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General information and discussion about cultivating onions, garlic, shallots and leeks.

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Old November 29, 2014   #1
AlittleSalt
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Default A Good Read on Onions

Today, the leaves are falling, it's 75F, windy, and the garden looks so empty. January is a little over a month away, and for us, that means onion planting time. That made me think of looking up onion garden soil preparations. I found this site first thing and liked it so much - I'm making a link here: http://www.garden.org/foodguide/brow...ng_started/494

I remember Worth wrote a reply on a thread about adding something/s to the soil that helps make onions grow large and sweet. I just don't remember what thread that was on?
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Old November 29, 2014   #2
Worth1
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Originally Posted by AlittleSalt View Post
Today, the leaves are falling, it's 75F, windy, and the garden looks so empty. January is a little over a month away, and for us, that means onion planting time. That made me think of looking up onion garden soil preparations. I found this site first thing and liked it so much - I'm making a link here: http://www.garden.org/foodguide/brow...ng_started/494

I remember Worth wrote a reply on a thread about adding something/s to the soil that helps make onions grow large and sweet. I just don't remember what thread that was on?
Onions like plenty of fertilizer more so than tomatoes and water keep the soil PH the same as tomatoes on the acid side and use no sulfur to lower ph.
One thing my ph is high and they are still doing well.

One thing I read in the link is they dont care for tight soil.
Well yes and no.
Many people grow them right on top of the ground, this will make them become nice and flat.
Also choose a short day length onion for our area.

My onions are doing nicely and in the ground now.
The three big red HOT store bought onions I set right on top of the ground are starting to put out roots too.

Worth
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Old November 30, 2014   #3
b54red
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I have found that onions really like a nice mulch of pine bark fines. They keep the soil nice and moist and don't hinder the onions growth. I try to mulch mine within a week of setting them out and after I pull them in the early summer I just till in the mulch before planting something else.

I really need short day types also and have found that besides Vidalia types that white Bermudas do the very best. They are not nearly as large as Vidalias but they keep so much better and they taste nearly as good.

Bill
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Old November 30, 2014   #4
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I have found that onions really like a nice mulch of pine bark fines. They keep the soil nice and moist and don't hinder the onions growth. I try to mulch mine within a week of setting them out and after I pull them in the early summer I just till in the mulch before planting something else.

I really need short day types also and have found that besides Vidalia types that white Bermudas do the very best. They are not nearly as large as Vidalias but they keep so much better and they taste nearly as good.

Bill

This reminds me I have a yard full of small leaves from the elms I need to put on the onions.
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Old November 30, 2014   #5
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Looking at many sites, the recommended varieties (They agreed on) for where I live are all short day:

Bermuda
Granex Red, White, and Yellow
Red Burgandy
Texas 1015Y

I know other gardeners around here grow those types.
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Old November 30, 2014   #6
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Originally Posted by AlittleSalt View Post
Looking at many sites, the recommended varieties (They agreed on) for where I live are all short day:

Bermuda
Granex Red, White, and Yellow
Red Burgandy
Texas 1015Y

I know other gardeners around here grow those types.
The Granex onions are what the Vidalia onions are.

Many people mistake them for a variety and are sold as such when in fact they aren't.
Under law a Vidalia has to be grown in a certain region.

The 1015 in the 1015Y onion was meant to establish what their optimum planting date was, October-15 with the Y meaning yellow.

I know you will like this.
The history of the Texas sweet onion.
Worth
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j...,d.eXY&cad=rja
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Old December 2, 2014   #7
KarenO
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I Wish I could grow something this time of year!
For all Northern gardeners reading this post, we cannot grow short day length onions up here. we have to grow long day varieties or they do not form bulbs.
Just something to keep in mind, especially if you are ordering seeds as many seed sellers sell both short and long day length varieties.
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Old December 2, 2014   #8
Worth1
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I Wish I could grow something this time of year!
For all Northern gardeners reading this post, we cannot grow short day length onions up here. we have to grow long day varieties or they do not form bulbs.
Just something to keep in mind, especially if you are ordering seeds as many seed sellers sell both short and long day length varieties.
KarenO
Like an idiot I went down to get seeds and all they had up where Christmas trees.

Worth
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Old December 3, 2014   #9
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Karen, your post made me think, I have never read about long day onions. I have just bought what is sold around here. The store I buy them from is owned/run by a nice lady and her husband (mostly by her). She sells onion bunches for $2. Some of their stock comes from Dixondale Farms. http://www.dixondalefarms.com/category/onion_plants

The link above shows the zones for the US. We live right near the line between short-day and intermediate-day, but most people around here grow the short-day type.
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Old December 4, 2014   #10
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Keep them weeded. They don't do well with the competition or being shaded by them.
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