depot shouldn't be selling Walla Wallas down here.

That may be true, Waterbug. However, Corsica is at 42°N.

What's Corsica got to do with it? "The Walla Walla Sweet Onion and its French Connection" by Joe J. Locati

Here at 48°N, I have trouble with overwintered Walla Wallas bolting to seed without bulbing. After they did that 2 times out of 3, I gave up and just start them in the greenhouse with the other onion varieties, very early. I blamed the colder-than-Walla-Walla winters.

Strangely, Utah Sweets grow a little better in my garden even tho' Walla Walla is only about 200 miles south and Utah . . . . well, it's down there somewhere!

I think they may both be intermediate day types. Short day types will grow here but they make bulbs before the plants have made much growth. I grew Granex onions like those grown in Vidalia, Georgia one year and they were nice onions, golf ball-size .

Steve

[PunkRotten]

I am going to be starting onions by seed. But what is the best time? I have Crimson Forest bunching onions, Red Bottle, and Yellow Borettana. I think the last one may be a long day variety. For the bunching onions do you grow them in a clump?

[jal_ut]

Digits', the Walla Walla onion does not do well here either. I find the Yellow Spanish (Utah) onion does very well here. For a little milder onion Big Daddy has been great. WOW, it makes big onions which are good keepers and milder than the Spanish types. You will definitely do better with long day types there.



Here are some reds and some Big Daddy. These were picked early before maturity. They would have grown some yet. Try some reds.

[TheWaterbug]

I wanted to try growing onions this year, so I stopped by Home Depot where they had 3 varieties--Walla Walla, Texas Sweet, and Georgia Sweet.

I have no idea which ones would be good, so I bought a bundle of each. It turns out that each bundle has a _lot_ of little plants:

Hrrrmphhhh.

It's been 3 weeks now, and they look pretty much like they did the day I planted them. It's been raining every 3-4 days, and I've been watering whenever we've had a dry spell longer than that, so they've gotten plenty of water.

But it's also been pretty cold (cold being relative, I know ) around here, with highs in the low 60s and lows in the low 50s.

Do onions need some heat before they'll perk up and start growing?

I split apart a few old garlic heads and put ~20 cloves in the ground, 3 feet away, on the same day as the onion starts, and they've all sprouted. They're probably all 3-4" tall and bright green right now. Do onions and garlic like the same conditions?

[jal_ut]

Interesting.

Don't despair. Yes, I think they need some heat. Funny they didn't grow when the garlic did. Perhaps its because the garlic bulbs had a lot of energy stored up?

[SOB]

I just read this today on my county extension's website. The part about the temps is what I thought applied most to your situation.

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

"Best production is obtained when cool temperatures (55 F to 75 degrees F) prevail over an extended period of time, permitting considerable foliage and root development before bulbing starts. After bulbing begins, high temperature and low relative humidity extending into the harvest and curing period are desirable. A constant supply of adequate moisture is necessary for best results. For onions started from plants, a light mulch will help conserve moisture for uniform growth."

[TheWaterbug]

Well, the good news is that they've been growing lately. This is the onion patch at 10 weeks:



They've even managed to keep ahead of the garlic

You can see a few garlic plants behind the green netting at the upper right of the photo.

The bad (?) news is that a few of the plants are putting up scapes:



It's not all the plants, but it's more than just one or two.

Are scapes a bad sign for onions?

[jal_ut]

I am going to be starting onions by seed. But what is the best time?

If you are talking seeding directly in the garden, you can plant a month before your avg last frost date and up to a week after that date.

If you are talking about growing them indoors for a while to plant out later, you can start six weeks before your avg last frost date.

Southern California? You may want short day onions.

[jal_ut]

Are scapes a bad sign for onions?

Onions are biennial in growth habit. Meaning they will flower in the second year. If you plant small dried sets they may grow as though still in their first year and not send up a scape (flower leaf). Larger bulbs will always send up a scape and the energy of the plant then goes to making flowers and seed and not so much a bulb. When I plant dried onion sets, I always have some send up scapes. I just cut the scape off and eat it as a green onion. The plant may make a bulb. Even if it does, it will never be as good as one that didn't make a scape.

Ok, if you want some seed to plant next year, plant a large onion bulb and let it produce seed for you.

Onions grown from seed or from the small plants seldom send up a scape the first season. I am not going to be brave enough to say never.

[Dillbert]

onions are apparently not the brightest plants in the patch.

see the previous notes about biannual -

whenever I plant them - whether from bulblets or seed - some percentage gets 'fooled' and go to bloom / seed "first year"

temp cycles and daylight hours are the triggers - somehow some of them think differently . . . .

I left about 6-7 in the garden over the winter for seed this year. I'll be curious to see how they do.

[TheWaterbug]

Are scapes a bad sign for onions?

When I plant dried onion sets, I always have some send up scapes. I just cut the scape off and eat it as a green onion. The plant may make a bulb. Even if it does, it will never be as good as one that didn't make a scape.

Onions grown from seed or from the small plants seldom send up a scape the first season. I am not going to be brave enough to say never.

Thanks! I'll just put these in the "naturally occurring losses" column. These are planted from those little half-dried-out bundles of small plants sold by The Home Depot. They didn't have any bulbs on them, and they were about the size of my wife's eyeliner brushes.

I'll just eat these as a warning to the others. I'll tell them they're all freshmen, and not to get uppity just yet.

[applestar]

I just received my shipment of Alisa Craig onion plants from the Maine Potato Lady so I thought I'd share. They came in an ad paper cushioned small packet boxand were butcher wrapped in heavy-weight wax paper. Inside, the plants themselves were rolled up in a 1/2 sheet of wet paper towel that was still damp enough to squeeze out. I was AMAZED by the length of the roots that look like they took special care to preserve:


I took a group photo with the rest of my own seed grown onion plants:


I'm pleased that they are nearly the same size, meaning seed starting timing was probably good. I think the 4 seedlings in the deeper black pot is just about exact thickness and size, and in view of the long roots, the 4 in a deeper loose potting mix volume/container rather than the individual 2" cube, dense soilblock appear to have done better.

[TheWaterbug]

Those look a _lot_ nicer than the ones I bought from Home Depot.

[Meatburner]

I thought formation of scapes indicated you had a hardneck variety and cutting the scapes off was recommended to send energy to increase bulbing. Is this not correct? I grow softneck varieties here which act different.

[jal_ut]

Is this not correct?

Onions are basically biennial. Meaning they bloom the second year. As you see from some of the comments, some individuals get confused. I suspect lots of things enter into the plants decision to send up a scape. We plant, then take what we get, however for the most part onions will be biennial. You can be assured that if you plant a bulb of fair size from last year it will bloom.

Cutting the scape off may cause the plant to make a larger bulb, but my experience says that the center will never be good. This onion is best used quickly. Each layer of the bulb has an attached leaf. The scape is the center layer and it doesn't seem to develop much in the bulb, so the center is spacious and soft.

In my book, onions are good. They are used for many things. Plant plenty. Some from seed, some from plants, some from sets, and a couple large bulbs to go for seed. Use them right along from small scallions to big dry onions. Sell some, give some away, enjoy!

[joed2323]

Jeeze I didn't know there was so much to onions, sounds complex. I need to start doing my homework on these things and figure out what type seed/plant/bulb I should be buying. Should I be buying long day or short day, what does this even mean??

All this onion talk is making my brain hurt... time to start searching threads...

[btrowe1]

We growers in the great white north grow the long day variety, I believe the reason for long day/short day is that toward the North we"re closer to the sun this time of year thus we have longer days. I think its above the 35th , lattitude / longtuide Getting too old (50) to be correct But I'm pretty sure thats the reason.. Someone will give the correct answer as to why, They"re good about that on the forum.

I just planted 540, yesterday, about 100 are for green onions, I planted reds and yellows, with 1 bag of whites. My wife likes the reds, I like the yellows for storage the whites we just eat when when we want. White onion sandwiches made in a George Foreman Yummy. I ran out in January this year and had planted 250 last year so I figure 400 should get me a little longer.

Good luck and enjoy they"re one of the easiest things to grow, just keep them weeded a little water here and there and your fine..

[jal_ut]

Onions will bulb when the days are of a certain length. In the South they can plant earlier when the days are short so they want them to bulb up before it gets too hot during the long days there.

In the North planting dates are later and if we want the onions to get to any decent size we have to plant long day onions so they will have some growing time before the days become long enough to bulb.

Hope that makes some sense?

[joed2323]

So I should be buying onion bulbsthat comes in those 100 per bag packages? Or should I be buy the ones with the root attached like you can buy at home depot??? Sorry for not understanding...

But then you can grow from seed, why would you want to do that since you can get the others that seem more logical?

[jal_ut]

You can get some of the small plants like apple showed a couple posts back in this thread, or get some dry sets like these:



Either one will make some nice onions.

Plant seed directly in your garden if you want a lot of scallions.



Onions are cold resistant and can be started early, as soon as your ground is dry enough to work.

[SOB]

I thought formation of scapes indicated you had a hardneck variety and cutting the scapes off was recommended to send energy to increase bulbing. Is this not correct? I grow softneck varieties here which act different.

It sounds to me like you're confusing onions with garlic...what you stated is true for garlic.

[WinglessAngel]

Just thought I would share, this is my second harvest from my garden, I could have pulled more but I only use a few at a time when they're this size. These are actually sweet yellow's, apologies I can't remember the breed. But most of about 2 lbs of dry sets I planted last year never bulbed so I left them in the ground and overwintered them and this is what they did this year.

They started to come up with green tops about a month ago. Some are starting to develop bulbs but the majority is growing as a bunching green. I'm not picky, they're still onions lol. I will use them to my hearts content for my myriad of cooking skills. They do come in handy when I'm short on bulb onions anyway.

These ones were too nice to pass up and leave out in the garden, I might make some potato bacon pierogies for hubby and he loves the filling I make for them which I do use green onions in. The last batch I made for him were made with the first green onion harvest about 3 weeks ago out of my garden

[btrowe1]

those look good, and they overwintered too.

[WinglessAngel]

Thank you

[digitS']

I'd like to express a prejudice regarding green onions (aka scallions). The "best" are immature sweet onions. Now, that is a positive statement . . . and I can back away from it . . . . I don't really know what it is like growing onion varieties from lower latitudes.

Here's the deal, and you pretty well have to start them from seed. A nice sweet onion variety ~ harvested at the right moment ~ is a wonderfully tender, tasty green onion. You can keep them going a little longer than the "right moment" but the tops are getting progressively tougher even while the base is thickening and developing the nice qualities of a sweet onion bulb.

Onions from sets are storage varieties. There is nothing wrong with using them green but they must be kept in storage for several months from their time of harvest until they are planted out in the spring. Sweet onions are very poor choices for storage and, you can be sure that the commercial outfits growing onion sets are looking for those varieties that can survive months and months before making new growth. Onions from sets should mature into fine bulbs that can be stored in your basement at the end of the season. Hopefully, they won't bolt to seed a few weeks after being planted in the spring . . . and usually don't.

The onions from sets can be earlier green onions and then much, much later as bulbs from the basement. Their sweet sisters are the best. You can enjoy them as little green scallions for a few weeks. Then, go ahead and use the developing base of the plants. Then, you just gotta leave some to mature into a late summer crop of big, sweet onion bulbs . Then, they are gone . . .

Steve

[TheWaterbug]

Is this the beginning of a bulb? This is 90 days from transplant:



I think my onions are all confused. I have this guy apparently bulbing, right next to a dozen that are scaping.

I've been putting lots of green onions in my morning omelets

[WinglessAngel]

Yes that is the beginning of a bulb. Nitrogen in the soil though is an important issue to get good bulbing onions. I myself am happy with using my onions as they are in the photo above as green onions because my soil is most definitely nitrogen deficient. I've realized I honestly don't mind whether they bulb or not, they still grow great but that's just my preference lol.