 |
Onions bring tears and cheers... Custom Search Onions
Onions thrive under a wide variety of climatic and soil conditions. An adequate supply of moisture and a temperate climate, with no extremes of heat or cold through the growing season will insure optimum yields. In the South they thrive in the fall, winter, and spring, but in the North, winter temperatures may be too severe for certain types. In the North, they are primarily a spring, summer, and fall crop. Selecting the right variety of these plants is important. Choose varieties adapted to your purpose and region. These plants produce bulbs in response to the length of the day and varieties are developed and categorized by that method. There are short day varieties, developed for the South, and there are long and intermediate day varieties which need 12 hours of light to form mature bulbs. These do well in the middle and northern states during summer, but will not bulb in Southern locations. Allium plants and seed usually are better identified by variety then are sets. Any type of soil will grow these vegetables, but it must be fertile, moist, and tillable. Both compost and commercial fertilizer, especially one high in a phosphorus and potash, should be applied to the plot. The soil should be very fine and free from clods and foreign matter. These plants may be started in the home garden by using sets, seedlings, or seeds. Onion sets are not always identified by the variety or day length, so you may not know what type you are planting. Onion plants and seeds usually are better identified by variety then are sets. Sets are, small dried plants grown the previous year; preferably not more than three-quarters of an inch in diameter, and are usually used by the home gardener. Small green plants grown in a seedbed bed in the South or in an outdoor hotbed or a greenhouse are also in general use. Home garden cultivation from seeds is satisfactory in the north where the summers are comparatively cool. Sets and seedlings cost about the same; seeds cost much less. Seedling generally provide the best results. Using seeds is some what iffy unless conditions are extremely favorable.
Chives
Chives are like small scallions, in that they will grow in any place that onions do well. They are frequently planted as a border, but are equally well adapted to grow in rows. Being a perennial, chives should be planted where they can be left for more than one season. They may be started from either seed or clumps of bulbs. Once growth is established, some of the bulbs can be lifted and moved to a new spot. After being left in the same place for several years the plants may become too thick; so occasional dividing and resetting is needed.
Garlic
Garlic is more exacting in its growing requirements then onions, but it may be grown with a fair degree of success in almost any home garden wherever you have had good results with onions. Garlic is propagated by planting the small cloves or bulbs which make up the large bulbs. Each large bulb contains about 10 small ones. Carefully separate the small bulbs and plant them singly in moist rich soil. Culture of garlic is practically the same as that of onions. When mature, the bulbs are pulled, and dried, and braided into strings or tied into bunches which should be hung in a cool, well ventilated place. Where have the weather is cool, storage is not very difficult but care must be taken to prevent freezing.
Leeks
Leeks are another member of the allium family and are similar in their adaptability and cultural requirements. Instead of forming a bulb, they produce a thick fleshy cylinder like a large green scallion. Leeks are started from seed which are usually sown in a shallow trench, so that the plants can be more easily hilled up as growth proceeds. Leeks are ready for use at any time after they reach the correct size which under favorable conditions is about one-and-a-half inches or more in diameter, with the white parts 6 to 8 in. long. They may be lifted in the autumn and stored like celery in a cold frame or a root cellar.
Shallots
Shallots are a small bulb of the multiplier family. Its bulbs have a more delicate flavor than other onions and its growth requirements are about the same as most other vegetables in this category. Shallots seldom form seeds and are propagated by means of the small cloves or divisions, into which each plant divides during growth. The plant is quite hardy and may be left in the ground from year to year, but best results are had by lifting the clusters of bulbs at the end of the growing season and replanting the smaller ones at the desired time in the spring.
To view a map showing the gardening zones of North America, click here.
Return from onions to home page
|
