Allium ceps, (Aliaceae) uien, Zwielbeln, oignons
| Plant onions | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | Dist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| pl pl | pl pl | h h h | h h | ||||||||||
| s: sow in open ground – c: sowi in coldframe – p: sow in polytunnel – i: sow indoors – pl: plant – h: harvest Dist: distance (between the rows x In the rows) in centimeters | |||||||||||||
Varieties that do well on Erraid are:
- Sturon, reliable and excellent main crop
- Jet Set, good for early crop
Fertilization
Onions can’t cope with fresh manure. You will attract the onion fly with it. The nitrogen that is being released with the decomposition of humus will be enough for the onion to grow. Too much of nitrogen will have a negative effect on the bulb formation. Potassium (there is enough ash on Erraid) is recommended to speed up the bulb formation.Your text here
Care during growth
Onions don’t like weed, therefore mulching (preferably with lawn clippings) is a good idea. Do wait till the soil has warmed up.Your text here
Harvest
As soon as two third of the foliage has died, it is time to harvest. Even when the foliage has fallen over, the onions still grow with 10% per week. So it is worthwhile to wait, but if you wait too long, the onions don’t keep very long.Your text here
Storage and preservation
After harvesting dry the onions in a dry well ventilated space. don’t dry them in the sun as I did, the bulbs will burst. After a week when the foliage is well dried you can make an onion braid.Your text here
More tips & tricks
- You need to wait five or – even better – six years before you grow onions on the same spot where you grew one of the allium families (leek, garlic) before. If you can, avoid growing after peas, carrots broadbeans or potatoes. You might risk nematode infestation.
