Onion is one of those vegetables that is loved and cherished for all the right reasons! I mean…can onions ever be overrated? NO.
Today, I’ll be sharing with you numerous tips for growing bigger, healthier onions at home. This is 7 years of onion-growing wisdom jam-packed into one article!
Let’s jump straight into it, shall we?
First Things First, Understanding Onion Basics
So, mainly there are 3 different categories of onions:
- Long-day onions:Â These onion bulbs are typically much larger in size and require 14-16 hours of sun every day to thrive.
- Short-day onions:Â Short-day onions require slightly fewer hours of sun exposure to thrive; 10-12 good hours on a daily should do.
- Intermediate-day onions:Â These kinds of onions are best suited for moderate day lengths and environmental conditions. Anywhere between 12 to 14 hours of sun every day should get them going.
Choosing the right type of onion for your region is the foundation for success. If you’re unsure which type is right for your region, this guide breaks it all down clearly.
Expert Tips For Better Homegrown Onions
Tip 1: Choose The Right Onion Variety
Ensure the day length of your region matches the growth requirements of your onions for proper bulb formation. Picking the wrong variety will most likely result in tiny or sometimes even no bulb development.
Tip 2: Use Transplants Or Sets Instead of Seeds
Transplants give you a head start, especially if the growing season is relatively shorter. Sets are a solid choice for beginners as they’re easy to acquire and work with.
Tip 3: Space Onions Correctly
Spacing your onions at least 4-6 inches apart in rows provides the bulbs with adequate room to grow to their fullest potential. Overcrowding is likely to result in small onions.
Tip 4: Feed Onions Regularly During Early Growth
Feeding your onions with a nitrogen-rich fertilizer during the leafy phase promotes strong tops. However, you must stop this feeding once bulbs start forming.
Tip 5: Keep The Soil Moist, Not Soggy
Consistent watering helps onion bulbs develop evenly without any deformities. Inconsistent watering can cause issues like splitting or rot.
Tip 6: Mulch To Keep Soil Cool & Suppress Weeds
Mulching helps maintain constant soil moisture and suppresses weeds. Straw or shredded leaves work very well as mulch.
Tip 7: Remove Weeds Frequently
Onion bulbs absolutely despise competition because their shallow roots struggle massively against aggressive weeds. Remove invasive weeds by hand to avoid disturbing bulb growth.
Tip 8: Watch For Signs Of Bulb Swelling
As nice as the idea of having large, swelled-up onions sounds, this is something you may want to observe carefully. When the neck starts to thicken, reduce nitrogen and water gently. This is the plant signaling that it switched from leaf growth to bulb growth.
Tip 9: Don’t Bend Over The Tops Early
Some gardeners believe that bending over the tops of their onions early forces the bulb to grow faster when, in reality, that’s not the case. Believe it or not, it can actually stunt bulb development! So…yeah…just don’t do that…
Tip 10: Let The Tops Dry Before Harvesting
Wait until your onion tops fall and brown naturally; try your best not to intervene during this process. Harvest the bulbs only when 80% or more of the tops have fallen.
Tip 11: Cure Onions Properly For Long-Term Storage
Dry your onions in a shaded, airy spot for 10-14 days. This is a very important step that often isn’t given much thought, but definitely deserves some. Trim tops and roots only after they’ve fully cured.
Tip 12: Store In A Cool, Dry, Dark Place
When it comes to storage, mesh bags, crates, or hanging braids all work well for onions. No need to be too nitpicky or analytical about this step. Just avoid storing them near potatoes, and everything else will take care of itself.
If you’ve had issues with onions going bad in storage before, this article explains why that happens and how to fix it.
Conclusion
Onion is definitely the most popular vegetable to exist after the mighty potato. Just adding a little bit of onion to any savory dish can bring tons of flavor and a tangy, spicy aroma that encapsulates goodness.
Although the growing part can be a little challenging to navigate, having onions growing at home means you’ll have easy access to them and won’t have to make last-minute grocery store runs just to make that special Friday night pasta or late-night salad. Sounds like a fair deal, no?
