What variety of onions to choose?
Growing onions is not only simple, but also offers different possibilities, because you can choose from different varieties of onions. They are simply classified by color.
- White : white onion can be eaten raw, for example to accompany a salad. It is also delicious when candied. Onions of this variety are usually early and produce small bulbs that can be harvested in the spring. However, their conservation is shorter. You can opt for early white Paris onions, a very productive and hardy variety.
- Yellow : if you go for yellow onions, know that they are probably the best storekeepers. Yellow onions of the ‘virtues straw’ variety have several advantages: they are early, their productivity is interesting and they can be stored for a long time.
- Red : red onions can be cooked or eaten raw and are characterized by a milder flavor. These can only be kept for a short time. Florence red onion has a flavor reminiscent of shallot. It is resistant to cold.
The choice of the variety will obviously depend on your tastes, but it is preferable to plant different ones to offer you the luxury of being able to choose when it comes to your culinary preparations. In any case, you will benefit from the multiples benefits of onion. And for good reason, he is a source of vitamins A, B and C, but also of mineral salts. Your hair, as well as your nails, will be strengthened. He is also a excellent diuretic and a very good anti-infective. In addition, in the onion, practically everything is eaten, even the stalk that you can chop to add to your salads or others, because it is rich in vitamin C.
Planting or sowing onions?
There are two solutions for growing onions. You can either sow them or plant them, but the two methods do not have the same advantages:
- If you want carry out your seedlings yourself, you will benefit from a greater choice of varieties. Planting is done earlier in the year, so if you’ve missed the boat, it’s always possible to fall back on planting bulbs.
- If you prefer the second option, you can buy bulbils, that is, young onion bulbs. While they are easier to grow and plant, they are also less resistant to disease.
Sowing onions: the steps
When you want to sow your onions, you can do it either with seeds that you have produced or with seeds that you have purchased.
- Seedlings can be done in buckets or in the ground. If they are made in buckets under shelter, the period between February and April is ideal, while for sowing directly in the ground, it is better to wait for the period between April and May.
- In either case, after sowing your seeds, cover them very lightly, seal them and sprinkle them.
- For plants in pots, as soon as all the risk of frost has been eliminated, you can transplant them in the ground.
- Space your plants 15 cm apart by forming rows about twenty centimeters from each other. If you sowed directly in the ground, all you have to do is thin out to leave enough space for each plant.
Planting onions: the steps
If you have chosen to plant bulbs, this is a faster growing solution. So this is a good option if you go a little late. For this, you can buy them in garden centers or from a horticulturalist.
- You can plant them either from February or March or at the end of summer.
- To plant the bulbs, just push them lightly into the earth leaving them flush with the ground level.
- You must leave a space of about fifteen centimeters between each bulb and form rows spaced about twenty centimeters from each other.
- The early onions, even the leaves of which can be eaten, can be planted more densely.
7 tips for growing your crop
To successfully grow your onions, here are several tips.
When to plant onions?
As we have seen, depending on whether you sow or plant your bulbs, the period differs slightly. However, in general, the planting of onions takes place between February and April. You can also rely on the lunar calendar and follow the phases of the moon to choose the right time for planting. You then need to identify the Root days that occur during the rising moon.
In what soil?
It is best to grow onions in loose, drained and light soil. Indeed, the results will be more disappointing if your soil is heavy and clayey. If necessary, you can apply a basic fertilizer to promote their growth. You can also lighten the ground with sand.
What exhibition?
It is possible to grow onions in all regions of France, but they will develop to their maximum under a mild and a little humid climate.
The frequency of crop rotation
When growing onions it is important not to overlook the principle of crop rotation. It is therefore advisable not to grow onions for two years in a row in the same place. After having dedicated a space to the cultivation of onions, you must be patient between 4 and 5 years before being able to devote this space again to onions or other vegetables of the same family. In the meantime, you can, at first, grow fruit vegetables such as tomato, zucchini, etc. There, second, it is possible to plant seed vegetables, such as beans, etc. And so on. However, it is important not to grow onions on an area that has previously been occupied by legumes or green manure.
What to plant near onions?
Here is what you can plant near your onions: garlic, tomatoes, carrots, turnips, radishes, beets, cucumbers, strawberries or peppers. Conversely, it is important to keep asparagus, potatoes, eggplants, beans and peas away from the onions.
Maintenance during cultivation
- At the start of their growth, onions require regular grubbing weeds that can settle around and compete with them.
- In case of drought, but only then may it be necessary to water your plants. Too much watering could cause them to rot.
- Conversely, if it is raining a lot, it may be necessary to remove them from the earth a month earlier.
- During July, using the back of a rake, you can lay the onion stems on the ground. This will allow you to get bigger bulbs.
Harvesting and conservation
Here’s how to pick the right time:
- As soon as you notice that the leaves have dried out, you can harvest your onions. But be careful, for early onions, for example, do not wait for the stem to dry out.
- You can also rely on the lunar calendar. You must then proceed with the harvest during the waning moon so that the energy is concentrated in the roots.
For the harvest, prefer a dry, sunny day. After tearing them off, leave them on the ground for 48 hours. If this is not possible, let them dry on a sheltered table. Remove the tops. You can then store your harvest in a dry, ventilated and frost-free place for better conservation.