Most gardeners also love to cook, so they tend to plant and grow a lot of onions.
That said however, onions can be tricky to grow. So in order for you to have the most success possible, here are 9 growing and care tips to grow healthy, flavorful onions:
1. During the early stages of growth, onion plants don’t like too much heat or nitrogen. For better onions, don’t over fertilize or subject them to high temperatures when they are young and just starting to grow.
2. Onion sets are easier to plant and give better results than planting seeds or transplants. Onion sets will mature earlier and are less prone to disease.
3. Purchase 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) diameter sets. Bulbs that are any larger tend to go to seed before they have produced a good-sized bulb, and sets that are smaller don’t always grow well.
4. Keep planted onion beds well weeded. Onions don’t like weeds so you can either:
- Put down a newspaper mulch by laying down 2 to 3 sheets of wet newspaper and then plant your onion sets by punching holes in the mulch.
- Keep the onion plants well weeded by using a sharp hoe or knife to cut weeds off at soil level. Try not to pull weeds around onions because that can damage the onion’s roots which are quite shallow and tender.
5. Once the soil has warmed up with rising summer temperatures, put down a layer of mulch to help keep weeds in check and to help conserve water.
6. Dry soil can cause onion bulbs to split, so water onions regularly allowing the soil to slightly dry out in between waterings but not get completely devoid of any water. Even soil moisture is key for healthy onions.
7. After the bulbs form, and the tops start to die back, water should be withheld to help the onion crop cure properly. Too much water at this point can reduce the bulb’s storage life.
8. Harvest onions by first using the back to a rake to bend over the yellowed onion tops horizontally. Leave them that way for a day or two and when the tops turn brown, pull or dig the bulbs on a sunny, dry day.
Leave the onions out to dry. If the sun is too hot in your area and sun scald is possible, allow the onions to dry somewhere out of direct sun, but still warm with good air circulation.
When the onions’ outer skin is dry, wipe off any soil and remove the tops. Store onions in a cool, dry area, or hang them in mesh bags or braids in an airy place.