I’ve grown onions for many years. I also grow organically I’ve found they need lots of nitrogen and moisture early on. When harvest time arrives moisture always leads to rotting and storage problems. I never intercrop them because they have shallow root systems. You did a great job with your crop I’m impressed. Great video
Watering is fine up until harvest... if it's in ground/drip. The problem is overhead water (rain, sprinkler, spraying with garden hose etc..) the water runs down the leaf and seeps between layers of the bulb, keeping it from drying/curing properly. They get enough water from roots. They dont need a soaking from above.
i think there are deep rooted plants that can pull nitrogen from deep in the ground. i'd rather not used chemicals, even if they are labeled organic. if that's the only way, is the yield even worth it? meaning is the cost of the chemicals worth it? do you get a significant crop worth more than the organic chemicals?
I tend to space them out at 3-4 inches then harvest every other one as green onions. Then the rest can have more space to continue growing into larger bulbs.
One of the best organic sources of nitrogen is a 'weed tea' made from kudzu - the strangler vine that runs rampant and takes over trees/bushes in southern climates. You can also throw it in the compost bin. But for quicker availability, put a big armful of it in a bucket with a lid and let it steep for a few days. Then water your garden with it.
Hi Young Lady well done so far. I am a 84 year old great great Grandfather. I am passing a few tips on to you. first the seed Kelso seed from kelso in Scotland. plant on Boxing day in a tray, transfer to pot when possible. plant in your raised beds and feed with washing soda and sugar. back in the 1950s & 60s mine averaged six pounds each. hope you do all Okay. best of luck. Briddy.
For those of you that have access to cow manure it works miracles. I plant early then find some dried manure crumble it up and spread in the row so all season as it rains it gets a dose of N. I put it on thick some of my Walla Walla's get big as coconuts , softball size is real common.
Hey y'all, this is my first time watching your channel. I was very impressed and enjoyed this video. I did subscribe to the channel. I will be watching all the other videos over the next couple months. I liked all the variables that went into you onion growing and the results you analyzed. I also watched parts of the sweet potato start and harvest videos. You are gardening much the same way I am so I like that. I grew up in Mississippi and now I'm in Minnesota and I have to work hard at getting all the same vegetables in a shorter climate. I am getting there. The one thing about Minnesota you might not think of is that we have 80% plus humidity all summer so okra grows real well here all summer. Thank you for your channel the extra efforts you add to the video to give it the higher end results that do separate them from the regular videos. take care bye for now
This is my second year growing onions and I've reading that I should think of them as a leaf crop that at some point form bulbs. So, this year, I will be sure to grow them like I would a leafy green. Lots of nitrogen
When growing Walla Walla Sweets, when the onion is breaking though the surface you fold the tops over without breaking them off. All the energy is then going into the onion not the top. And the will get huge.
@@marya6549 Ive never heard of purposely bending them over when the bulb starts pushing through the soil. Have to check on that. If the bulbs are formed and you want to harvest all at same time I've heard of bending them so they all dry at same time.
Less shock to the plant. I gave up buying starts as they were usually dried out and never did well. Also the tiny bulbs were bad about bolting due to cold storage or other reasons unknown. Best to start your own.
@@Val-ee4hd hi I’m just trying onions 🧅 for first time this year, I doubt I’ll do very good but I am wondering what does bolting mean? If you don’t mind me asking you.
@@jimmyboy2165 Bolting in Onions is when it puts out a flower stalk. Once the stalk does this I believe it is too late to save the onion but you can get seed from it.
@@jimmyboy2165 to go a little further...... buying sets (bulbs) are notorious for doing this. If an onion bulb / onion is put in cold storage or left in ground over winter it will bloom its second year. Stress can also cause an onion to set seed. Keep them watered well and if cold snap happens after a long warms spell you may want to cover them to reduce the chances of bolting. I personally do not know if covering will help but sure wont hurt.
Milorganite is byproduct of the microbes that digest organic materials from sewage treatment plants. Besides the ickiness of it's source, it can also contain levels of the ‘forever chemicals' class of polyfluoroalkyl compounds that break down slowly in the environment and may have potential health impacts on human health. It may not be as big a deal if it wasn't a root crop, but I think I would look for another source of nitrogen. Great video otherwise!
It is also important to note that sewage sludge is not just residential sewage, but also industrial chemical runoff. I would definitely cease it's use and probably would try to remediate that soil with a crop that will uptake toxins and could then be disposed of.
Impressed! I want to compliment you that when you do something you go all out. Very thorough.. Great job. Great presentation...you're good! Many Thanks for all the time put into this project.
@@thebeginnersgarden Replant all types of onion root bottoms and regrow the onions! Works with bulb and green onions. Never throw the bottoms away again! In fact I've regrown celery, carrot tops (for seeds), cabbage, onions, you name it! If it had a root before...it will grow roots again!!!🙋🏼♀️ Just put it back in the dirt.
Starting from seed will reduce the risk of bolting because they have no dormant period from seed start to bulb. Even the bought transplants have a forced dormant period. Sets are the worst for bolting.
Those are some really nice onions. Thank you for showing the map of the day length. I was always told we were intermediate day when actually long day. Got to switch seed.
It's nice to find this information from someone in my area & climate. I've had great years with onions & some not so good. Good luck this year to us both I'm keeping my fingers 🤞.
About the onions grown in a competitive reddish environment, did you try to check on the taste and flavour. The "smaller" bulbs in my experience have tougher kick in the mouth and a strong flavour to them whenever I compared them with the larger bulbs. Greatest harvest and experimental .
Hi Jill, I grow my onions in 28 inch high raised beds only and use the permaculture method utilising my compost with black A grade soil and mushroom growing material. I have had a great success with white (no genus name) and brown (Gladalan Brown) onions and the only extra fertiliser is a seaweed liquid watered down applied every 2 weeks. I live in Australia with a good temperate climate and the veggies I grow are mainly 'local' heritage varieties. I now grow my own spring onions and replant the roots to grow again and again. I have left a couple to go to seed so I can collect them for later use and I do that with my white and brown onions as well. I have just started my seeds as I build two new 'Birdies' raised beds so they will be the first harvest in one of them. PS Love your vids!!
I find that onions are not easy to grow. I search for videos all the time. Thanks for sharing your method. I just ordered the Milogranite and will give it a try. God bless your garden.
I grow decent onions every year, some years very large, but I have had rot before harvest. This year I planted Vidalia onions in a RAISED bed and they are still growing, but will be the best I've ever grown. I'm building three more RAISED beds. I'm sold and besides I don't have to struggle to get up after harvesting them. LOL
I am so glad you confirmed what was my conclusion on Milorganite! Last year there were bags of it outside local hardware store and I was reading the bag to see what was in it. Something I read gave me that same conclusion you have that it comes from sewage. I figured the local store probably knows what works for our area, but was reluctant to purchase. I think it's for the lawn. Thanks again!!
@@lonewolftech just because they are Amish doesn't mean it's gospel. I've known some in the past. I still say it's intended for non edible plants. I'm sure that it will make things grow, I just prefer not with human sewage.
@@dustyflats3832 Its not actually composted human poop, etc. They have microbes that eat the sewage. Then as those microbes die they are composted and turned in the fertilizer.
I harvest onions every year here in Vermont.long day of course. I experimented on storage.after drying I would put them in my cool dark basement for a month then put them in a small refrigerator at 45 degrees f. I can store them for 8 months. I just used my last one
Very good vid! I shared your excitement with your great onion harvest! I still remember my first good onion harvest. mother nature has a big part in a good onion year....
I use the lawn mower to bag leaves, and lay the leaves maybe six inches thick to control leaves and hold moisture. This year I'm going to water more and add chicken waste to the soil before planting.
Plant them half as far apart and thin, every second one when they are big enough for picking Works a treat for me I too am 100 percent organic gardening
Excellent video Jill and congratulations for your wonderful onion harvest. May GOD Bless you and your family with continued abundant onion harvest. I plan to implement your organic growing tips.
I normally eat a whole onion per meal. Diced ,sliced sautéed in butter or fresh in salsa. First time planting bulbs this year after watching this I know there's going to be problems
When your onions bolt, just cut off the “scape” just like you would for hardneck garlic. You’ll find that you’ll save the lions share of your onions that will go on to make nice big bulbs. Another nice source of organic nitrogen is blood meal. BTW - onion scapes are delicious!
People, people, people! It's simple, blood meal, bone meal, compost - leaf rich, for Potash - ground oyster shell and rock powder - like Azomite. Stop opening bags of Miracle powders! For 1000s of years wise gardeners fed their soil. Now we're so 'evolved' we omit the entirety of soil biology and attempt to feed the plants directly. We want big over nutritious, at the cost of our soil health.
This year I tried Patterson, a long day onion, that a friend in NWAR (Becky @theseasonalhomestead) recommended. It did well for me in central Arkansas so it might be one to consider in northern AR.
Your doing a wonderful job, You have a wonderful garden. If you wake up every morning and believe that you are growing SOIL, then I believe you are on the right track for everything as mother nature would have it. You do many experiments, maybe it is time for you to experiment with Bokashi. Just a thought.
fertilize while they are leafing out with a 46-0-0 and once they put out as many leaves as possible, and then use a fertilizer high in potash. Use the proper onion like say an intermediate onion and not a short day onion for you area!
Planting on the edge in that one bed with drip line @11:45 ........ I doubt they got enough water. Too far from the drip line. Nitrogen gets your leaves. Leaves become rings of the onion. The more leaves you can get the bigger the onion. Nitrogen first then at solstice put the phosphorus or bone meal on for the bulbs. With bone meal start off putting some in before you plant so will be there when needed. Takes time to break down for the plant to take up.
What part of Arkansas? I'm in central NC where we've traditionally been zone 7b but now I think we're more 8a. I buy sets from Dixondale Farms. They're wonderful and I decided to get only short day onions this time. It sounds like our springs are similar so I'll follow your clever tips to keep the soil cool :) And good discussion about giving them the space and nutrients they need. I had the same results trying to companion plant with them - maybe you saved me for this year! Thank you. And I'll be looking forward to a video on storage this fall :)
Wonderful harvest, raised beds did better perhaps the soil was more fluffy than the ground bed. Onions like a looser soil. Stop feeding once the bulbs develop that may stop the bolting, though weather plays a big part too.😀🇦🇺
My parents always had us cut that flower stem off and let the onion grow more. And it worked for them. Now I am in the same situation as you in that I can't seem to get the big bulb onions I want.
@@thebeginnersgarden They are. Try Expression variety. They are an intermediate zone, sweet, very large onion. We grow all of our own indoors from seed then plant them out when soil temps reach 45+ degrees, with great success. You're correct, nitrogen grows the leaves, leaves grow the bulbs. You want to stay organic, try Blood Meal for your nitrogen source, an experiment, it works, it's what we use, and it's not powdered sludge. Based on your harvest, for a newbie, you're doing great. TYFS Oh, we use only Johnny's and pelleted seed for our onions. Good Luck
I have a question. If you use the chicken manure to your organic garden, do you have to feed the chickens organic feed? I love your dedication to growing organic vegetables.
I've been trying to get a lot of info about growing onions, but I haven't seen ANYONE mention how deep they grow! My "garden" is in containers, so if they are actually quite shallow, a full size bucket would be a waste of soil! I have some planting "troughs" that are about 5-6 inches deep that might work well if they stay shallow.
I noticed in your videos that the floor or ground in bed area are weed free,,is that hay or what on the ground,,thanks for all the good info,,im 65 and a long time gardener and i learn new ideas all the time from you,,,,Thanks,,
They are sweet onions like Vidalia onions, most probably. I prefer onions with flavor, rather than these. Yellow onions are very good. Long keepers are the best so that most likely are small to mid sized.
I wonder if it would be worthwhile to plant lupins or some other N fixing plant either along with the onions or perhaps a bit before planting the onions. Perhaps alternate rows and then dig in or chop and leave the lupins after the onions are harvested. Must try it next year.
Great job! Thanks for the information. I’ve had problems getting my onions to get some size also. Fyi, you really should make the cameraman put the camera on a tripod and help lug that heavy load! 🤣
Milorganite is made from sewage from the Milwaukee Wisconsin sewage treatment plant. It is NOT recommended for gardens. It is recommended for LAWNS. Do you eat your grass?
My thought was that onions are bi-annual and if you plant bulbs you get flowers, but plants from seed should not flower? I do know that there are short, neutral and long day onions and you need to have the right one for your growing latitude. It is important to give them plenty of nitrogen and water up to the summer solstice. You want as much top growth as you can up to that point, then to back off nitrogen. Each green stalk is a layer of onion, so it makes sense to get as much green as possible. The bulbs should be forming at that point. I am concentrating on growing them this year. One of the problems I have is accidentally bending them over with hose, ect. Oh, another post here confirmed to me what I thought about Milorganite that it is from sewage, I believe it's intended for lawns.
so if you dont want flowers , start your onions from seeds Always!!, there is no way they will flower year one because they flower year two!!! starts are cold stored and some think when you plant its year two . and two use nitrogen , urea fertilizer is not going to hurt your soil. for readers onions arnt roots they dont need big potash, they need nitrogen big leaves = big bulbs by august start trimming leaves so they dont fall over and break the neck
Put worms in your onion garden. The best and biggest onions I have tasted the man said he grows them in a worm bed. He uses the worms for fishing but found it is a great place to grow onions. I planted my tomatoes in an area that had a lot of worms and had a massive harvest last year (2022).
Organic nitrogen, found in chicken poop 💩 or fresh grass clippings put right into the soil, chicken poop best sun dried then crush into powder side dress using sparingly until you find the perfect amount 🗡️ Thanks for sharing Princess 🌹🌹
I’ve grown onions for many years. I also grow organically I’ve found they need lots of nitrogen and moisture early on. When harvest time arrives moisture always leads to rotting and storage problems. I never intercrop them because they have shallow root systems. You did a great job with your crop I’m impressed. Great video
When should one stop watering the onions then?
Watering is fine up until harvest... if it's in ground/drip.
The problem is overhead water (rain, sprinkler, spraying with garden hose etc..) the water runs down the leaf and seeps between layers of the bulb, keeping it from drying/curing properly.
They get enough water from roots. They dont need a soaking from above.
i think there are deep rooted plants that can pull nitrogen from deep in the ground. i'd rather not used chemicals, even if they are labeled organic. if that's the only way, is the yield even worth it? meaning is the cost of the chemicals worth it? do you get a significant crop worth more than the organic chemicals?
@@BobRooney290 plants don't pull nitrogen from the ground. They pull it from the atmosphere (78%nitrogen in the air we breathe).
I've found that one of the most important things for big onions is space. At a minimum, 6" apart. 8' better.
I tend to space them out at 3-4 inches then harvest every other one as green onions. Then the rest can have more space to continue growing into larger bulbs.
Beautiful onion harvest! I learned from this that I need to add fresh compost to my garden more frequently. Thank you!
One of the best organic sources of nitrogen is a 'weed tea' made from kudzu - the strangler vine that runs rampant and takes over trees/bushes in southern climates. You can also throw it in the compost bin. But for quicker availability, put a big armful of it in a bucket with a lid and let it steep for a few days. Then water your garden with it.
Onion is biennial, that's why when planting from sets it goes to seeds because you are planting a year old onion.
Hi Young Lady well done so far. I am a 84 year old great great Grandfather. I am passing a few tips on to you. first the seed Kelso seed from kelso in Scotland. plant on Boxing day in a tray, transfer to pot when possible. plant in your raised beds and feed with washing soda and sugar. back in the 1950s & 60s mine averaged six pounds each. hope you do all Okay. best of luck. Briddy.
What do you mean? Mix baking soda na d suger and give it to onions?
@@Mikkaray014washing soda and baking soda are entirely different.
For those of you that have access to cow manure it works miracles. I plant early then find some dried manure crumble it up and spread in the row so all season as it rains it gets a dose of N. I put it on thick some of my Walla Walla's get big as coconuts , softball size is real common.
Hey y'all, this is my first time watching your channel. I was very impressed and enjoyed this video. I did subscribe to the channel. I will be watching all the other videos over the next couple months. I liked all the variables that went into you onion growing and the results you analyzed. I also watched parts of the sweet potato start and harvest videos. You are gardening much the same way I am so I like that.
I grew up in Mississippi and now I'm in Minnesota and I have to work hard at getting all the same vegetables in a shorter climate. I am getting there. The one thing about Minnesota you might not think of is that we have 80% plus humidity all summer so okra grows real well here all summer. Thank you for your channel the extra efforts you add to the video to give it the higher end results that do separate them from the regular videos. take care bye for now
Preach it, girl! I am in the same boat as I can't get my onions to grow to the proper size either. I am SO hear for this vid!!
This is my second year growing onions and I've reading that I should think of them as a leaf crop that at some point form bulbs. So, this year, I will be sure to grow them like I would a leafy green. Lots of nitrogen
When growing Walla Walla Sweets, when the onion is breaking though the surface you fold the tops over without breaking them off. All the energy is then going into the onion not the top. And the will get huge.
I thought once an onion bends over its done because each green leaf is a layer to the onion?
I thought when leaves yellow and bend over showed they were ready to harvest. Not bending green ones?
@@marya6549 Ive never heard of purposely bending them over when the bulb starts pushing through the soil. Have to check on that. If the bulbs are formed and you want to harvest all at same time I've heard of bending them so they all dry at same time.
Growing from seed does seem to reduce bolting compared to using sets. Great crop.
Less shock to the plant. I gave up buying starts as they were usually dried out and never did well. Also the tiny bulbs were bad about bolting due to cold storage or other reasons unknown. Best to start your own.
@@Val-ee4hd hi I’m just trying onions 🧅 for first time this year, I doubt I’ll do very good but I am wondering what does bolting mean? If you don’t mind me asking you.
@@jimmyboy2165 Bolting in Onions is when it puts out a flower stalk. Once the stalk does this I believe it is too late to save the onion but you can get seed from it.
@@jimmyboy2165 to go a little further...... buying sets (bulbs) are notorious for doing this. If an onion bulb / onion is put in cold storage or left in ground over winter it will bloom its second year. Stress can also cause an onion to set seed. Keep them watered well and if cold snap happens after a long warms spell you may want to cover them to reduce the chances of bolting. I personally do not know if covering will help but sure wont hurt.
Thank you I really do appreciate you answering me.
Milorganite is byproduct of the microbes that digest organic materials from sewage treatment plants. Besides the ickiness of it's source, it can also contain levels of the ‘forever chemicals' class of polyfluoroalkyl compounds that break down slowly in the environment and may have potential health impacts on human health. It may not be as big a deal if it wasn't a root crop, but I think I would look for another source of nitrogen. Great video otherwise!
Yes. Lead is the biggest problem with Milorganite.
I'm not familiar with Milorganite. I planned to use blood meal. Do you have an opinion on that product as an organic nitrogen source?
@@rolandpinette9946 Use as instructed, as it can burn plants if you add too much.
What has an impact on human health. Is being poisoned from water to geoengineering to GM foodstuff & the Prussian mimicry system.
It is also important to note that sewage sludge is not just residential sewage, but also industrial chemical runoff. I would definitely cease it's use and probably would try to remediate that soil with a crop that will uptake toxins and could then be disposed of.
Impressed! I want to compliment you that when you do something you go all out. Very thorough.. Great job. Great presentation...you're good! Many Thanks for all the time put into this project.
Thank you, Jim!
@@thebeginnersgarden
Replant all types of onion root bottoms and regrow the onions! Works with bulb and green onions. Never throw the bottoms away again!
In fact I've regrown celery, carrot tops (for seeds), cabbage, onions, you name it! If it had a root before...it will grow roots again!!!🙋🏼♀️
Just put it back in the dirt.
Starting from seed will reduce the risk of bolting because they have no dormant period from seed start to bulb. Even the bought transplants have a forced dormant period. Sets are the worst for bolting.
Those are some really nice onions. Thank you for showing the map of the day length. I was always told we were intermediate day when actually long day. Got to switch seed.
Hallelujah finally a video without Music, I could actually hear the speaker !!
It's nice to find this information from someone in my area & climate. I've had great years with onions & some not so good. Good luck this year to us both I'm keeping my fingers 🤞.
Very nice harvest! I am going to plant onions this fall for the first time....can't wait! Keep up the awesome podcast and videos, you rock!
About the onions grown in a competitive reddish environment, did you try to check on the taste and flavour. The "smaller" bulbs in my experience have tougher kick in the mouth and a strong flavour to them whenever I compared them with the larger bulbs. Greatest harvest and experimental .
Wow, I had watched already 5-6 videos about growing onions and I feel like your single video has so much new information. Thank you!
Hi Jill, I grow my onions in 28 inch high raised beds only and use the permaculture method utilising my compost with black A grade soil and mushroom growing material. I have had a great success with white (no genus name) and brown (Gladalan Brown) onions and the only extra fertiliser is a seaweed liquid watered down applied every 2 weeks.
I live in Australia with a good temperate climate and the veggies I grow are mainly 'local' heritage varieties. I now grow my own spring onions and replant the roots to grow again and again. I have left a couple to go to seed so I can collect them for later use and I do that with my white and brown onions as well.
I have just started my seeds as I build two new 'Birdies' raised beds so they will be the first harvest in one of them.
PS Love your vids!!
I find that onions are not easy to grow. I search for videos all the time. Thanks for sharing your method. I just ordered the Milogranite and will give it a try. God bless your garden.
Such great information, and very well delivered. Thank you, I am also on an onion quest and I m taking your advice to heart!
I grow decent onions every year, some years very large, but I have had rot before harvest. This year I planted Vidalia onions in a RAISED bed and they are still growing, but will be the best I've ever grown. I'm building three more RAISED beds. I'm sold and besides I don't have to struggle to get up after harvesting them. LOL
Milorganite was originally discouraged from use on vegetables. It is made from city sewage sources...
I am so glad you confirmed what was my conclusion on Milorganite! Last year there were bags of it outside local hardware store and I was reading the bag to see what was in it. Something I read gave me that same conclusion you have that it comes from sewage. I figured the local store probably knows what works for our area, but was reluctant to purchase. I think it's for the lawn. Thanks again!!
@@dustyflats3832 Yep....the "Mil" in Milorganite is for Milwaukee, which is the origin.
That Amish and Mennonite use it here and they have some massive vegetables and huge harvests
@@lonewolftech just because they are Amish doesn't mean it's gospel. I've known some in the past. I still say it's intended for non edible plants. I'm sure that it will make things grow, I just prefer not with human sewage.
@@dustyflats3832 Its not actually composted human poop, etc. They have microbes that eat the sewage. Then as those microbes die they are composted and turned in the fertilizer.
Those little flowers have a great onion taste. We grew onions last year and a couple went to seed. I ate the flowers off another couple.
I harvest onions every year here in Vermont.long day of course. I experimented on storage.after drying I would put them in my cool dark basement for a month then put them in a small refrigerator at 45 degrees f. I can store them for 8 months. I just used my last one
Interesting! Thank you!
You were determined and succeeded. I should try middle day.
Very good vid! I shared your excitement with your great onion harvest! I still remember my first good onion harvest. mother nature has a big part in a good onion year....
I use the lawn mower to bag leaves, and lay the leaves maybe six inches thick to control leaves and hold moisture. This year I'm going to water more and add chicken waste to the soil before planting.
Plant them half as far apart and thin, every second one when they are big enough for picking
Works a treat for me
I too am 100 percent organic gardening
Try companion planting - plant basil & tomatoes
A great video and comparison about raised beds and in ground...they certainly were beautiful..our daily foods onions and garlic...lol
One of the best videos I've ever seen . Love the huge good information about them , even I live in Ireland.
How dehydrate and freeze onions to make last would make a good video. Especially by beautiful you
Great job! I'm super excited to grow onions this spring here in ohio.
Excellent video Jill and congratulations for your wonderful onion harvest. May GOD Bless you and your family with continued abundant onion harvest. I plan to implement your organic growing tips.
I loved your experiment but above all your very clear explanations. Thanks I will follow you 😊😊😊
when i was a grounds worker @ a college (20 yrs), we used milorgaite only in beds or meadows. told not to use for any food crops
Wow, wow, wow! Good job!
I normally eat a whole onion per meal. Diced ,sliced sautéed in butter or fresh in salsa. First time planting bulbs this year after watching this I know there's going to be problems
When your onions bolt, just cut off the “scape” just like you would for hardneck garlic. You’ll find that you’ll save the lions share of your onions that will go on to make nice big bulbs. Another nice source of organic nitrogen is blood meal. BTW - onion scapes are delicious!
I would like to see someone do a cooking show with these onions and get an opinion about their flavor an suitability for cooking.
I absolutely love your onion sweet potato combo idea! I'm really looking forward to trying it.
Wow! Those are some nice, huge onions. I'd say you had great success!
Thanks for sharing your tips!
People, people, people! It's simple, blood meal, bone meal, compost - leaf rich, for Potash - ground oyster shell and rock powder - like Azomite. Stop opening bags of Miracle powders!
For 1000s of years wise gardeners fed their soil. Now we're so 'evolved' we omit the entirety of soil biology and attempt to feed the plants directly. We want big over nutritious, at the cost of our soil health.
I will add that with putting chicken manure directly on you will want to be careful that its not touching the stem of your plant.
Good for you !!! We are in north central Arkansas, hope I can get your results !
This year I tried Patterson, a long day onion, that a friend in NWAR (Becky @theseasonalhomestead) recommended. It did well for me in central Arkansas so it might be one to consider in northern AR.
Beautiful onions, great job, I will use some of your tips this year.
Grate job on your raised beds.grate onions
Your doing a wonderful job, You have a wonderful garden. If you wake up every morning and believe that you are growing SOIL, then I believe you are on the right track for everything as mother nature would have it. You do many experiments, maybe it is time for you to experiment with Bokashi. Just a thought.
I planted onion sets last year and they didn't do well at all, it was kind of sad. Thanks for posting.
Great video. Those small onions would be great size for pickling. Blessings.
fertilize while they are leafing out with a 46-0-0 and once they put out as many leaves as possible, and then use a fertilizer high in potash. Use the proper onion like say an intermediate onion and not a short day onion for you area!
Planting on the edge in that one bed with drip line @11:45 ........ I doubt they got enough water. Too far from the drip line. Nitrogen gets your leaves. Leaves become rings of the onion. The more leaves you can get the bigger the onion. Nitrogen first then at solstice put the phosphorus or bone meal on for the bulbs. With bone meal start off putting some in before you plant so will be there when needed. Takes time to break down for the plant to take up.
Thank you for your presentation!
Well, I prefer small onions sinces one might be to big for meal. But everyone is different. By the. Nice onions you got!
What part of Arkansas? I'm in central NC where we've traditionally been zone 7b but now I think we're more 8a. I buy sets from Dixondale Farms. They're wonderful and I decided to get only short day onions this time. It sounds like our springs are similar so I'll follow your clever tips to keep the soil cool :) And good discussion about giving them the space and nutrients they need. I had the same results trying to companion plant with them - maybe you saved me for this year! Thank you. And I'll be looking forward to a video on storage this fall :)
Lovely garden tks for the tips I will try it stay in South Africa Newcastle
Wonderful harvest, raised beds did better perhaps the soil was more fluffy than the ground bed.
Onions like a looser soil.
Stop feeding once the bulbs develop that may stop the bolting, though weather plays a big part too.😀🇦🇺
Wow! I love organic gardners.
Wow you have nice bulbs
My parents always had us cut that flower stem off and let the onion grow more. And it worked for them. Now I am in the same situation as you in that I can't seem to get the big bulb onions I want.
Next year, Jill, Also, try the Walla Walla onions. These are also very sweet. You will probably have to order these.
I believe those are long-day onions, so they wouldn't bulb in my southern area, most likely.
@@thebeginnersgarden They are. Try Expression
variety. They are an intermediate zone, sweet, very large onion.
We grow all of our own indoors from seed then plant them out
when soil temps reach 45+ degrees, with great success.
You're correct, nitrogen grows the leaves, leaves grow the bulbs.
You want to stay organic, try Blood Meal for your nitrogen source,
an experiment, it works, it's what we use, and it's not powdered
sludge. Based on your harvest, for a newbie, you're doing great.
TYFS
Oh, we use only Johnny's and pelleted seed for our onions.
Good Luck
Your first problem is that Onions need very little Nitrogen and a lot more Phosphorus as they form bulbs
How about using comfrey for nitrogen? Will that work?
Yes! Especially if you keep it soaking in a bucket with a little leaf mold for months to years. Just keep refilling the water.
I have a question. If you use the chicken manure to your organic garden, do you have to feed the chickens organic feed?
I love your dedication to growing organic vegetables.
I've been trying to get a lot of info about growing onions, but I haven't seen ANYONE mention how deep they grow! My "garden" is in containers, so if they are actually quite shallow, a full size bucket would be a waste of soil! I have some planting "troughs" that are about 5-6 inches deep that might work well if they stay shallow.
I’m sure it would, just make sure they stay well-watered. Shallow beds dry out faster.
Dang, you definitely did grow some big bulbs. Wished I had your green thumb.
I noticed in your videos that the floor or ground in bed area are weed free,,is that hay or what on the ground,,thanks for all the good info,,im 65 and a long time gardener and i learn new ideas all the time from you,,,,Thanks,,
cut the tops off so they don't fall over would help also if the top stays upright they keep growing bigger
Good content. I really need to get going on this stuff.
They are sweet onions like Vidalia onions, most probably. I prefer onions with flavor, rather than these. Yellow onions are very good. Long keepers are the best so that most likely are small to mid sized.
I wonder if it would be worthwhile to plant lupins or some other N fixing plant either along with the onions or perhaps a bit before planting the onions. Perhaps alternate rows and then dig in or chop and leave the lupins after the onions are harvested. Must try it next year.
Thank you so much for the video and content! Love your channel
Great job! Thanks for the information. I’ve had problems getting my onions to get some size also. Fyi, you really should make the cameraman put the camera on a tripod and help lug that heavy load! 🤣
Haha! Off-camera she most definitely did! :)
Milorganite is made from sewage from the Milwaukee Wisconsin sewage treatment plant. It is NOT recommended for gardens. It is recommended for LAWNS. Do you eat your grass?
So if you take your grass clippings as much as you can put it into a few people strain it out and have water high enough
Excellent tips
The onions you posted on the edge of the bed also dried out continually. The edge stays dried out.
Try pickling some, they are amazing!
My thought was that onions are bi-annual and if you plant bulbs you get flowers, but plants from seed should not flower?
I do know that there are short, neutral and long day onions and you need to have the right one for your growing latitude. It is important to give them plenty of nitrogen and water up to the summer solstice. You want as much top growth as you can up to that point, then to back off nitrogen. Each green stalk is a layer of onion, so it makes sense to get as much green as possible. The bulbs should be forming at that point. I am concentrating on growing them this year. One of the problems I have is accidentally bending them over with hose, ect.
Oh, another post here confirmed to me what I thought about Milorganite that it is from sewage, I believe it's intended for lawns.
Thanks for the video !! You've provided great info. Can you share how well your sweet potatoes grew when planted next to the onions ??
They did great! The timing worked out in my climate because I harvested the onions before the sweet potatoes took off.
Great video and thanks for sharing.
My onions never grow. I'll try your way. Thanks!
Use worm castings instead of that toxic stuff.
Peanut shells have lots of nitrogen helps😊
so if you dont want flowers , start your onions from seeds Always!!, there is no way they will flower year one because they flower year two!!! starts are cold stored and some think when you plant its year two . and two use nitrogen , urea fertilizer is not going to hurt your soil. for readers onions arnt roots they dont need big potash, they need nitrogen big leaves = big bulbs by august start trimming leaves so they dont fall over and break the neck
Wonderful video, thanks!
Put worms in your onion garden. The best and biggest onions I have tasted the man said he grows them in a worm bed. He uses the worms for fishing but found it is a great place to grow onions. I planted my tomatoes in an area that had a lot of worms and had a massive harvest last year (2022).
Excellent way to grow, thanks for sharing. 🙂
Organic nitrogen, found in chicken poop 💩 or fresh grass clippings put right into the soil, chicken poop best sun dried then crush into powder side dress using sparingly until you find the perfect amount 🗡️ Thanks for sharing Princess 🌹🌹
Onion grove very well nice
Research cutting your tops so there is only about 6 inches every time the get long. Cutting the tops sends more nutrients to your bulbs.
"Small" 12:30 is a great harvest to ME. :D
thank you so much for the tips
Soot, like the stuff chimney sweeps dump. The onions are monstrous. BUT.....Coal soot is bad for you. Someone told me this years ago about soot.
Thanks for sharing.
Good information!