Growing Times
Onions can take up to 40 days to germinate and then are ready for picking any time between 180-240 days after germination.
When To Plant
Onions are best planted in late Winter, or Early spring when temperatures are cooler. The bulbs will start to fatten up once the days are longer and warmer, becoming fully mature around mid Summer.
Size
Varieties such as Red Onions can grow up to 10cm wide in the right conditions. Shallots will grow to a smaller size of approximately 5-6cms.
Growing Conditions
Onions do not need to be heavily maintained to grow a good crop.
Digging in rich compost a month or so prior to planting will certainly help for size, and then it’s a case of simple water, weed and feed to get a great crop.
Sow Onions in a sunny warm spot with well drained soil.
Maintenance
Water regularly, and add liquid fertiliser during the growing season to help develop good quality bulbs.
Keep weeds at bay so they don’t compete for nutrients and affect bulb growth.
Harvesting
Onions can be harvested at any stage, once the bulbs are sufficiently formed, but if harvesting all at once, they should be harvested when at least half the green foliage has started to wither and bend over and the skins near the top of the bulb have started to go papery.
Onions stored in the ground, until all the foliage is withered, store better after being removed from the soil.
When lifting the bulbs, make sure they are completely dry for storage. Stop watering Onions a week prior to lifting to help the drying process, or if lifted when wet, store the bulbs somewhere dry and airy so they can dry out.
Storage
Once your Onions are dry, you can store them in a dry area with free flowing air.
Carefully strip back any flaking skins and either hang your Onions or put them in Onion bags.
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