Planting Onions

Planting onions late this year but as they say better late than never.  Here is a simple planting formula taken from my [1]“Victory Garden” ebook" *Onions *are a real staple at our place; we grow sweet Walla Walla onions for early summer to fall eating and Yellow Globe onions to keep through the winter.They add essential flavor and vital nutrition to our diet. They are rich in vitamin C, potassium, iron and dietary fiber. Along with other alliums like garlic, onions contain organosulphur compounds that have been linked to cancer prevention and lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels. *Soil & Amendments- *Onions grow best in moist, fertile soils. Give them lots of water and top dress them with some manure or compost after they have been in the ground a month or so. *Culture- *Sweet summer onions may be planted in late fall in flats in a green house or direct seeded outside if you live in a warm place that only has light frosts. Bulbs develop rapidly in spring and are quick to mature.We are eating summer onions around the Summer Solstice (June 21st). We start our winter onions in the green house in February and plant out in April or May. We recommend the transplant method. Seeds are sown in flats nearly touching each other, ¼" deep in rows. When plants are 4" high, harden off before transplanting. Plant 4" apart in rows 6-10" apart. During growth, water deeply at least twice a week as onions need 2" of water a week to develop large bulbs. Days to maturity are from the date of transplanting. Many people have good success planting onion sets. I have found that onion sets often go to seed instead of blubbing up, especially the bigger ones. If you use sets use the smaller onion sets. Enjoy a great onion harvest![1] http://www.family-gardens.com/gardening-ebook.html