How To Grow Onions From Sets In Containers

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By: Joseph Masabni

Yellow, white, and red/purple onions grow very well in Texas dwelling house gardens. Green onions may be eaten fresh or chopped and added to salads. Bulb onions may be sliced and used on sandwiches or dipped in concoction and fried every bit onion rings. Although onions are a source of vitamins A and C, they are used more often than not as a flavoring in other food dishes.

Varieties

The varieties of onions that grow best in Texas are listed below.

Site option

Onions grow best in full sunlight and well-tuckered soils.

Soil preparation

Work the garden soil simply when it is dry out enough not to stick to garden tools. Earlier seeding or transplanting, work the soil viii to 10 inches deep.

Remove all rocks and trash from the soil; so break upwards the remaining clods and rake the soil smooth.

Planting

Onions are a cool-season crop and tin stand temperatures well below freezing. They may be planted from seeds, from small bulbs called sets, or from transplants.

Seeding costs the least just takes longer before onions are fix. When seeding onions for bulbs, plant them ¼ inch deep during October through Dec. Place the seeds i inch autonomously. When the plants are most 6 inches high, thin them to one plant every 2 to 3 inches. Eat the extra plants as light-green onions.

If y'all apply sets or transplants, found them ¾ inch deep and 3 inches apart (Fig. 1). Practise not transplant onions more than i inch deep.

Figure i. Plant onion transplants or sets ¾ inch deep and 3 inches apart.

Fertilizing

Onions abound best when the garden soil is fertilized correctly. Spread 2 to 3 pounds of a fertilizer such as ten-10-ten over a 100-square-feet of garden expanse. Measure and spread the fertilizer; then mix it with the acme 3 to iv inches of soil.

Watering

Watering once a week unremarkably is plenty in the jump. But you may need to water more oft during dry, windy weather. Water onions slowly and deeply to help grow strong, good for you roots.

Care during the season

Weeds are easy to pull or cutting when they are 3 to 4 inches alpine. Practice not permit weeds or grasses abound large because they compete with onions for nutrients.

If you use a hoe to remove weeds and grass, do not chop too deeply. You may exist cut the onion roots. Pull all weeds by hand when possible.

When the onion plants have five to 6 leaves, apply fertilizer again to assist grow larger plants and bigger bulbs (Fig. 2). Each leaf forms a band in the onion bulb. More leaves means more rings and larger bulbs.

Use about ½ cup of fertilizer for each x anxiety of onion row. Scatter the fertilizer evenly between the rows. Water the onions after calculation the fertilizer.

Figure 2. When the onions have five to 6 leaves each, scatter fertilizer around the plants and water it in.

Insects

Onions have few insect problems. However, thrips, which are very tiny insects, may be found between the eye leaves.

Many insecticides are bachelor at garden centers for homeowner employ. Sevin is a constructed insecticide; organic options include sulfur and Bt-based insecticides.

Diseases

Diseases may be a trouble on onions. Brown foliage tips or brown spots on the middle and lower parts of leaves may be caused by plant diseases.

Sulfur besides has fungicidal properties and helps control many diseases. Neem oil and other fungicides are besides available for use.

Before using a pesticide, read the product label. Ever follow cautions, warnings, and directions.

Figure 3. Harvest bulb onions when the tops begin to autumn over.

Harvesting

Onions seeded in October/Dec or transplanted in January/February should produce bulbs in May/July.

If used equally greenish onions, they may exist picked from the time they are pencil size until they begin to form bulbs.

For dry-bulb onions, let the plants abound larger. The onions are ready when the main stem begins to get weak and autumn (Fig. 3). Pull the plants out of the soil.

Go out them lying in the garden for 1 to two days to dry out. Then remove the tops and roots and allow them keep drying in baskets or boxes.

Storing

Store onions in a refrigerator crisper or in a dry out, blusterous place such as in a wire net in the garage or carport.

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