| One of the oldest know vegetables is the onion. It is | | | | should have a fairly neutral ph level of between 6 |
| commonly used in a variety of recipes in the kitchens | | | | and7.When planting seeds the soil needs to be fluffy |
| around the world and can be purchased in many | | | | or very loose. |
| different way, from fresh, canned, chopped, | | | | Sow seeds directly into the garden bed thickly and |
| dehydrated, frozen and even pickled. | | | | cover with a 1/2 inch of fine soil. If you mix radish |
| Growing onions can be done from seed, transplants | | | | seeds in the same area they will serve two |
| or sets. When choosing seed to start your onions, | | | | purposes, deter root maggots and help mark the |
| you will have a larger choice of what you can plant, | | | | area where the onion seeds were planted. Once the |
| but can take five months for the seedlings to mature | | | | seedlings start to grow you can start to thin them to |
| enough to be transplanted and they are more | | | | about 1 inch apart and then in about a month thin |
| susceptible to disease. | | | | them to 6 inches apart. When you thin them this |
| Transplants are onion plants that were started from | | | | second time you will want to pull back some of the |
| seed that same season. They can be purchased at | | | | soil around the bulb to expose the top and sides, this |
| some local garden centers, depending on where you | | | | is a great way to induce the development of the |
| live and can be purchased from on line sources. They | | | | bulb. |
| are usually sold in bunches. They have a shorter | | | | When planting transplants you want to space then 4 |
| growing season than seeds do but can have the | | | | to 6 inches apart and about 2 inches deep.If you are |
| same problems like disease. | | | | planning on harvesting the onions young then you will |
| Sets are the most common way that onions are | | | | want to use the closer 4 inch spacing. |
| planted in the home garden and are sold at most local | | | | Sets are the third method of planting onions. When |
| garden centers. They are no more than an immature | | | | purchasing sets you can figure that one pound is |
| bulb. These sets are started from seed by sowing | | | | enough to plant a fifty foot row. Trench your rows |
| the seeds tightly together to create a very thick, | | | | out about 2 inches deep and place the sets with the |
| tight growing crop of seedlings. This results in a | | | | stem end up. This is the one thing that you will need |
| stunted plant growth that will produce a small bulb. | | | | to watch for when planting. Once you have the sets |
| These small bulbs is what is sold as sets to be | | | | in place cover with a good garden soil and maintain |
| planted the next growing season. When purchasing | | | | then with the same methods as transplants. |
| your sets, keep in mind that they should be about 1 | | | | Time to get ready to harvest your onions is when |
| 2 inch in diameter and solid, soft small bulbs will not | | | | you see the tops start to turn yellow. At this time |
| produce a good mature onion, even over size sets | | | | you want to bend the greens over horizontally, this |
| that are bigger than 1/2 inch usually wont do good. | | | | will stop the sap from flowing through the stem and |
| When choosing the variety of onion you want to | | | | put all the plants energy into the maturing bulb. A |
| grow, there is one thing that needs to be considered. | | | | couple days after you do this you will see the tips |
| Onions have what is called day length requirements. | | | | starting to turn brown, it is time to pull the onion |
| Some need 13 to 16 hours of daylight and others | | | | bulbs from the ground. Do this on a sunny day and |
| only need 12 hours. Choose a variety that is best | | | | lay the bulbs on the ground to dry. When laying the |
| suitable for your area. | | | | out cover the bulbs by laying the bulbs in a row and |
| Onions will grow best in a raised garden bed with a | | | | covering the next row with the greens . This will help |
| good healthy soil structure and plenty of compost or | | | | to prevent sun scalding. |
| composted manure mixed in and drains well. The soil | | | | |