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.