# What are your secrets for growing onions?



## Dick Hanks (Aug 16, 2007)

Onions have a relatively small roots system, yet I've heard that they are fairly heavy feeders?

What do you do to make your onions great? How much watering? What type and how much fertilizer? Soil amendments? Cultivation? Mulch or no mulch? Bending the tops? Drying time?

Looking for ideas on how to do it better?


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## chuck leaman (Jul 15, 2004)

I'm in the same boat. I did okay last year but this year they were a total failure. I also never do good with any type of green onion other than walking onions.


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

Dick...here's some things that I've picked up over the years in growing my favorite garden vegetable....the bulbing onion. 

1) Its critical to choose a variety that is suitable for your area. In most of Texas that would be "short day" varieties. The "long day" varieties will almost never form bulbs in most of Texas....and neither will the "intermediate day" varieties for the most part. It is also important that your sets be small at planting... about 1/4 inch or less. Larger sets tend to bolt quicker ( this I've learned just the last couple of years). I used to complain when I got the very small sets...but no longer...as that is actually what you want. 

2) plant sets in fall when available in the correct variety. Normally this is the first or second week in Nov. for my area. Give them space and don't plant any deeper than necessary....full sun is required. 

3) soil must have a ph at or above 6.0 and under ph of 7.0 This is critical in my area since naturally have acidic soils and I must add lime to raise ph in my onion rows. 

4) through the winter just make sure the sets don't dry out and then as temps begin to warm begin feeding a balanced fertilizer every couple of weeks.

5) when bulbing begins, which is usually in March here, gently pull the dirt back away from the bulbs leaving them plenty of room to expand...and...this is critical, make sure the bulbs get adequate moisture. They must have plenty of water to grow the bulbs. Thinnings make excellent green onions...and its critical that your bulbs are not crowded with other plants or dirt. 

6) I do not mulch mine, instead prefer to keep the area around the bulbs open.

7) I allow the tops to mature and fall over. Then I pull them and let them set in full sun on a drying table for at least one day and preferably two. I then move them into storage area which is open to air and dark... and they generally last until the following fall/winter....but be sure to remove any that show signs of decay.

I love to grow 'em and love even more to eat them. I honestly can't remember the last time we bought onions from a store...and hope that trend continues.


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## Rubberback (Sep 9, 2008)

Also, my fave. Where I live the soil is like the beach. I start them the first week of Dec. I add aged chicken & quail poop to the rows. About an inch or more. Then till it in & hoe my rows. 
I usually plant 1015's but this year I planted the Texas Tradition. That my new onion. Very sweet & juicy. I have to plant mine deep. I take my fore finger & push it all the way in the soil then insert the onion. Once they take hold I come back & side dress with more aged poop. 
Then every couple of weeks I mix up some fish emulsion with water. Follow label on FE. Usually, two tablespoons of FE to one gallon of water. Then pour it down the rows. Onions like water.
Here is a pic of my spacing. 
I really don't have to pull the dirt away because the soil is very loose here. 
I ended this years harvest better than I thought. I had a lot of pounders & bigger onions. The reds bolted but still got some. Keep the weeds away. The weeds will suck the water & nutrients away. I usually do well with onions. I think they really like this sandy soil here. Sure hope my success continues. 
Onions are great because if you cure them right they will store for along time.


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## Dick Hanks (Aug 16, 2007)

Great info guys. I'm sure that a lot of us will benefit from this.

My soil pH is more acidic like Meadowlark's, but my soil texture is a lot like Rubberback's. I need to check for sure, but at the end of this season, I'm probably going to add lime to the spot that I'll plant the onions next season. I'll do that as soon as this years tomato crop is out of there. This might help me a lot with the onions. 

Since my soil drains fast like Rubberback's I should also get more consistent with my watering as well. I mulch a lot of my other vegies to stop evaporation, but I haven't done this with the onions. They have probably been getting too dry between waterings that are usually based on the mulched plants.

I don't have any quail poo, so I'll continue to work in compost before planting and add some 10-10-10 at that time. I do make my own fish emulsion from fish carcasses, water, and aged sawdust. The aged sawdust hold the stinks down a little, but it is still really BAD! The covered pails aren't anywhere near the house, and they do help keep the deer away. I set fly traps on top of the covered pails. 

Maybe I'll try a little of the FE mid season on the onions.

Meadowlark, do you use something like a 10-10-10?


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

Dick Hanks said:


> ...
> 
> Meadowlark, do you use something like a 10-10-10?


 Yes, light regular applications of 12-24-12 normally but I also work a lot of cow into the rows(maybe some chicken also next fall) before planting. I also have sandy loam which is very conducive to good bulbing growth.


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## chumy (Jul 13, 2012)

I can grow the biggest carrots, turnips, beets, any root crop. But an onion, nope, i cant do it.. They only get to be about tennis ball size. I only get 4hrs of direct sunlight, i think that is a big factor on onions. I know it aint my quail poop. Onions are suppose to be heavy N2 feeders.


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

Dick Hanks said:


> ..... I do make my own fish emulsion from fish carcasses, water, and aged sawdust. The aged sawdust hold the stinks down a little, but it is still really BAD! ...


 Dick....ever try just a post hole digger? Gets a deep enough hole quickly in sandy soil and no need to mess with the other stuff. I "plant" stripers in my rows well before the veggies go in...just hit it with PHD and no mess, no smell. I just "planted" 5 today for next fall's onion sets.


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## Dick Hanks (Aug 16, 2007)

Meadowlark said:


> Dick....ever try just a post hole digger? Gets a deep enough hole quickly in sandy soil and no need to mess with the other stuff. I "plant" stripers in my rows well before the veggies go in...just hit it with PHD and no mess, no smell. I just "planted" 5 today for next fall's onion sets.


Yes, I have done that, and it is what I want to get back to doing. Right now I have a corner of the garden that is 2ft lower than the rest of the new garden spot, and I'm in the process of building it up to level. The local power company is dumping free truckloads of wood chips there. At this point the chip are nitrogen starved and would break down very slow. I've been mixing in fish carcasses and pouring on fish emulsion to speed up the composting process. It does seem to be working.

Most of the people that rent my rental lake home are fishermen. I get a full 5 gallon bucket of fish scraps about every 3rd day from the renters. A layer of wood chips on top of the mess does really help to hold the smell down somewhat. I'm glad that I'm almost done with that project.


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## monkeyman1 (Dec 30, 2007)

Good thread. Thanks for the info guys.

Edit: I think fish emulsion is great stuff, but the stink is terrible.


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## cva34 (Dec 22, 2008)

*Onions*

This is my secret..www.dixondalefarms.com/onionguide ...I plant in november


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## Mikeyhunts (Jun 4, 2007)

cva34 said:


> This is my secret..www.dixondalefarms.com/onionguide ...I plant in november


I have used this tutorial the last two years, and had more onions than I know what to do with.

We have probably 50-60 pounds of chopped onions in the fridge now. Will see how they do vs leaving them whole and dried.
Will be interesting to see how they do.


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## Dick Hanks (Aug 16, 2007)

Mikeyhunts said:


> I have used this tutorial the last two years, and had more onions than I know what to do with.
> 
> We have probably 50-60 pounds of chopped onions in the fridge now. Will see how they do vs leaving them whole and dried.
> Will be interesting to see how they do.


 WOW! Do your eyes water when you open the fridge door? ? ? ?

Keep a close eye on them.... I don't think that refrigerated, chopped onions last very long. Just freezing chopped onions may not work texturally either. You may have to sautÃ© them before freezing. Someone with a lot more knowledge than me will chime in on this.

Congrats on a great year of growing onions!


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## Mikeyhunts (Jun 4, 2007)

I have no idea if it's going to work! We shall see


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## locolobo (Dec 2, 2005)

Goat poop. I put that S### on everything! Comes from the barn floor with composted hay. I give the goats all the exhausted plants from the garden and they turn it into fertilizer for next year! Seriously though, all of the info on this thread has been good. I mulch with leaves, wood chips, whatever I can get for free. Saves watering and weeding.


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

Mikeyhunts said:


> I have no idea if it's going to work! We shall see
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


 I hope it works for you...but have my doubts. Sweet onions are very difficult to keep...even chopped and in the fridge for me. Let us know how it turns out.


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## albert white (Feb 3, 2008)

Put some bone meal in each hole prior to setting the onion plant in.


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## Rubberback (Sep 9, 2008)

I cure them. Then put the onions in potatoe sacks & put them in my closet covered up with blankets. I've been doing this for years.
I usually grow 300 lbs of onions. 
I sell some & eat the rest. 
Got the sweetest onions ever this year.


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## cva34 (Dec 22, 2008)

I guess I cure mine ..Gota a couple old rabbit/quail cages with wire floor..I lay them 1 deep on wire ..There in shade and stay dry, good air circulation ..Works ok would work better if weather was cooler .They claim 1015 store 2/3m I got some Red Creole also , that claim 6m...so far so good,The test goes on /if we do not eat them all first...


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

cva34 said:


> ....They claim 1015 store 2/3m I got some Red Creole also , that claim 6m...so far so good,The test goes on /if we do not eat them all first...


 I use the same system...and often get 6 months out of 1015. I use the walking onions(Egyptian), that seem to keep indefinitely, to fill in gaps when the 1015's run out.


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