I will be planting onions for the first time this year. Does the bulb develop above or below ground?? If below ground, do you have to "hill"(as with potatoes) the onions. Ross Macdonald
planting onions The onion bulb develops partly above, partly below the ground and you do not need to hill the plant as with potatoes. You have three choices for growing onions: plant onion sets (most expensive yet fool proof), set out small transplants that you buy or start yourself in a seed flat, or direct seed the onions into the garden. To sow seeds plant 1/2" deep in rows one foot (30cm) apart from April through May. To conserve space you can plant the seed in a 30cm band of four rows across. Thin gradually to 8cm.(3") apart by removing every other one until the desired spacing is achieved. You can use the thinnings as scallions. To start your own plants you are somewhat late for 2004, because February is the best time. Your onions will be ready for harvest and curing after their tops die down naturally. Do not bend them over yourself. Cure them in the sun protected from rain and dew.
I am new to veggie gardening and just bought walla walla onions. They are a bunch of skinny little grass like plants with an itsy bitsy white base which will become an onion hopefully if I do this right. My question is...do I plant each one of those itsy bitsies seporately or in tiny bunches? Hope it's bunches or I have to dig em up. lol TY Ringalevio
Hey ringalevio, those little grass like plants are the onion sets. About three inches apart would have been right for planting. The onions will expand and grow from that little white base. If they are too close together there will not be room for their expansion. They do grow close together,but if you put the clumps in whole I am afraid it will be too close. Like the advice from Hortline said you can thin everyother one after a little growth to use as scallions, but ultimately you want to end up with plants around three inches apart in the rows. (actually if your Walla Wallas grow as big as the ones found at the market you might want to space them a little wider)
Re: planting onions Could you direct me to information about curing onions. I have a small crop of walla walla onions in my kitchen garden. Some of the tops have started to die down and I am looking forward to harvest time.
Tom--I don't think curing is very complicated. You just want the bulbs to dry down gradually and consistently if possible (avoiding moisture from now on that might cause mold or resprouting). Walla wallas are usually harvested well before now, so no wonder they are starting to yellow on top. Don't water anymore, and when the tops are fully brown, pull the bulbs and shake off soil from the roots. Leave them in the sun for several days, put under cover if it's threatening to rain on 'em. I have a paved area (tennis court) that is ideal for finishing this "curing" without moisture around the bulbs. Maybe turn the bulbs over once or twice to get the sun on all surfaces. Store in mesh bags or some other well ventilated deal, you can just pull off the remnants of the leaves which will be totally withered. Walla wallas don't store for long, only a month or two. You can keep them in the fridge for a long time if you have room! Glen
