# First year growing onions...question



## MesquiteMan (Jun 28, 2008)

This is my first year growing onions. I planted a little over 300 onions from sets I bought from Dixondale Farms. I planted them mid December. They are growing well and really starting to bulb. Some are starting to bolt and bloom so I know those are shot but the others seem to be doing well. I have read a lot about growing onions and have been doing everything I have read. However, one thing I see here and in conversation with others is that I should be pulling the dirt away from the onion. I do not see this recomendation on any of the onion growing directions including Dixondale's website. Can anyone fill me in on what I need to be doing and why it is necessary? Thanks in advance.


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## Rubberback (Sep 9, 2008)

Depends on what type of dirt you have. I've never done it but my dirt is sand.


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

If you do a search on pulling dirt from onions, you will get several different opinions.

I've done it both ways and prefer pulling dirt as I seem to have better results that way. I think the main thing is to be sure the soil is loose around the bulb as it grows and develops. The theory is that to reach maximum size the bulb must not be encumbered by soil or other onion sets or weeds...anything that would effectively block bulb expansion. 

Pictured is a 1015 that is the result of pulling dirt...an onion approaching three pounds. If I hadn't pulled the dirt, who knows what size it would have reached? ...but I will continue to pull dirt.


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## The Driver. (May 20, 2004)

Rubberback said:


> Depends on what type of dirt you have. I've never done it but my dirt is sand.


 Like Rubberback I have never done it. Green onions I grow year around. I have red, white, yellow and SW15 I planted back in Nov and they are doing fine.

.


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## peckerwood (Jun 9, 2012)

I'd pull the dirt back if most of the bulb in covered,especially in my black dirt.A few years ago I ordered my first Dixondale onions and they came with instuctions that I actually read.Found out I'd been planting way too deep in my tight soil.Now I pull the dirt back on some but not all.In Dixondale's brochure,there's a picture of a field of onions with nothing but the roots in the ground.Yesterday we had flash flooding and high winds that laid the tops over on mine,but think they'll be ok.


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## Rubberback (Sep 9, 2008)

I agree with making sure the dirt is loose around them. To be honest with you I usually add a side dressing to mine when they start bulbing. Another thing is keep the weeds out. Keeping them moist while the onion is bulbing is important but this will be done from above this year.
Then when the tops start falling over I quit watering. I then wait about a week or so then on a sunny hot day I pull them & let them dry in the garden. Curing them is a very important step. Then I hang them in the barn for a few weeks till the whiskers get brittle & the leaves turn brown. Make sure if you use this method don't let them touch each other when you hang them.
After they dry I cut the whiskers off & leave about an inch of the stalk & cut the leaves off there.


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## MesquiteMan (Jun 28, 2008)

Thanks for the replies. I know the why's, now how about the how's! Just dig the dirt back down to the roots so the entire bulb is showing?


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## Rubberback (Sep 9, 2008)

Do them like this and loosen the dirt on the edges around the onion.


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

MesquiteMan said:


> Thanks for the replies. I know the why's, now how about the how's! Just dig the dirt back down to the roots so the entire bulb is showing?


Don't expose the roots...or disturb them. Just take the dirt above the roots and around the bulb.

Believe me if you have even a few onions, it helps tremendously to have a tool. The regular hoe is too wide...and even those triangle headed hoes are too wide and cumbersome.

I fashioned my own onion tool out of a double pronged hoe just by cutting off one prong. This works like a champ for loosening the dirt around the bulbs and also for getting those pesky little weeks that grow right next to the bulb.

As you can see, that tool has seen many onions in its day and hopefully will see many more in the future....kind of wet in the garden today, but hopefully this illustrates the activity and tool.


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## The Driver. (May 20, 2004)

Rubberback said:


> I agree with making sure the dirt is loose around them. To be honest with you I usually add a side dressing to mine when they start bulbing. Another thing is keep the weeds out. Keeping them moist while the onion is bulbing is important but this will be done from above this year.
> Then when the tops start falling over I quit watering. I then wait about a week or so then on a sunny hot day I pull them & let them dry in the garden. Curing them is a very important step. Then I hang them in the barn for a few weeks till the whiskers get brittle & the leaves turn brown. Make sure if you use this method don't let them touch each other when you hang them.
> After they dry I cut the whiskers off & leave about an inch of the stalk & cut the leaves off there.


 Rubberback, I hang my green onions to dry out for replanting and they might hang up to a year. I throw them on chicken wire hanging in shed. On the bulb type onions after you dry them and trim them how do you store them and how long can you store them for?


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## Rubberback (Sep 9, 2008)

The Driver. said:


> Rubberback, I hang my green onions to dry out for replanting and they might hang up to a year. I throw them on chicken wire hanging in shed. On the bulb type onions after you dry them and trim them how do you store them and how long can you store them for?


I usually put them in a potatoe sack 'Burlap' & put them in my closet with a blanket over them. I need a better system though.Lark can hopefully give us his technique.


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

I've read where you can only expect to keep sweet onions in storage 4 months or so...but I routinely double that time and more. 

The steps I follow:

1) try to limit watering in the last few days before harvest
2) sun cure the pulled onions for a couple of days protecting them from any moisture
3) place them on a storage rack of chicken wire suspended in an equipment shed (see attached, not elegant but functional)
4) do not crowd...no touching at all
5) over time, rotate them every once in awhile and make sure they are not touching

The equipment shed is open to the prevailing wind and that air circulation really helps keep them fresh. I used to hang them but found that to be labor intensive...so now I just lay them out after curing. 

Simple system and not much work...and normally will keep us in onions easily late into the following winter/early spring when I supplement with the smaller walking onions until the next crop of 1015.


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## Rubberback (Sep 9, 2008)

So you store yours fully intact. Leaves & all.


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## BrandonH (Oct 15, 2006)

This is very intriguing for me. This is my first year planting any onions and doing containers I only have any a dozen planted.


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## Rubberback (Sep 9, 2008)

BrandonH said:


> This is very intriguing for me. This is my first year planting any onions and doing containers I only have any a dozen planted.


One of my favorite is sweet onions. Plus you can store them for many months.


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## The Driver. (May 20, 2004)

Rubberback said:


> So you store yours fully intact. Leaves & all.


 And you just leave them in the in the barn till ready to eat?


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

The Driver. said:


> And you just leave them in the in the barn till ready to eat?


 Yep, pretty much. I sometimes will rotate the bulbs when I walk by them...and remove any dead leaves/stalks...and any soft ones you find be sure to throw them out cause they will affect others.

So far looks like a good crop this year...and a couple of potential "giants" but that will be determined in the last couple of weeks.


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## The Driver. (May 20, 2004)

Appreciate the feedback Gentlemen.


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## Rubberback (Sep 9, 2008)

Meadowlark said:


> Yep, pretty much. I sometimes will rotate the bulbs when I walk by them...and remove any dead leaves/stalks...and any soft ones you find be sure to throw them out cause they will affect others.
> 
> So far looks like a good crop this year...and a couple of potential "giants" but that will be determined in the last couple of weeks.


Here's my crop.


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

Very nice...more consistently big bulbs than I have...well done!!


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## Rubberback (Sep 9, 2008)

Meadowlark said:


> Very nice...more consistently big bulbs than I have...well done!!


I hope lark. I just like growing stuff. My dang quail are living in my garden eating the bugs. Man, I'm never giving up on the quail. I'm gonna learn how to raise them in the wild. I'm getting closer every year.Their cool birds. I know for a fact that I'll see them reproduce. Its just hard for them to hang on. I really enjoy them. I'll post pics when the brood comes.


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## The Driver. (May 20, 2004)

Rubberback said:


> I hope lark. I just like growing stuff. My dang quail are living in my garden eating the bugs. Man, I'm never giving up on the quail. I'm gonna learn how to raise them in the wild. I'm getting closer every year.Their cool birds. I know for a fact that I'll see them reproduce. Its just hard for them to hang on. I really enjoy them. I'll post pics when the brood comes.


 I had a couple of quail for a few years hang around my feeders and they were great to listen to. Varmints more than likely got them. 
I need to try and reestablish some.


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## Rubberback (Sep 9, 2008)

The Driver. said:


> I had a couple of quail for a few years hang around my feeders and they were great to listen to. Varmints more than likely got them.
> I need to try and reestablish some.


Its one of my favorite things around the farm, seeing the bob's running around. I gotta feeling when the hay is cut I'm gonna loose some broods. 
I'm hoping they lay in the cactus plants.


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

Pulled about 50 onions today...and several were soft from all the rain.

Looks like my crop will be difficult to dry and store this year because of all the moisture. 

Really need a week of dry weather.


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## The Driver. (May 20, 2004)

Front should hit this evening then it looks like some good drying weather.


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