I have a large bed, aproximately 20 x 20. What is the best way to plant the sets....in rows....in raised rows...or raised beds? First time I ever planted onions. thanks.
Planting onions in raised beds
I've planted onions in swimming pools that I filled with dirt and they grew pretty well, best of luck to you.
If you plant in rows, sawpalm, I'd suggest double-rows. Hill up a row 12-15 inches wide and put your sets in two rows with rows being 6 inches apart. Sets can go as close as 2" apart in the rows or 4" apart. (I like to grow most varieties 2" apart so as they grow I can pick every other onion using them as spring/green onions, that leaves the other onions at 4" spacing and they'll continue to have room to grow and bulb up for a later full-sized onion.
If you want you can stagger your sets in a checkerboard fashion also at the same spacing, 2 inches or 4 inches.
Hope this helps!
Shoe
Shoe, that is a great idea!
I loves my onions, Cala/Susie! I couldn't imagine a garden w/out them in it and tend to grow them near 'bout year 'round here.
Remember this little helper of mine?
Super best to you and yours!
Shoe
Yes I do remember her. I bet she's almost grown up by now. She sure is a pretty girl.
Not only a good idea but a great shot as well. I bet she breaks a few hearts in her life.
Good job shoe. Oh and the onions too.
Hah! Thanks, twiggy. Yeh, I was REALLY showing off the great onion crop that year! *grin
Shoe (off on a whistlepig hunt, coffee cup in one hand, pistol in the other. I just know that varmint is gonna get into my cowpeas as soon as they turn color!)
Has anyone else got the impression besides me that onions are not really fond of soil that dries out too quickly....like sandy raised beds?
I know they do a lot better with plenty of moisture. I think they like well amended sandy soil. It's loose, water retentive and well draining at the same time. It sounds like an oxymoron but I think of organic matter as a conditioner that kind of allows them some freedom of choice. I added some pine bark fines last year and it helped hold the moisture. They also are heavy feeders and it just leaches too fast if it's too sandy.
We're going to plant our onions in rows that are 3 ft wide with a 2 ft path between each row. In each row will plant onions 6 : apart so we will get about 5 rows in each raised row. great idea to plant 2 inches apart then pull everyone early for green onions.
Thinking of planting a cover crop in the rows between the onions but still haven't' figured that out.
we grow our produce for the food bank (www.foodbankgarden.blogspot.com) and they say they can grow all the onions we produce. First time for us to plant onions. Thanks for all the info.
sawpalm, in our area you'd do justice planting crimson clover as your cover crop/green manure crop. I'd recommend planting it soon though as you're running out of time to get it in and well-established. If oats are cheaper over your way those will do good as well but won't bring in the pollinators next Spring that crimson clover will.
Please feel free to holler back for more info. Looks to me like you have a great garden going for your foodbank. Congrats!
Shoe
shoe.... groundhog....whistlepig.... did 'ya get him? pop..pop...pop...'nuther pig dead! Remember the song?
cottonpicker....LarryD
Nope, ain't got him yet, Larry! But I look quite a few times through-out the day for him. My cowpeas are gaining in size and I just know he's gonna beat me to them once they fill out perfectly. Meanwhile, to keep my hopes up, I'm checking thru my files for bbq'd groundhog.
Happy Day to All!
Shoe
sawpalm - I sowed Crimson Clover last fall - it looked so pretty this past spring when it bloomed that I hated to have to dig it under. I don't have room to grow it this year, because I've got so many cool weather veggies planted. I purchased the seeds from Johnny's.
Horseshoe..... once you get that varmint....there are some recipes here: www.ces.ncsu.edu/martin/wildrecipes.
Thanks, Larry! There's quite an assortment of game menus there!
Honeybee and sawpalm, you'll come out much cheaper buying your clover seeds at your local Southern States. Buying it there will also let you buy as much or as little as you want weighed out.
Shoe
Hey guys I need some recipes for wild boar. Ya'll got any great links?
Take one squirrel ...
Twiggy:
Havalina tacos after a few beers, dont forget the hot sauce. You need to cook them slow because the meat gets really tough the older the beast...
twiggybuds......... here's all you need to know 'bout fixin' WILD BOAR---
http://www.texasboars.com/articles/recipes.html
LarryD
Thank you very much. Both of you. I knew there were some secrets to it. I'm in somewhat of a tight. I have accidentally and innocently been led into the trap of raising a weanling pig that's half wild and half domestic. He's recently turned into a full fledged boar. I believe he was born in April and now weighs at least 125. It has been interesting and I like the guy. I can't eat him because it would be like eating my dog. I've asked everyone I can think of to put a bullet in him while I hide in the house. Nobody wants the meat because he hasn't been fixed.
It occurred to me that people eat wild boars and they sure haven't had that procedure. So that's why I needed that info. I know I'm a wimp but surely somebody can use all that meat once I tell them how to do it. If all else fails, he's going to have to go to the alligator farm.....soon.
Dorothy
Twiggybuds, down here hunters trap the boars, neuter them, feed them for a few weeks to let the weird taste get out of the meat then they butcher and eat them.
Thanks Cala. I might just call animal control on Monday to see if they'll come get him. My big concern at this point is that he be humanely treated whether the end is now or later. He was abandoned here and I should have dealt with this in the beginning. He's had 2 good meals every day for 4 months, a spacious pen and a mud hole. There's just no point to continuing.
Hi what time of the year do you plant Onion and garlic? Thanks
I plant garlic in the Fall to mature & harvest next summer and my onions are planted in the spring.
We're planting our onions now for a spring crop; if that goes well, will try it again in the spring. Yes, we also plant garlic now for summer harvest. It's a fun crop and takes very little space.
I plant onion sets anytime from now till Thanksgiving, garlic first of November usually. Sawpalm, spring is a great time to set out onion plants in our area to help stagger your onion patch.
MarciaS, I'm not familiar with your area and you don't have your zone posted so can't suggest a good time for you. Perhaps someone else will come along that is more familiar with your growing season.
Shoe
Shoe I got two kinds of shallots and three kinds of garlic in before we left. When we get home I will get in the last of the shallots from the seed I saved that you sent me. I put in three more raised boxes 4 by 12. Ernie
This message was edited Oct 8, 2009 11:41 PM
Marcias so if greenacers is near Spokane onion from seed aug 15 . Onions from sets and garlic right now. Onions from plants next spring.
A great source of onion plants is Dixondale Onion farms in Texas or you can start seed dec 1st if you have a gH. Ernie
Congrats on getting some more beds put in, Ernie! That greenhouse sure is doing you justice, eh!?
Hope you are having a great visit with Maria!
Shoe
Hi I don't have a green house but thought maybe I can start them in the house?
What do you think? I had heard that you start planting in the garden this time but I thought it was turning to cold. Greenacres is a community in Spokane WA. Thank You
Shoe yep were having a good time I think we are going to Cape Cod tomorrow. Would you believe some guy gave me the finger in a grocery store parking lot because he wanted the space we were in.LOL banged on the window and said he had been waiting for us to leave.As he saluted me I smiled and wayve at him as a car came from the other and zipped right in.
Marcia I didn't google spokane but it seems to me its about 3000 feet? If so, cold for a long spell.If you try the window thing you will be nuts by the time you put them out.Better start them Dec 1 and trim them back to four inches when ever they get 6 to 8 inches. When it's time to plant them out they will look pretty skinny and fragile just trim them back and plant them they will get big if you feed,weed,and water well.
I transplant using super phosphate and side dress with ammonia sulphate every two weeks untill the onions start bulbing then stop. Works for me but Dixondale works better good luck. Ernie
Hi I don't have a green house but thought maybe I can start them in the house?
What do you think? I had heard that you start planting in the garden this time but I thought it was turning to cold. Greenacres is a community in Spokane WA. Thank You
Zone 5 A
Marcia I didn't google spokane but it seems to me its about 3000 feet? If so, cold for a long spell.If you try the window thing you will be nuts by the time you put them out.Better start them Dec 1 and trim them back to four inches when ever they get 6 to 8 inches. When it's time to plant them out they will look pretty skinny and fragile just trim them back and plant them they will get big if you feed,weed,and water well.
I transplant using super phosphate and side dress with ammonia sulphate every two weeks untill the onions start bulbing then stop. Works for me but Dixondale works better good luck. Ernie