How to Plant, Grow, Onins,?

 Onions are cool-season vegetables that are grown mainly for the flavor they add to otherfoods. .  Onions begin to form bulbs based on the daylength.
 Onions can be started from either seeds,sets, or transplants. Onion seed of both white and yellow varieties can be sown indoors in flats, in the winter,or early spring, depending on where you live.  In mostareas you will need to start your seedlings indoors.
  Also, seeds can be sown directly into the garden, covered with about one-fourth inchof soil and should sprout between 7- 10 days.  If plantedthickly, plants can be pulled and utilized as greenonions or scallions for salads or fresh eating in about 8-10 weeks.
 However, most gardenerswant to grow an onion bulb as large as possible.
  To do this, the onion plants must be thinned until theyare at least 2-3 inches apart to insure adequate bulb expansion.
 The removed plants can beused for scallions or you can re-transplantinginto another area of the garden so that they will too haveadequate space to enlarge into large bulbs.  In my opinion onion seeds is the least recommendedway to start onions.
 The other option you have is -- Onion Sets.
  Growing onions from onion sets is probably an easier way to produce a crop of qualityonions, and in most cases you will be able to achievebetter success this way when compared to growing onions from seed.  Sets are small, dry onionbulbs that have been grown the previous year.
 Theyare the easiest for many gardeners to grow.  Buy a bag of sets, push them into damp soiluntil just the top is showing and the onion quickly startsgrowing.  They are frequently sold only as yellow,white or red onions without a variety name.
   So if you want to know what varieties yourgrowing, do not use onions sets.  Round onions willproduce a flattened onion, and tear shaped orelongated sets will produce round onion.  Larger sets are best used as green onions while smallersets are left in the ground to form bulbs.
  And then, there is the last option for growingonions – Onion Plants.  The way I usually grow onions and how I wouldrecommend growing onions for the first time.  For large, firm bulbs, plants are best.  Theywere produced from seed in the same year they aresold.
 Plants are available from seed catalogs, gardencenters or your local hardware stores.  Plant onions – onion plants -- transplants, fourto six weeks before the last estimated spring freeze. Generally plants come in a bundle.
 Plant the onions 1" deep and no deeper, as this willinhibit their ability to bulb. When you receive your onions transplants, they are alive, and should be planted as soonas possible.  If your unable to plant these rightaway, remove the onion plants from the box andspread them out in a cool, dry area.
  The roots and tops may begin to dry out but do not bealarmed, as the onion is a member of the lily family and as such will live for approximatelythree weeks off the bulb.
  The first thing that theonion will do after planting will be to shoot new roots.
  The next most important thing in planting onions, is choosing the right onion to plantbased on your location.  There are three different typesof onions.
 Short-day onions, day-neutral onions also know as intermediate day onions, and long-dayonions First, the Short day onionsForm bulbs with 10 to 12 hours of daylight They need mild winter climate, usually Zoneseven or warmer Planted in fall, mature in late springAnd can be grown in the North, but the bulbs don’t get as largeAnd then we have the Intermediate or day-neutral onionsThese form bulbs with 12 to 14 hours of daylight Produce nice bulbs in all regions except SouthFlorida or South Texas, these intermediate onionsare ideal for Zones five through six Planted in fall in mild winter climates andin early spring in northern regions Then lastly you have the Long-day onionsWhich form bulbs with 14 to 16 hours of daylight These are typically grown in northern regions,zone six and colder Day length is the most important factor inselecting your onion varieties. '
  Long day onions grownorth of a line approximately from Washington, DC.  to San Francisco, short day onions southof the line and intermediate day length for severalmiles on either side of this line.
   Flavor andpungency are other factors in selecting varieties.  Sweet white onions are generally long-dayvarieties while the best strong-flavored yellow onions are intermediate or short day onions. As far as planting goes Select a location with full sun where your onions won't be shadedby other plants. The Soil needs to be well-drained, loose, and rich in nitrogen; and compact soil affectyour bulb development.  You want nice loose, richsoil.  Till in aged manure, compost or fertilizerin the fall before planting.  Onions are heavy feeders and need constant nourishment to producebiggest bulbs.
  At the time of planting, you can mix in somefertilizer, too, and side dress every few weeksuntil the bulbing process begins.  Are you planting seeds? Onion seeds are short-lived. If planting seeds indoors, start with fresh seeds each year.  Start seeds indoorsabout 6 weeks before transplanting.  Transplants should be set out 4 to 6 weeks prior to thedate of the last average freeze.
 Plant onions as soon as the ground can beworked in the spring, Make sure the temperature doesn’t go below 20 degrees FahrenheitFor sets or transplants, plant 1 inch deep, with 4 to 5 inches between each plant.
AlsoI plant them in rows usually about 12 to 18 inchesapart.  Should you want to harvest some of theonions during the growing season as green onions, you may plant the plants as closeas 2 inches apart.  Pull every other one, priorto them beginning to bulb, leaving some for largeronions.
 Reminder! Do not plant them too deep, or theywill not make as large of a bulb If you have left over onion plants from yourbundle, you can plant them in a pot or plant them in the ground together, like I usuallydo, and grow them all season long, and harvest them for “green onions”.
 Onion Fertilization and Growing TipsOnions require a high source of nitrogen.  For organic growing like we do, use a richcompost high in nitrogen.
 The conventional, non-organicway would be to use a nitrogen-based ammonium sulfate or ammonium nitrate fertilizerand this should be applied at the rate of onecup per twenty feet of row.  There is no such thing as an organic all-nitrogen fertilizer.
 The first fertilizer application should be about threeweeks after planting and then continue with applications every 2 to 3 weeks.
  Once theneck starts feeling soft do not apply any morefertilizer.
  This should occur approximately 4 weeks prior to harvest.  Always water immediatelyafter feeding and maintain moisture during the growing season.  The closer to harvestthe more water the onion will require. For weed control Unfortunately, there is not any organic product available to assist inweed control so the only method will be cultivation. That’s right, get on your hands and knees and pullup the weeds.  While cultivating be careful not to damage the onion bulbs.  As the onionbegins to bulb the soil around the bulb should loosenso the onion is free to expand.  Do not move dirt ontop of the onion since this will prevent the onion from forming its natural bulb.
 So don’tbe alarmed if you start seeing onion protrudingfrom the ground as the bulb expands and enlarges.  Flowering also known as BoltingMost folks want to grow onion bulbs NOT onion flowers! What causes bulb onions to send upflower stalks? Flowering of onions can be caused by several things but usually the mostcommon is temperature fluctuation.
 If the onion isexposed to warm temperatures, then cold, then warmagain, it will bolt.  An onion is classed as a biennial which means it normally takes 2years to go from seed to seed. Temperature is the controlling or triggering factor in this process.  If an onion plantis exposed to alternating cold and warm temperatures resultingin the onion plant going dormant, resuming growth, going dormant and then resuming growthagain, back-and-forth, the onion bulbs prematurely flower or bolt.
  The onion is deceivedinto believing it has completed two growth cycles or two years of growth in its bienniallife cycle so it finalizes the cycle by blooming.
 Flowering can be controlled by planting theright variety at the right time.
Use only transplantsthat are pencil-sized or smaller in diameter when planting in early spring or always plantseed.
 Onions sets are more likely to bolt, becausethey were produced the previous year. What can you Do About Flowering Onions? If you can see a flower stalk apper should youremove the flower stalk from the onion plant? Probably not…it’s not going to do anydifference for you. Suit yourself but once the onion plant has bolted, or sent up a flower stalk, there isnothing you can do to eliminate this problem.
 The onionbulbs will be edible but smaller.  Use these onions assoon as possible because the green flower stalk which emerges through the center ofthe bulb will make storage almost impossible.  Onceagain, use these onions First! Harvest them, use themFirst.  As far as Harvesting And Storage goes,Onions are fully mature when their tops have fallen over.  After pulling from the groundallow the onion to dry, clip the roots,cut backthe tops to about one inch.
  The key to preserving onionsand to prevent bruising is to keep them in a cool, dry and separated.  Remember to usethe onions that bolted or flowered first, they will notlast very long in storage.
  As a general rule, the sweeterthe onion, the higher the water content, and therefore the less shelf life.  A more pungentonions will store longer so eat the sweet varietiesfirst and save the more pungent onions for storage. So, Happy Garddening and Good Luck on Growing Onions!