http://www.durgan.org/ShortURL/?PLEUK 11 September 2008 Spanish Onions Harvested today. Onions are large and well shaped. They will be further dried and stored in a cool place. http://www.durgan.org/ShortURL/?NSUQX Summary: Onion Growing experience. I plant in very early Spring, as soon as the frost leaves the ground, and the soil can be worked. The bulbs are planted, but small seedlings are also successful, but grow longer to maturity. They are in full sun, in good soil well supplied with vegetative compost. When the bulbs start to bulge and rise above the ground I heavily mulch with wood chips. This tends to keep the top vegetation green longer than just exposing the bulbs, hence larger bulbs. And I keep the soil damp often with a watering can. This year 2008, I am very happy with my Spanish onions. Onions are light sensitive- meaning they grow vigorous vegetation until the days shorten then they bulb; so maximum growth is essential at the beginning of the season by extending the time in the ground in early Spring. I do grow the multiplier onions for early green use, and they also thrive.
Durgan, I used to pull my onions and eat immediately. Since an earlier post of yours regarding onion curing, I have switched to that method. It is great to find other methods that become successful. As for the results of this crob, they are perfect. You mention wood chips, what size? Photo of some would be nice.
Depending upon the type of onion if dried properly, they will keep from about 3 to 6 months with minor deterioration. It is important to keep in a cool place, with free air flow, and to check periodically and remove any decaying ones. The wood chips are what I get from the City. They are in a Park and one picks them up free of charge. The chips are usually small but one can strain them a bit to eliminate longer pieces. Example. http://www.durgan.org/ShortURL/?FCOVW 8 September 2008 Killing Grass and Storing Wood Chips
When do you mix your wood chips? Fall or spring? I see how they can benefit the soil, keeping it from total compaction, with air pockets for the root system. I was thinking about adding some this fall. The plan is to mix the soil with fresh compost and wood chips, then cover with tarps for winter snow and rain. What do you think?
I covered with a trap one year, since my neighbor gave me a pool tarp. I see little advantage in the tarp, and wont do it again. Chips- I add wood chips Spring and/or Fall, and mix with the compost. Sometimes I even mix the compost and chips together in the chipper/shredder, depending upon my inclination. I have also added straw, but prefer the chips. Straw disappears very quickly. This year parts of my garden is put to rest, and I have planted red annual clover, which is growing well in some places. The ground was rototilled to remove weeds and to irritate the nesting bugs. Other small beds I have rototilled and covered with wood chips to retain mositure. These chips may be removed in the Spring or rototilled in sort of depending upon how reduced they are. My view of the wood chips is as you have posted. The chips seem to disappeaar quickly, and at the end of a year or season, only the larger particles are seen. Sometimes I rake these up and place them around individual fruit bushes or perennial flowers. I see no evidence of nitrogen shortage from this wood chip practice. The city compost which I use may be nitrogen rich, also the clover adds soil nitrogen- how much I don't know. If concerned, a bit of urea may be thrown on the garden and worked in the soil come Spring. I'm a great believer in rototilling to upset the bugs, destroy eggs, and to confuse weed seeds. In my small garden area I use a sharp trowel and crawl around on my knee pads and remove small clumps of grass, and any rooted weeds carefully before rototilling. For all intents and purposes I have no weeds of consequence.
