Food for thought...when should I plant my onions in the garden? FOOD for thought got it.

image from atraditionalife.com 

      The thermometer says 36 degrees, but I wore my coat when I went to feed the cats.  It is cloudy outside, and the wind is out of the south.  When it is out of the south there must be moisture in the air, so it feels a lot colder. Like 28 degrees.  But still, this is mild Feb weather in Iowa.
Do you see a reason for my postings today and yesterday?  Yes, posting about plants, seeds, and garden vegetables you should plant first.  I had a hard time to find when to plant onions, but this article said with air temperature of  55 degrees to 75 degrees.
Onions are temperature sensitive: they require cool weather to produce their tops (early stages of growth) and warm weather to produce their bulbs (late stages of growth). Onions grow best in air temperatures of 55° to 75°F (13-24°C) Temperatures greater than 85°F (29°C) can cause soft, gray, watery bulbs.  All food for thought….yes FOOD. 
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How to Plant and Grow Onions  by Stephen Albert from Harvest to Table website
Onions can be grown for their green immature stems or they can be grown for their mature bulbs. These strong-smelling plants have been extremely popular for centuries.
Two main types of onions are grown in the home garden: the young, green or white, bunching sorts eaten fresh and before the mature bulb has formed, and those that develop a large, coated bulb with a papery skin that is most often eaten boiled or fried (and also eaten fresh though some are pretty strong).
How to Plant, Grow, and Harvest Shallots
Onions grown for their green stems are also called green onions, spring onions, and scallions. (The terms are often used interchangeably.) Bulb-forming onions can be harvested early as green onions. But not all green or bunching onions will grow bulbs if allowed to mature. So when you select an onion to grow in your garden, make sure you get the type of onion you want—bulbing or bunching.
Here is your complete guide to growing onions.
Raising onions in your garden
There are three ways of starting onions: by seeds, by sets, and by multipliers or potato onions that develop among onion flower clusters. Here’s a primer on each of these ways to grow onions:
Seeds: Raising onions from seeds is often difficult in the home garden, but seedlings raised by commercial nurseries are inexpensive and save time. Seedlings are one of the easiest ways to start an onion patch.
Set: Onion sets are also inexpensive and easy to grow. The “set” consists of a small, immature bullet that has been harvested from a large bulb grown for that purpose. These immature bulblets will produce a mature onion during the season. Sets are used for growing spring onions for eating fresh and for growing mature onion bulbs. Sets are easy to plant and seldom fail.
Bulbils among the flower clusters: Flower bulbils are not true bulbs like the set, but aerial, bulb-like organs from which a new plant will grow. These plants are often called multiplier- or potato-onions. Tree onions–also called topsetting onions, walking onions, or Egyptian walking onions produce bulbils among the flower clusters.
Whichever way you choose to start onions, it is important to get true stock, authentic as to the variety from a reliable local garden center.
Shape and size
Bunching onion: Some onions produce very small, nearly insignificant bulbs; these are called bunching onions, green onions, and scallions.
Pickling onions: Some onions produce small bulbs that are round or spindle in shape; these are called picking onions.
Bulb or storage onions: Some onions produce medium-sized globe-shaped bulbs; these tend to be sharp-flavored storage onions.
Fresh-use onions: Some onions produce large, round, mild-flavored bulbs for fresh use; Spanish and Bermuda onions are large, mild, and sometimes sweet.
Color and flavor
Onion colors range from white or yellow to red or purple.
Yellow onions are all-purpose onions; they have a balance of astringency and sweetness in their flavor.
White onions have a sharper more pungent flavor; they are also more tender and have a thinner, papery skin.
Red onions have red flesh and purple skin; the flavor of red onion is similar to a yellow onion but the layers of red onion are less tender and less meaty than a yellow onion. Generally, the strongest-tasting onions are the best choice for storing into the winter; they have the toughest skins.
Onion daylight requirements
Bulb onion varieties differ according to the amount of daylight needed for bulb formation. Some varieties require 12 hours of light each day to form bulbs (called short-day); some require 13 to 16 hours of daylight to form bulbs (called long-day).
If you live in the North where summer days are long, grow a long-day variety.
If you live in the South, where daylight hours do not vary by much year-round, grow a short-day variety.
Grow short-day varieties where winters are mild; where you can grow onions through autumn and winter.
Grow-long day onions where winters are cold. Onions are not sensitive to mild frost in either spring or autumn.
It may be worth noting, long-day onions tend to be round, and globe-shaped and short-day onions tend to be flatter in shape.
Onion seeds, seedlings, and sets
Onions can be grown from seeds, seedlings, or sets (sets are small bulbs grown the previous year).
Onion sets (small onion bulbs) have a head start; they will mature more quickly.
Onion seedlings will need more time to produce bulbs than sets.
Onion seeds will need a long growing season to produce bulbs; sometimes they produce a bulb the second season they are in the ground.
Sets are only available in spring. There will be a greater selection of varieties if you shop for seeds than in sets or seedlings.
If you live in a short-growing season region, choose sets to ensure you have enough time to grow bulbs.
Where to plant onions
Grow bulb onions in full sun. Green onions can be grown in a partially shady spot.
Onions prefer loose, well-worked, well-drained soil rich in organic matter.
Loosen the soil to 6 inches (15cm) deep and remove all lumps, stones, and roots.
Add well-aged compost or a commercial organic planting mix to the planting bed before planting. Turn the soil under to 12 inches (30cm) deep.
Sandy loam is good soil for growing onion sets. Loam is good soil for seeds and seedlings. Heavy clay soil can impede the development of bulbs.
If the soil is not well-drained, grow onions in raised or mounded beds. Good drainage is important.
A soil pH of 6.0 to 6.5 is recommended for growing onions. Perform a soil test before planting onions.
Onions are light feeders. Onions can follow fruiting vegetables such as tomatoes and peppers in a crop rotation. They can be planted ahead of legumes in the crop rotation.
Onion planting times
Onions are temperature sensitive: they require cool weather to produce their tops (early stages of growth) and warm weather to produce their bulbs (late stages of growth). Onions grow best in air temperatures of 55° to 75°F (13-24°C) Temperatures greater than 85°F (29°C) can cause soft, gray, watery bulbs.
Plant onion sets (small bulblets) 3 to 4 months before the time you want to harvest mature bulbs; plant sets 3 to 4 weeks before you want to harvest green onions.
Onion seeds are best started indoors: start seeds 4 to 6 weeks before the average last frost date in spring and transplant them into the garden as soon as the soil can be worked. (Cold temperatures can affect the germination rate; wait until the soil is at least 40°F before sowing seeds.) In mild-winter regions, plant onions in the fall or winter, depending on the variety.
Most onions are sensitive to day length. American and Spanish onions need long days to produce their bulbs, and Bermuda onions prefer short days.
Green onions for autumn harvest: Plant green onions 4 to 6 weeks before the first expected fall frost for autumn harvest; late summer or early fall temperatures should not be greater than 75°F (24°C).
Green onions for winter and early spring harvest: In mild winter regions, plant green onions in autumn for winter and early spring harvest.
About temperature and day-length: Bulb Onion Growing: Day Length and Temperature.
Planting onion seeds
Onion seeds can be started indoors 4 to 6 weeks before you plan to set seedlings out or you can direct sow seed in the garden when the soil temperature is at least 40°F (4.4°C).
Sow seed ¼ to ½ inches (12mm) deep.
The seed will germinate in 7 to 10 days at 70°F (21°C), longer in cooler soil.
Thin seedlings from 1 to 2 inches (2.5-5cm) apart in rows 12 to 18 inches (30-45cm) apart; thin again for bulb onions from 4 to 6 inches (10-15cm) apart.
The final size of the onion will depend on how much growing space it has.
Planting onion seedlings
Seedlings are onions that have begun growing. You can start seedlings indoors from seed or you can purchase onion seedlings at the garden center.
Place transplants in the garden just slightly higher than the surrounding soil and they will settle into place.
Space seedling transplants 2 to 3 inches (5-7cm) apart in rows 12 to 18 inches (30-45cm) apart
Thin seedlings from 4 to 6 inches (10-15cm) or more apart allowing for bulb development.
Planting onion sets
Sets are small bulblets–about the size of a large pea–whose growth was interrupted before the bulbs developed. Bulblets larger than ¾ inch (19mm) in diameter may go to seed before developing bulbs (these are best grown as green onions).
Plant sets 1 to 2 inches (2.5-5cm) deep.
Plant sets pointed side up.
Space sets 2 to 3 inches (5-7cm) apart in rows 12 to 18 inches (30-45cm) apart.
Thin to 4 to 6 inches (10-15cm) or more apart allowing for bulb development. The final size of the onion will depend on how much growing space it has.
Companion plants for onions
Grow onions with beets, lettuce, strawberries, summer savory, and tomatoes.
Onions are easily inter-planted between larger crops such as cabbages or tomatoes.
Container growing onions
Green onions easily grow in containers 6 inches deep (15cm); grow 8 to 10 green onions in a container 8 inches across.
Grow bulb onions in containers 8 to 10 inches (20-25cm) deep.
Watering onions
Keep the soil evenly moist until onion plants begin to mature. Dry soil can cause onions to split; wet soil can cause bulbs to rot.
Transplants need more water than sets.
To conserve soil moisture, lay down 8 to 10 inches (20-25cm) of mulch when the soil warms in early summer.
Soil can be allowed to dry when leaves start to get yellow and brown and to droop over.
Feeding onions
Side-dress onion plants with a nitrogen-rich organic fertilizer such as alfalfa meal. You can also plant beans nearby; bean roots set nitrogen in the soil.
Some growers place aged chicken manure between onion rows before planting. Gently and shallowly work the manure into the soil. The high nitrogen content can benefit onions. Do not let the mature touch the plants.
Thin plants early to give bulbs room to mature to the desired size.
Onion care
Keep planting beds free of weeds to avoid competition for light, water, and nutrients. Weed control is important in the onion patch.
Onion roots are very shallow; cultivate weeds with a shuffle hoe or remove them by hand being careful not to injure the shallow root system.
Thin plants early to give bulbs room to mature to the desired size. Use the thinnings as green onions.
Bend but do not break stalks 2 to 3 weeks before harvest to hasten bulb development.
Cut back on watering close to harvest to keep the necks from rotting.
Heavily mulch onions that you plan to over-winter and harvest the second season. Use an organic mulch such as aged compost or straw.
Avoid planting onions near sweet potatoes; both can be attacked by wireworms.
Taken from https://harvesttotable.com/how_to_grow_onion/
Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa [email protected]  641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365
Feb 6, 2024