The Greening of Gavin

How To Grow Onions

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Tired of those manky, flavourless onions that most supermarkets sell in string bags?  Have you ever tasted a real, home-grown onion?  No?

Well, in this post we are going to learn how to grow onions.

I can tell you from experience that the taste difference is amazing.  On top of that, there are the many different cultivars of this wonderful vegetable that you will never see in the stores, that are easy to grow with low maintenance.  Year after year, I find that the simple method that I use yields consistent results and a decent crop, so today I am going to share.

About Onions

Firstly, a little about this humble vegetable.  Onions are from the Allium family which includes Leeks, Shallots, Spring Onions, Chives and Garlic.  It needs loamy, well composted soil.  It grows well from seed planted directly in the soil, however I have found that with minimum fuss, I get better results from planting out seedlings.

Preparing the bed

As with most vegetables, onions like friable soil, so it can lay down roots quickly.  Add compost to the soil, and a sprinkle of dolomite lime (about a couple of handfuls per bed), however don’t use too much organic fertiliser in the initial preparation.  Onions do not like being overfed as they tend not to form a bulb (lush tops and no bulb).  During growth, I use a light application of homemade liquid fertiliser (worm wee or weed tea) once a month to keep them healthy.

Onions do not like competition – you will need to keep your onion beds free from weeds.

Planting

They like the cool weather to establish themselves, warm weather for forming bulbs.

You can either sow seed directly into the soil or as I prefer to do, sow your seeds into seed trays and transplant them out when they are about 50 to 75 mm high. You can also buy seedlings from your local nursery, which are cost effective due to the fact that there are so many plants in a punnet.
Dig a shallow trench the length of the bed, about the depth of your index finger.  Lay each seedling, roots down, on one side of the trench, and then backfill with soil.

The seedlings will straighten up on their own accord.  Plant the seedlings about 100 mm apart (4″ ).  I use the width of my hand to determine the spacing.

If you are going to sow seed directly into the soil, about 10 mm deep in rows.  The rows should be about 300 mm (1 ft) apart.  You will need to thin them out once they are around 75 mm high (3”).  Leave the biggest and healthiest looking seedlings in the row and re-plant the seedlings you have just pulled out if you have space.
Growing Time
Onions usually take between 100-120 days to mature, depending on the variety.  In southern Australia, the time to plant is between March and June, with harvest occurring around October to December.
When the onions are growing, keep the soil moist, however as the days begin to warm up and the bulb starts to form, reduce your watering, as the bulbs tend to rot if too wet.

Keep mulch away from onions because the bulb needs to sit on top of the soil, not in the soil.

Once the bulb starts to form use your fingers to scrape away the soil around the bulb. This will help it to develop a more uniform bulb.  It will also stop the bulb from going rotten.
How to grow onions
Don’t let the onions bolt to seed (unless you want to collect seed of course).  Pinch off any forming flower heads, and gently bend the tops over, which will stop them from growing.
Harvesting 

When the tops start to dry out, it’s best to bend (kink) the top of the plant (the stem) over and tie it up with one of its own leaves. This will help the onion bulb to dry out quicker and form a larger bulb.

Harvest the onions when the leaves have dried out and the plant easily pulls out of the ground. You don’t need to break off the tops, as you can use the leaves to hang them up for storage by plating them into a bunch.
If the leaves are still a bit green, you can lay them out on a table, undercover, to dry.
Eating
The best bit!  You can eat onions when they still have green tops, fresh out of the ground, however most crops are stored when a flakey skin has formed.  Peel off the outer dry layer, and eat raw in salads, or cook in your favourite recipe.
Homegrown onions can be used in most meals, and the flavour is amazing.  There is one or more cultivars suitable for your climate type.
So what are you waiting for?  Plant some onions today.
If you live in southern Australia, you still have time to plant some seedlings now.
You will never regret allotting space in your garden for this simple to grow vegetable.  The only thing you will regret is not having grown more!

About Gavin Webber

Gavin Webber's daily goal is to live a more sustainable lifestyle, in an effort to reduce his family's environmental footprint so we can all make a difference for our children & future generations to come.

Learn more about him here and connect with him on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+.

Comments

  2. Rose says

    Gavin I am printing this for Tony to have a look at — awesome information. Hmm, now to play with the voice message.

    Reply

  4. veggiegobbler says

    I planted some onion seedlings a couple of days ago but I can see from your stash I didn’t plant nearly enough! I didn’t realize they had to sit so high out of the soil so thanks for the info.

    Reply

  5. Dawn says

    I agree! Every year I kick myself “why oh why didn’t I put more space aside?’ Ps. in the USA they need a LOT of water

    HOPE all is well with you Gavin after your recent malady.

    Reply

  6. Penny says

    Thanks Gav – you have an amazing harvest!! I will try again as my previous attempts have been very hit and miss!!

    Reply

  7. africanaussie says

    I just planted some onion seeds for the first time. I am not so sure that they will do well up here in the tropics, but wanted to give it a go. I planted California Red. I think the red do better in a hot climate.

    Reply

  8. Lynda D says

    Sounds like a job for this weekend. Thanks Gav, it doesnt sound too hard at all. Attending my first veggie swap on Sunday in Werribee. This new lifestyle has added so much to our family – apart from food.

    Reply

  9. Bek says

    I totally agree – homegrown onions are incomparable! I still have a few left from last years’ crop, and will be definitely trying to fit in more this year.

    Reply

  11. Ree says

    I would never have believed the difference in onions until I tasted my first home grown onions. Bee-eauitful! Trouble here is not planting enough to keep us going. We eat a lot of onions!

    Reply

  12. Louise Glut says

    Thanks Gavin. I have never tried to grow onions. Until recently I didn’t really have the space, now I have acres. I will try a patch later in the season. I have grown shallots before ( I mean French Shallots – those little bulby onions – when I was in Blighty and they were magnificent and easy.

    Reply

  13. sikaaustralia says

    I love onions, I think they are some of the best value veggies you can grow in your garden, because you use them in everything! I have a great infographic on growing onions that really simplifies down the process to its bare parts – but its lovely to look at! Check it out http://bit.ly/1ltelRt

    Reply

    • Gavin Webber says

      Are you the same Emma who’s Mum I interviewed last night for the podcast? If so, welcome to the blog, and thanks for the link to the infographic. Gav

      Reply

      • Bill Wale says

        Gav I have never grown onions before but I’m going to have a go . I live in the mid north in SA . Witch one do you think I should try, I will be buying seedlings. Thanks for any advice that can help me to get started. Bill

  15. Tessa says

    Hey Gavin, I live in Olalla, in Washington State, USA. I always buy shallots at the grocery store (for eating) but I plant them instead. (Way cheaper!)This year I’m planting the ones I grew last year. Some of them sprouted before I could use them so I thought… Plant em! Right? Well, I separated them and had to peel off quite a bit of shallot in order to separate them. My question is can I plant them right away or do I have to let them sit to harden off a bit?
    Thank you
    I’ve just found your website and I’m soooo glad I did, I’ve now subscribed!
    Thanks again,
    Tessa
    I’ve never done this before so I’m not sure how it works but here’s my email address:
    Tessalfm@Yahoo.com

    Reply

  16. Michael Carson says

    I found your info helpful Gavin.I do prefer onions cooked as their raw taste is overpowering for me.
    We often BBQ onions on the hotplate with oil until they are translucent and there is never any leftover.
    Thanks for your website.
    Michael.

    Reply

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