Onions: plant, grow, harvest

Onion season is officially over for us! This week I finished trimming, cleaning and storing away our cured onions. Last year we grew enough to make it all the way into this year’s crop. That is a huge success! I think we have done the same this year.

Onions are a very long season crop, we started them inside in on the winter Solstice and grew them under lights inside until late April. Once the high tunnel was reliably warm enough we planted out the onions at about the size of a pencil. We grow them in there as there a lot of wind in our area and it really stress the onions.

I waited months as they grew and grew and managed to keep growing despite the onslaught of grasshoppers. Who knew grasshoppers would like onion leaves?!

Onion Growth from Seedling to Storage

Despite the continual grasshopper damage the onions kept growing fantastically well. I watch sometimes, very impatiently, as they sized up and had not get flopped over. Finally in late July my garden partner texted me and said it’s time to harvest. Yes! That’s pretty much my favorite part of gardening, the harvesting and processing.

Just like garlic, we set them up in a place that has great air flow but no direct sunlight. Layering them out so they can dry and cure evenly. Once the leaves have completely dried down then you can cut them off about an inch or inch and half above the bulb, remove any broken/dirty skins and then snip the roots short. Carefully place them in a container where they can be stored with good air flow and in a dry dark place.

Well cured and stored onions will last at least a year.

I like saving some of the skins for dying fabric and rope. You can see the hand dyed rope basket I have for sale in the shop.

Have you ever grown onions before? Let me know in the comments below!