Onions- To cover or not to cover.

Discussion in 'Fruit and Vegetable Gardening' started by Durgan, Jul 2, 2007.

  1. Durgan

    Durgan Contributor 10 Years

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    http://foosh.notlong.com 2 July 2007.

    Onions are doing well. The pictures depict Spanish Onions. I use to cover the bulbs as they grew by hilling, but this year they will be allowed to grow out of the ground. One person told me they are sweeter if allowed to grow out of the ground.

    Last year I hilled the onions and they had a very hot bite, which some people disliked. It normally doesn't matter to me, since I usually eat them cut up and immersed in vinegar. But I would prefer the Spanish Onions without the hot bite.

    Does anybody have experience with this matter of to cover or not to cover the emerging bulb?

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  2. Anne58

    Anne58 Active Member

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    My feeling has been to leave the onions in the manner in which they seems to grow naturally - which is with part or most of the onion bulb above the ground and just the roots in the soil. I figure that nature knows what is best so why should I mess with it.

    Anne
     
  3. Durgan

    Durgan Contributor 10 Years

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    Nature usually assures quantity not quality. Maybe this is a method of improving the quality. Anyway, all onions are now above ground, since the experienced farmer, who told me the method, seems to believe that the onion sting is removed by exposing the bulb to the sun. I will post the results of the minor experiment at the end of the season.

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