Growing Onions

Latest Update 25th January 2021.

Onions.

• In February each year, I sow 160 onions to be planted out in 4 rows and clusters of 4 in an Ecobed.
• Onions are a useful addition to our diet used with garlic in vegetable based soups and casseroles.  We like them when used with organic sage and breadcrumbs to make a tasty stuffing for poultry dishes, and we love their sweetness when used in combination with suitable vegetables roasted with beef, lamb or pork.
• Black aphids are the main pests attacking alliums in our garden.  They appear as soon as the weather starts to warm in late winter/early spring.
• Onions keep well for up to 9 months if dried (cured) and hung in bunches in a dry place in low light. 

Details.

• Variety:                                                    Australian Brown.
• Family group:                                           Allioideae.
• Garden bed type:                                      Garden Ecobed.
• Minimum sun per day:                               4 hours.
• Plant spacings:                                        40 Clusters @ 150mm, 4 rows @ 250mm
• Weeks to harvest:                                     44 weeks.
• Good companions:                                    Carrot, chamomile. lettuce. tomato. brassica. leek.
• Poor companions.                                      Pea. asparagas.
• Climate:                                                    Warm temperate.
• Geography:                                               Southern hemisphere. 

Nutrition. 

• This food is very low in saturated fat.
• It is a good source of dietary fibre, vitamin B6, Folate, Potassium and manganese. 
• Its a very good source of vitamin C.

• More from nutrition data.self.com.

 
Maintain Healthy Plants

• This blogpage explains how I maintain healthy plants.  It describes how soil is prepared prior to planting, how to regulate the sun's intensity and how to help protect and feed plants through their leaves.

Propagate Plants Efficiently

•  This blogpage explains how I propagate seeds in a purpose built propagator.

Propagation Plan 2021.

• This blogpage tells you when to sow seeds.

Services Plan 2021.

• This blogpage tells you when to make compost and plan other garden/household related activities.

Growing Instructions.

• Sow clusters of 4 onion seeds in each of 40 seedling trays cells containing organic seed raising compost and water them (from a drip tray) with diluted seaweed extract.
• When the onions are about 100mm tall, transplant the clusters into 4 rows 250mm apart in prepared soil.  Space them 150mm apart in each row and water them in with dilute seaweed extract.
• Once they are established and growing strongly, cover exposed soil surrounding the clusters with straw mulch. 

Harvesting and Storage

• Harvest the onions when the tops start to dry and fall over. 
• Pull them out of the ground and rinse off the soil with water.  Leave them to dry in the sun for a few hours.
• String the onions together in large bunches using the dried stalks and some twine to tie them together.
• Hang them in a cool, dry, well ventilated low light place like a shed or garage until ready for use.

Organic Pest Control. 

• Onions, like most vegetables, are vulnerable to attack from certain pests in my garden.  My blog on Controlling Garden Pests explains a little about these pests and what to do to protect plants from them.  For details click on the appropriate link below.
• Aphids (blackfly).
• Slugs and snails.