nan1234
On The Way Up
Joined: 23 Jul 2007
Location: Chicago Area
Posts: 160
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| Posted: Sat Nov 17, 2007 4:27 pm Post subject: |
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Variety
If you grow onions for bulbs, you'll need to choose the the right variety for your location. Onion bulb formation is very sensitive to the day length. There are basically two varieties: long-day onions for the North and short-day onion for the South. Onion varieties that are grown in the South are not adaptable to the North and vice versa. Planting the wrong varietieshave poor bulb formation.
Long-day varieties:
Yellow and White Sweet Spanish
Southport Red Globe (and most of red onions)
Walla Walla Sweet
Australian Brown
Clear Dawn
Borrettana Italian cipolinni
Short-day varieties:
Yellow and White Bermuda
Texas Grano
Vidalia Sweet
Red Hamburger
Texas 1015Y Supersweet
Time
Onions should be planted as soon as the earth can be digged in early spring. Late planting may result in small bulbs or without bulbing at all. Always set the plants in your garden at the right time for your area.
Size
Buy plants in small size (diameter is less than a pencil). Larger plants will not produce larger bulbs and they are used for seed stalk instead of forming a large bulb.
Harvest
The best practice is to allow the plants to mature and the tops to fall over naturally. Harvest when most of the tops have fallen over. Breaking over the top is often suggested by some gardeners for getting a larger bulb. On the contrary, breaking over the tops early interrupts growth, causing smaller bulbs that do not keep as well in storage.
Temperature
Onions that have formed flower do not produce good bulbs. Flowering is usually caused by temperature fluctuation. As a biennial plants, onion usually takes two years to form seed, but this condition can be triggered by alternating cold and warm temperatures. The build of flowered onion will be smaller and cannot be kept for a long time.
Weeds
The builb development reuires good fertility, adequate soil moisture and cool temperatures. Onion does not compete well with weeds, especially when they are small. Timely removing weeds is important.
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