Harvesting Onions

When ordering my seeds this past January I had a hard time deciding on what kind of onion plants to order for this year. So, like any good gardener, I decided to order more than I needed and plant three kinds of onions. To do this I ordered the Northern Bunch onion plant mix from Territorial Seed Company. The specific varieties in this bunch were Walla Walla (a yellow onion), Red Zeplin (a red onion), and Ringmaster (a white onion).

As promised in the seed catalog, the onion plants arrived at just about the right time for planting here in Wisconsin. The onion plants came in a small box containing 50 to 75 plants. I divided the plants into three groups - red, white, and yellow. I then prepared about a 20 foot long mounded row for planting. Each variety got about 6 to 7 feet of the row.

Onions shortly after planting

Now after many weeks, the onions are just about ready to be harvested. There are two ways to use the onions. The first way is to just simply go into the garden and pull an onion out for whatever you need in the kitchen. I have done that with my red onions this year and they are just about gone. They have been really good this year.

The second way to harvest the onions is to dry and store the onions. This is more work and you really need a proper place to dry and store them if you want success. I plan to do this with my white and yellow onions.

You will know when your onions are beginning to mature when the green stalk starts turning yellow or brown and falls over to lay on the ground. It is a good idea to speed up this process by bending the stalks over at the onions so they are laying on the ground. After a few days in this condition, use your spading fork and loosen the soil around the onion. The onions can then be pulled up and laid on top of the ground to begin the drying process.  Do this very gently since onions bruise easily.  Once they are bruised they become very susceptible to rot. To prevent sunscald, lay the onions out on the dirt such that the stalks of one onion cover the bulb of another onion. 

If you look closely at the onion stalk you will notice that it is made up of several smaller stalks. Each small single stalk is called a leaf. You will know if you have grown a mature onion if there are 13 leaves on the stalk at this time. 

Variety of white onion called Ringmaster

Variety of yellow onion, Walla Walla, beginning to fall over

When the tops are completely brown, the onions should be gathered up and laid out in a dry spot out of the sun. It is a good idea to lay the onions out on an elevated screen or mesh to allow air to circulate around them. The onions are ready for storage when the stalk is dried all the way down to the onion. If you pinch the stalk at the base it won't slide or feel soft. Also, the skin of the onion should take on a uniform texture and color.  Before storing, clip the roots and stalks off to within one inch of the bulb. The onions should be stored in a cool, dry and well ventilated space in a mesh bag.

I've read that sweeter onions tend to rot quckly so eat those up first. Finally, remember these words from the Farmers Almanac ....

Onion's skin very thin,

Mild winter coming in:

Onion's skin thick and rough,

Coming winter cold and rough.

Veggies in a Flower Garden

I was in Chicago a couple weeks ago for a work conference.  At the end of the day I took a walk down to Millennium Park.  Check out the pictures of these flower beds.  Love the idea of growing corn, Swiss Chard and other vegetables in your flower garden. This makes for a really interesting flower garden from a color, variety, height and texture perspective. Would love to see Milwaukee do something like this in their public gardens. I am going to try growing corn in my flower garden next year for sure.

Cracked Tomatoes

I thought it would be good to talk about a condition with your tomato plants you might have this year. The condition is called tomato cracking or split tomato. Here is a picture of what the condition looks like.

The split tomato is really caused by a lack of water. What happens is that in a dry spell or if you don't water consistently, the tomato can dry out and crack. The tomato needs water to stay juicy and lush. When you water again or it rains, the tomato takes in the water and splits at the spot where it had previously cracked. Kind of like overfilling a water balloon.

In addition to an aesthetic issue, the crack in the tomato can allow bacteria and fungus to enter the plant so it is important to water your tomatoes properly.

Tomatoes should receive one to two inches of water per week. This water should be provided on a regular and even basis. Don't forget to use mulch to help keep the soil moist and disease in check. Finally, if you go on vacation ask your neighbor to help water. Most people will gladly water for you in exchange for some tomatoes.