Growing Onions

[pinkfox]

this is realy good to know, if i can find onion sets in october ill definatly plant for next year too, (we cant get sets around here untill march at the earliest)
were in zone 6 right now and they still seem to be doing farily good but i know im going to have to yank them soon...just not sure what im going to fill the gaps with lol.

 

[sunsaver]

I read that onions should be treated like greens, and should be given plenty of nitrogen in order to get big bulbs.

 

[BarredBuff]

Im going to be trying BIG bulbs next year. So please keep tips coming!

 

[Shiloh Acres]

I read (I think on this board or sister site) that bigger sets are more likely to bolt. I think I saw that in a seed catalog or plant book too. So you want smaller ones actually?

Not an expert here ... My onions are still in the ground but they are toast, lol.

 

[~gd]

I have read this thred and no one has mentioned the fact that Onions are dayLENGTH sensitive! if you try to grow a short day onion in the North USA (where summer days are much longer than in the South [look it up]) they will bulb up and quit growing before they have reached their full potential. If you try a long day type in the south they may never bulb.
Take the famous sweet onions, the WALLA WALLA grows great in the north(WA) but not in the south, The VIDALIA grows fine in GA and much of the South under different names. The point is to get sets or seeds for a variety that grows well in your area (the big box garden stores and walmart often screw this up.) go to onion in wikipedia if you think I am pulling your leg.

 

[Marianne]

I have read this thred and no one has mentioned the fact that Onions are dayLENGTH sensitive! if you try to grow a short day onion in the North USA (where summer days are much longer than in the South [look it up]) they will bulb up and quit growing before they have reached their full potential. If you try a long day type in the south they may never bulb.
Take the famous sweet onions, the WALLA WALLA grows great in the north(WA) but not in the south, The VIDALIA grows fine in GA and much of the South under different names. The point is to get sets or seeds for a variety that grows well in your area (the big box garden stores and walmart often screw this up.) go to onion in wikipedia if you think I am pulling your leg.

I agree. In the past I have bought fruit trees/plants that were supposed to grow in this zone. Sure, they grew, but they didn't put on fruit or do very well. When we moved here, I looked to see what the neighbors had been growing for years.

 

[TanksHill]

Isn't there some rule that says to fold the greens over? I thought this was done to start drying/curing process.

My small plot of onions did prey well this year. I have been folding tops on the large ones.

G

 

[aggieterpkatie]

I'm not sure which varieties are sold at the Southern States (where I've gotten the sets for the past several years). I would hope that they're varieties meant to grow around here, but who knows! I've never seen onion sets sold in the fall, but I'm generally not looking for them then either! I'll keep an eye out this fall and if I can't find them locally I'll look online!

 

[Marianne]

Isn't there some rule that says to fold the greens over? I thought this was done to start drying/curing process.

My small plot of onions did prey well this year. I have been folding tops on the large ones.

G

I've read conflicting info on folding the tops over. One year I did it on half my onions and I'm not convinced it did anything. But that was a terrific onion year anyway. I'd be interested in reading what other people's results have been.

 

[~gd]

I'm not sure which varieties are sold at the Southern States (where I've gotten the sets for the past several years). I would hope that they're varieties meant to grow around here, but who knows! I've never seen onion sets sold in the fall, but I'm generally not looking for them then either! I'll keep an eye out this fall and if I can't find them locally I'll look online!

Carefull onion 'set' is used for small unsprouted onions as well as the sprouted ones. I don't know your climate but usually the unsprouted sets are used in the fall~gd