General information and discussion about cultivating onions, garlic, shallots and leeks.
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
April 14, 2015 | #1 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Den of Drunken Fools
Posts: 38,539
|
New Onion Bed.
New onion bed, well not yet.
I do have just about everything but here is the list. This is what I need to buy. 3 2x12x8 foot boards. 1 4x8 foot sheet of plywood. The drip stuff I already have. Here is my question. Will I be able to grow 128 onions in this bed? The math says I can. The grid is laid out in a 6 inch pattern with each green spot representing an onion. The blue lines are the drip lines each one watering a row of onions on each side. I need to get the seeds now so I will have them ready to plant in the fall. Half red half yellow. Worth Worths Onion Bedr.jpg Last edited by Worth1; April 14, 2015 at 07:06 PM. |
April 14, 2015 | #2 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Jacksonville, FL
Posts: 1,413
|
I think your idea will work, but with one concern...I think some special effort at weed control is in order, not sure what though. Maybe a cover for the whole bed during the offseason?
|
April 14, 2015 | #3 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Den of Drunken Fools
Posts: 38,539
|
Quote:
Every year I pull thousands of sprouts from the beds. Since it will be a raised bed I can just use another 1/4 inch 4x8 sheet of plywood on top. Worth |
|
April 14, 2015 | #4 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Jacksonville, FL
Posts: 1,413
|
agree. 4 per square ft should be fine for the plants if they are well fed, but trying to pick weeds by hand will be a serious chore.
|
April 14, 2015 | #5 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Jacksonville, FL
Posts: 1,413
|
So if the bed is going to spend the summer covered, maybe it could be a worm composting project say from June through Sept, covered and dark. You could put up a sign, worms for sale.
Would you grow onion plants somewhere else and then move them into the bed in the fall? Or start them from seed right there in the bed? |
April 14, 2015 | #6 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Den of Drunken Fools
Posts: 38,539
|
Quote:
Planting way more than I need and thinning and eating as they grow. I have no problem giving away the sweet onions I grow. What I have done before is plant leaf lettuce in between the rows it becomes so crowded that no weed seed stands a chance. Keeping my neighbor ladies yard and my yard mowed before any weeds go to seed helps out a lot. When I first moved here it was a weed jungle but keeping the things mowed down till they die has allowed me to take back quite a bit of area. I have 1 acre here. Worth |
|
April 15, 2015 | #7 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Central Florida
Posts: 377
|
Worth -
If you add a couple inches of shredded leaves to the bed when the onions are a few inches high, it will be easy to keep the bed relatively weed free. I transplant onion settings into a 4 X 8 foot bed and add shredded leaf mulch soon after transplanting. This keeps weeds under control plus the onions and worms love it.
__________________
Jerry - You only get old if you're lucky. |
April 15, 2015 | #8 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Between The Woodlands and Spring, Texas
Posts: 553
|
Worth, I garden in raised beds and I grow onions somewhat like you are planning to do. The difference is I buy transplants from Dixondale and plant them in early January. I plant the onions three inches apart in rows. The rows are about eight to ten inches apart. When the onions start bulbing, which they are doing at the present time, I pull every other one to leave six inches between the onions that are left in the bed. I snip up the green tops and dehydrate them and freeze some of the bottoms (white parts) to use in stews, beans, and chili. I also give away a lot of my onions to people that enjoy them. I grow the Texas 1015 super sweet onions.
Every year I say I am going to start onions from seed in early October, but since I don't have a lot of garden space, I usually grow broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage where the onions would be started from seed. |
April 15, 2015 | #9 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Den of Drunken Fools
Posts: 38,539
|
Quote:
Now for a simple question, what variety are those HUGE sweet yellow onions we used to get at the store? They never have them anymore. I do know they are grown down on the border in what they call the valley. Worth |
|
April 15, 2015 | #10 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Omaha Zone 5
Posts: 2,514
|
I'm planting onions in a raised bed for the first time this year, actually I am late and they should have been in two weeks ago. I think it was Dixondale that recommended to leave at least 4 inches from the edges of the bed. They also show how to band in strips of fertilizer. At least I think it was Dixondale, I've read so many onion growing guides this week.
You might have some fun growing shallots too. I sprouted some from the organic grocery store but they got away from me. Smelled good all winter. - Lisa |
April 15, 2015 | #11 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Jacksonville, FL
Posts: 1,413
|
Quote:
http://www.dixondalefarms.com/ They are in Carrizo Springs, TX |
|
April 15, 2015 | #12 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Jacksonville, FL
Posts: 1,413
|
Quote:
That being said, I also ordered from Dixondale this year just cause I was very busy with work last fall and didnt get around to it |
|
April 15, 2015 | #13 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Between The Woodlands and Spring, Texas
Posts: 553
|
The sweet yellow onions were probably either Texas 1015 super sweet or the yellow granex onion.
|
April 15, 2015 | #14 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Den of Drunken Fools
Posts: 38,539
|
Quote:
I remember back in the 80's when they had it on the news about the 1015Y onions. They named the 1015Y onion because I think they sowed the seeds on October the 15th and the Y stands for yellow. The ones I am talking about are the size of or bigger than a soft ball. Maybe the granex. Worth |
|
April 15, 2015 | #15 |
BANNED FOR LIFE
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 13,333
|
I'm growing Candy (large yellow) and red candy apple. both are supposed to get really large.
|
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|