Apart from yellow onions, red onions are one of the most widely used onions in cooking. The mild, sweet flavor and beautiful color make red onions popular. However, many amateur gardeners are intimidated by learning how to cultivate and harvest them.
Growing red onions is simple. Even though there are many different types of onions, they are always biennials. They have to go through two growing seasons in order to finish their life cycle.
In the first year, the seedling develops into a little bulb. The bulbs then reach full maturity the following year.
You can plant small bulbs, known as onion sets, in the ground as soon as you can work on the soil in the spring to produce delicious red onions.
Red onion seeds should be started indoors 8 to 10 weeks before your area’s typical last frost date. Keep in mind that both indoor and outdoor onion plants are poisonous to animals.
Best growing conditions for red onions
Growing red onions may be a lot of fun. This vegetable, for starters, is a biennial. This means that the entire life cycle of the plant takes place over the course of 24 months. Therefore, onions will produce leaves and miniature bulbs in their first year of growth. They will be ready for harvest in the second year.
In order to guarantee a sufficient crop, most gardeners acquire second-year bulbs instead of beginning their onions from seeds. Now is the time to ensure your red onions have ideal growing conditions, regardless of how you start them.
Red onions don’t require a lot of care. Therefore, they only want a spot in the sun to grow. This should allow you about 6 hours of daily sun exposure. In addition, they require nutrient-rich, well-drained soil. It’s also preferable to have loose soil in which to plant the bulbs.
Your bulbs may not bloom as beautifully (or at all) if you plant them in soil that is too clay-like or compacted. Be cautious and adjust your soil before planting if necessary.
It is all the care that onions require. You can do this in containers, raised beds, or a standard garden plot. You should have success with your red onion seedlings if you provide them with adequate soil and illumination.
Now that you better understand what care your onions require, we can discuss how to get started growing onions.
How to plant red onions
Red onions can be grown in one of two ways. The first method involves beginning the plant’s life from seed, while the second uses a set. Onion sets are bulbs harvested in their second year.
To choose the best technique for harvesting your onions, you must first decide when you want to do so. However, the growing method for both is the same.
- Plant indoor-started onions about 8 weeks before the last frost date.
- Put some bagged soil in a growbag, pot or a growing tray. Put a seed in each hole of a seed-starting tray or set of pots.
- You should plant sets 2 inches into the soil in a deeper growth pot, while it’s best to bury seeds a quarter of an inch deep.
- Water your onions thoroughly, but not so much that the soil gets soaked and the seed or set is sitting in a puddle of water, since this might cause rot.
- Temperatures above 40°F are ideal for onion cultivation. However, a temperature of about 75 °F is optimal for growth.
- If you want your onions to sprout on time, you should try to simulate optimal growing conditions. The plants should start to grow after about a week.
- You may plant the onions outside in the ground after there’s no longer any frost danger. Before planting, you should ensure the soil in the growth location has been appropriately amended.
- If your soil lacks nutrients or is compacted, applying a couple of inches of compost and working it in is a good idea.
- In addition, using a slow-release fertilizer, you can provide the onions with everything they require during the growing season.
- The recommended spacing for onions you’ll plant in the ground is one foot between garden rows and 6-inches between individual plants.
- When the planting area is ready, plant each onion two inches deep. Water the plants after you fill the hole with dirt again.
- You can improve onions’ sweetness by maintaining a constant moisture level. Planting onions is a surefire way to ensure a bountiful crop.
How to care for red onions
How do you feel about growing onions now? They require very little care, in case you haven’t noticed.
It should not be surprising that they require little maintenance after planting. Mulch, regular watering, and a balanced fertilization regimen will help your onions thrive.
- Spreading a thin layer of mulch around your onion plants is a good way to keep weeds at bay and the soil moist. Because of this, the soil can hold onto more moisture, and the growth of weeds will be inhibited.
- The onions will get just the right amount of water without becoming drenched. Check the soil’s moisture level before giving it another soak. If the soil is dry up to your first knuckle when you stick your finger around the onions, it’s time to give them a good soaking again.
- In addition, it’s best to water onions first thing in the morning. Nighttime watering could lead to the spread of disease in the crop.
- An inch of water once a week is ideal for red onions. But be careful not to overwater them; that could induce decay.
- Use the thorough watering technique while caring for onions. You can now water the onions on fewer days each week over a longer time span.
- Lastly, make sure your onion crop gets plenty of fertilizer. Applying a nitrogen-rich fertilizer 3 weeks after planting is essential. This is because the plants thrive on nitrogen.
Then, every three weeks after that, apply a high-nitrogen fertilizer. If you meet red onions’ few requirements, they will flourish under your care.
Diseases and pests that may affect red onions in the garden
The only real challenge in onion cultivation is ensuring their protection. The pleasant aroma of onions may lead some to believe they have an easy life.
Unluckily, such is not the case. Mites, onion maggots, and leaf miners are frequent pests that attack onions.
- You can treat downy mildew with a fungicide if you apply it as soon as you discover the problem.
- You might be able to salvage a smaller harvest by giving the onions lots of nutrients and cutting back on the amount of water you give them.
- Both downy mildew and pink roots are major threats to red onions. The pink root results from a fungus that lives in the soil.
- Pink root is incurable at this time. While the illness may reduce your yield, it shouldn’t be fatal to your plants.
- If the onions show signs of infestation and you decide to dig them up, you will be the first to discover this disease. When you dig up the onions, their pinkish-red roots are exposed.
- The best defense against pink root is no defense at all. Don’t plant onions in the same spot for more than 6 growing seasons without rotating them out.
- If you discover a pest problem, treating it as soon as possible with a pesticide is best. This will help eliminate the problem before the pests have a chance to cause any harm.
Red onion harvesting instructions
Knowing when and how to harvest your red onions is the final stage in growing them. Wait about a month to start harvesting onions if you want to use them for scallions.
If, on the other hand, you want onions that are their full size, you should wait until the green tops have turned yellow and fallen over. Stop adding water to the onions once most of their tops have collapsed and fallen over.
At this stage, you can dig up the onion bulbs and bring them inside to store them. You can also leave them in the ground to store them for the cold months.
Dig up the bulbs and give them a good shake to remove excess soil before harvesting. Place the picked onions in a warm, well-ventilated area. Put them on a pallet in the basement, the barn, or the backyard.
Ten days of rest here should help them heal. The onions should be kept in a cold, dry place between 35 and 50°F once you braid them.
You can also dig out the plants’ roots and trim off their tops. After that, hang them in a mesh bag so air may circulate around them in the same cold, dry place. This could be a dark pantry, cellar, or basement corner.
Keep a close eye on your onions after keeping them away to make sure no rot has set in. Getting rid of spoiled onions as soon as possible is essential to prevent the rot from spreading.
How to Cure Red Onions
After harvesting, you can cook and eat the cooked or eaten items, although you might not be able to use them all at once. You need to cure them if you want them to last more than a few days.
Step-by-step instructions for curing onions for long-term storage:
- Pick a spot with little to no direct sunlight and plenty of fresh air.
- Dry the onions by laying or hanging them with their still attached tops. Be sure to keep the windows open.
- Seven to ten days is a good drying time for onions.
This easy drying method should lead to dried-out necks and shrunken, shallow roots. The skins of the expanding bulbs will become papery.
After curing the onions, you can neatly store them by braiding them or cutting off the dried tops and roots using pruning shears. Keep the leaves on the bulb for at least an inch to keep it from decaying.
Carefully storing the cured red onions in a mesh bag or nylon stocking is recommended. This will prevent bruising and mold.
How to Store Red Onions after Harvesting
The Refrigerator
Onions prepped by sealing, slicing, or diced can be kept in the fridge for up to a week. Sliced onions should be stored in a plastic bag or airtight container, whereas whole onions should be stored in an airtight container.
Onions can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 14 days if they have been peeled and for 7 to ten days if they have been diced or sliced.
If you want to avoid wasting onions, keep an eye on the use-by date printed on the packaging and eat them as soon as possible.
Somewhere cool and dry
It is best to ensure that the temperature range for the storage area is between 30 and 50°F.
The cellar or pantry provides the optimum conditions for year-round storage of onions. Pantyhose, mesh bags, bamboo steamers, netted bags or even open baskets can provide adequate air to keep the onions mold-free.
Conclusion
Now that you know what to do, you may try growing onions in your backyard. You might find that this becomes your preferred crop for successive years.
Red onions can be stored for a long time if you follow the right procedures for harvesting them.