Simple tips on how to grow Onions

According to history the origin of onions can be traced from Southwest Asia. The botanical name for onions is called Allium cepa, while the common name is called Onion.
This particular plant is a hardy cool-season biennial plant usually grown as annual. This plant has narrow hollow leaves and a base which enlarges to form a bulb. This bulb can be white, yellow, or red. This plant flower stalk are taller than the leaves. Most of the varieties of onions can be eaten young within a few weeks of planting as green onions.
Make sure you plant the onions sets (small bulblets) three to four months before the time you want to harvest the mature bulbs. Make sure you plant the onions sets three to four weeks before you want to harvest the immature green onions.
You can start the onion seeds indoors four to six weeks before the average last frost date in spring, and also transplant them into the garden as soon as the soil has been worked.

The site preparation for Onions

Make sure the onions is grown in full sun and also in a loose, well-worked, well-drained soil. Make sure you loosen the soil to six inches deeps and also remove all lumps, stones, and roots. Try as much as possible to add well-aged compost to the planting bed before planting. Although the green onions can be grown in a partially shady spot.

The planting time for Onions

This plant are temperature sensitive. Onions actually require cool weather to produce their tops and they also require warm weather to produce their bulbs. Make sure you plant the onions sets (small bulblets) three to four months before the time you want to harvest the mature bulbs. You can also plant the onions sets three to four weeks before the time you want to harvest the green onions. The seeds are best started indoors. You can start the seeds four to six weeks before the average last frost date in spring, and then transplant them into the garden as soon as the soil has been worked.
Some onions are very sensitive to day length. The American and the Spanish onions actually need a long days to produce their bulbs, while and Bermuda onions prefer short days.

The ways to to Plant Onions

This particular plant can be grown from seeds, transplants, and sets. Sets are small bulblets–about the size of a large pea–whose growth was interrupted before the bulbs developed. Bulblets larger than ¾ inch in diameter may go to seed before developing bulbs. These are best grown as green onions. Sets are planted just below the soil surface and are quick to begin growing. (But there are fewer onion varieties available as sets than transplants and seeds.) Transplants are onions that have begun growing. Place transplants in the garden just slightly higher than the surrounding soil and they will settle into place. Seeds are best started indoors where optimal temperature and warmth ensure germination.

The Spacing of the Onions

 Make sure you plant sets 1 to 2 inches deep. Place transplant bulbs just below the soil surface. Space sets and transplants 2 to 3 inches apart in rows 12 to 18 inches apart. Thin to 4 to 6 inches or more apart allowing for bulb development. Sow seed ¼ to ½ inches deep and ½ inch apart in rows 12 to 18 inches apart; thin seedlings to 1 to 2 inches apart. It will take two seasons to produce bulb onions from seed. The final size of the onion will depend on how much growing space it has.

The Watering and feeding of the Onions

Try and keep the soil evenly moist until the plants begin to mature. Soil can be allowed to dry when leaves start to get yellow and brown and to droop over.
Some of the Companion plants of Onions; strawberries, Beets, lettuce, summer savory, tomatoes. Onions are easily inter-planted between larger crops such as cabbages or tomatoes.

How to grow onions in Container

Green onions easily grow in containers six inches deep; eight to ten green onions can be grown in a container eight inches across. Grow bulb onions in containers eight to ten inches deep.

How to care for Onion

Make sure you keep the planting beds free of weeds to avoid competition for light, water, and nutrients. Thin plants early to give bulbs room to mature to the desired size. Bend but do not break stalks 2 to 3 weeks before harvest to hasten bulb development. Heavily mulch onions that you plan to over-winter and harvest the second season.

Pest control in Onions

This plant is attacked by thrips and maggots. Thrips can be sprayed away with a stream of water. Place a three to four inch square of plastic around the plants to discourage maggot flies from laying their eggs near plants.

Disease control in Onions

The Onions plant are susceptible to bulb and root rots, smut, and downy mildew in commercial onion growing districts. Make sure you plant disease-resistant varieties and also keep the garden clean of debris. Avoid planting onions where or onions or garlic have grown the year before. Remove and dispose of diseased plants immediately.

The harvesting of Onions

Snip onion leaves for flavoring throughout the season. Harvest green onions when bulbs are no larger than the diameter of the leaves. Bunching onions can be harvested when bulbs are one to two inches in diameter; split them off from the outside of the bunch. Lift dry onion bulbs when they are three to five inches in diameter after the leaves have dried. If you allow lifted onions to cure in the garden, be sure to lift them root and all from the soil or they may start growing again and become soft and watery. Cut tops away from stalks 1½ inches from the bulb if you do not plan to braid the stalks. Onions that come to maturity in cool tend to be sweet; onions that come to maturity in hot weather will be stronger flavored.

The storage and preservation of Onions

The green onions can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Mature bulbs should be allowed to air dry for about a week outside before being stored in a cold, dry place for up to 6 months. Make sure you don’t refrigerate mature onions.