Apr. 19 Column: How to Grow Onions

We’ve got so many new gardeners out there. Because of this, I have been writing about how to grow all sorts of vegetable crops. This week’s column is about how to grow onions. You can find it in today’s edition of The Spokesman-Review. How to grow onions. (or you can read my column lower in this post)

Onions are quite easy to grow and can be started from seed, little bulbs called “sets,” or young plant starts. Since they are cool-season crops, this is the time of year to plant them in your garden.

In my column, you’ll learn which types of onions are ideal for your location. I also cover how to tell when they’ve finished growing. And how to prepare them for long-term storage. Boy, just writing about this is making make want to cook with onions! You’ll probably agree that nothing smells better than onions sizzling away in a skillet, right?

For this week’s “Everyone Can Grow a Garden” video, I talk about planting cool-season crops. Here we are in the middle of April, a perfect time to plant them. Which crops? Beets, spinach, Swiss chard, lettuce, fava beans, rutabagas, turnips, kohlrabi, carrots and parsnips.

If you’re wondering what fava beans look like, that’s what the photo is at the very top.

I planted almost all of those in my garden on Thursday and what a treat that was! You can watch the goings-on in my video here:

How to grow onions garden column:

by Susan Mulvihill

It seems like no matter which savory dish I make, onions always play a prominent role. They are easy to grow so let’s take a look at how to have the best results with them.

Onions are a cool-season crop. Since we’re now past the middle of April, it is safe to plant them in the garden. There are three ways to grow them: from seeds, sets (small bulbs) or young plant starts. This year, a lot of folks are interested in growing a garden for the first time. While that warms my heart, there might be an challenge. And that is finding sets or plant starts in local garden centers or online.

Before you purchase anything, there is an important fact to be aware of. Onions are divided into types (short, intermediate and long day). This is based on the number of daylight hours a region receives during the growing season. The Inland Northwest is treated to blissfully long days during the spring and summer months. Because of that, it means we should all be growing long-day onions. Are you looking for examples of varieties that grow well her? Try Ailsa Craig, Copra, Highlander, Italian Red Torpedo, Patterson, Red Wing, Ringmaster, Walla Walla Sweet and Yellow Sweet Spanish.

If you’re starting your onions from seeds, sow them directly in the garden ¼ inch deep. Plant sets so there is 1 inch of soil above the top of the onion bulb. If you were lucky enough to find plant starts, bury the bottom inch (the root end) in the soil.

When it comes to spacing, plant seeds 1 to 2 inches apart. Plant sets 2 inches apart and onion starts 4 inches apart. Space the rows 8 inches apart. Both seedlings and onions growing from sets will eventually need to be spaced 4 inches apart. To accomplish this, harvest every other onion to provide the remaining onions with enough room to grow and mature. Be sure to use those thinned onions in your kitchen.

During the season, keep up with the weeds. You don’t want them to compete with the developing onions for nutrients or moisture. Be sure to water the bed on a regular basis. Avoid stressing the plants because that can impact how well the bulbs grow and how long they’ll keep in storage.

Harvest onions any time during the season: as scallions (green onions), as small onions, or when the bulbs are full-size. If you are growing them to store for later use, wait until the stalks fall over. This indicates the plants have finished growing. Turn off the water to the bed, pull up the onions and move them to a sheltered area. Under a carport or in a shed works well. Let the onion skins become papery dry.

To store mature onions that have gone through the drying process, place them in a cool, dark location. We keep ours in the basement where it stays between 50 and 60 degrees for most of the winter. When it comes to the amount of time onions will keep in storage, it varies widely between varieties. For example, sweet onions only have a storage potential of one month so use them up first. At the other end of the spectrum, Copra onions will usually keep 10 to 12 months in storage.

No matter which variety you grew, I’ve got a tips for you. If you’re not using up the onions quickly enough, there’s an easy way to save them. Chop them up, place them in freezer bags and freeze them to use later.