Onion Question?

yosoypanadero 6/2/2011, 11:32 pm

This is my first year growing onions and I need to know when you can pull them. Do the leaves dies off and then you pull them or whats the deal? Thanks in advance for some good info!

Old Hippie 6/3/2011, 1:32 am

When the tops start to die off and fall over by themselves it is time to harvest them. Then you just pull them up and let them dry in the sun for about a week or so to let them cure. They are ready to store when the necks are thin and dry and the outside layers are dry and papery. You can then braid the tops and hang them up in a cool dark place to store them or just store them in mesh baskets that allow good air flow. I save the bags from onions that I buy and use those too.

Use the ones with the thickest softest necks first. Best of luck.

Gwynn

dianamarie03 6/3/2011, 8:11 am

Do you grow your onions 16 to a square? That's how I planted mine but I'm not sure they'll have room to grow a decent size at that spacing. Should I thin them out a little? I planted yellow and red onions.

yosoypanadero 6/3/2011, 8:41 am

Thanks for the info! I did plant mine 16 per square.... I was worried about room so I just piled the soil as high as I could on top of them. I will let you know whenever they are ready how big they got!

Lavender Debs 6/3/2011, 9:05 am

Gwenn is spot-on. I just want to add that when I plant mine 16 to a square I start selectively "thinning" any time I need an onion in a salad or recipe. They are usable at all stages but they will only store for overwintering after they have dried down and then been sun cured. That is IF they are a storage type. But again, if you want larger onions for the root cellar, use a few during the season so that the rest have room to grow.

Good gardening.....better eating!

westie42 6/3/2011, 10:38 am

There is an old saying around here that you don't let the sun of August land on your onions. Meaning you pull them just before that. After that time we usually begin some fall rains which start mushing and spoiling the storage ability of onions. Has any of you heard that saying or is it just for this locality and weather patterns. It does serve well here. Key to my storage is sun drying them but not get rain on them. I tie them in bunches of 4-5 to dry on a portable horizontal pole and use them from the bunches. Providing complete separation while drying may be a better way to go but I don't have enough facility to do that and dodge rain during the drying process.

Lavender Debs 6/3/2011, 10:42 am

In western Washington (state) our best chance for drought is the last two weeks of August and the first two weeks of September.....so no, it is not a saying I have heard. But then again Summer cannot be counted on until about July 5, Some say July 17 before summer is actually here.

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