Onions http://www.durgan.org/URL/?Onions 10 April 2009 Planting Onions. About 200 onion bulbs were planted. They were locally purchased and are classified as Spanish, White, Cooking and Shallots (green bunching). They bulbs were planted to a depth just up to the shoulder, about a third out of the ground in relatively firm ground, and the spacing is 6 inches between centers.Soil temperature is about 6 degrees C.
I start my onions from seed and I plant them out, along with all my other seedlings, near the end of May. But I have thought in recent years that some plants can be planted out earlier than that. My onions are currently about 4" to 6" high; what are your thoughts about planting them out now? Right now the air temp ranges, very roughly, from 5 at night to 12 or so during the day.
Soccerdad I would check your soil temperature. If it's around 6 degrees C. I would plant them. I am sure that you can put them out way earlier than the end of May.
I also start my onions from seed. The seed pots were moved out to a cold frame 3 weeks ago, and tomorrow the onions will be transplanted into their beds. I usually plant out late March or early April- a little later this year because of the chilly spring.
Thanks Terry. I have a covered deck which, as I understand things, should function like a cold frame. When you put yours into your cold frame, it must have been close to freezing, no?
i'm sure they've experienced freezing temperatures since they've been out. They were started in January in an unheated sunroom, so had a slow transition to outside weather. Doesn't look like I'll get them in today as it is pouring out there....
Onions http://www.durgan.org/URL/?MOnions 4 May 2009 Mulching Onions Wood chips used to mulch around the onions to maintain moisture, and to allow a least medium resistance for large bulb growth.
http://www.durgan.org/URL/?GarlicM 4 May 2009 Mulching Garlic Onions were pulled on 11 September 2008. It was probably too soon. This year I will study closely before pulling, and I hope the mulching will cause larger bulbs to form.
I usually use onion sets and have them in the ground by mid to late April, as soon as I can work my garden. I've accidently left a few in ground in the fall and they returned the following year, I was quite surprised that they would last through our cold Atlantic winters.
Sorry. Should have realized from the start of the thread. I planted mine at the same time as my garlic. They are growing at a nice rate. I will see how successful this method is too.
