Growing Greenup Growing Your Own - A Beginner’s Guide to Gardening

Growing Greenup

Growing Your Own -

A Beginner’s Guide to Gardening

Anne Stephens

For The Ashland Beacon

Onions

Onions are a popular garden vegetable used in countless recipes. They are planted early in spring and harvested in mid to late summer.

Types

Onions can be divided into three types. Green onions grow close together in bunches but do not form a big bulb. They are mainly used for their green tops and are also called scallions. Dry or globe onions grow medium-sized, dense bulbs with a stronger flavor. They can be stored for many months. Sweet onion types also have bulbs, but they do not store for very long. They are best eaten within a month or two of harvest. Onions can be white, yellow, or red (may appear purple).

Varieties

These recommended varieties grow well in Kentucky:

Green (Bunching)

• Evergreen White Bunching

• Parade

• Ishikura

Sweet

• Candy (yellow)

• Cabernet (red)

• Red Candy Apple (red)

• Sierra Blanca (white)

Dry (Storage)

• Patterson (yellow)

• Red Bull (red)

• Super Star (white)

Bulb Onion Planting

Please contact your local Extension Office for a print copy of the bulb planting chart that is specific to your area of the state and information about day length, how much to plant, how and when to plant, transplants, and sets.

Pests and disease

Onions are not bothered by many pests. If you notice your plants are not growing well or see little worms in the bulb or stalk, you may have onion root maggots. If you notice tiny, speckled holes or twisted leaves, you may have thrips. Please see the UK Cooperative Extension publication Home Vegetable Gardening in Kentucky (ID-128) at https://publications.ca.uky.edu/id-128 or contact your Extension agent for information on dealing with pests.

Harvesting

To harvest green onions, cut some of the tops as needed and allow the rest of the plant to continue growing for repeated harvests. Alternatively, you can harvest the plants completely by pulling them out of the ground when the tops are at least six inches high.

You can pull up and cook a fresh bulb onion whenever it looks big enough to use.

To harvest for storage, carefully pull bulb onions when about two-thirds of the tops have fallen over. Handle onions gently. Bruised onions do not keep well. Tops can be left on or cut off.

Onions need to cure (dry) before storage. You can fold the tops over the bulbs and leave them out to cure in place. Or you can cure onions inside away from direct sunlight. Spread them out on a screen or table or braid the tops together and hang small bunches to dry. Curing takes a few days or a few weeks, depending on the weather. The onions are cured when the skin, roots, and leaves turn dry and brown. To test to see if it is dried, cut the leaves an inch above the bulb. If there is no green, they are fully cured.

Storing bulb onions

Keep any soft, bruised, or thick-necked onions separate and use them first.

Remove all but three-quarters of an inch of the tops. Put onions in mesh bags, wooden crates with slatted sides, or other slatted storage that gives good airflow. Onions will not store well in the refrigerator. Braided onions can be stored hanging. Store in a cool, dark place. Sweet onions can keep for a couple months. Storage onion types can keep until the next summer. Regularly check onions and remove soft onions to use.

Once cut, an onion will keep for a few days in the refrigerator. Onions can also be cut up and frozen with no further preparation, to be used in soups or other cooked dishes.

Serving

Onions are a great source of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. They contain chemicals that help fight many chronic diseases like cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. In addition to their health benefits, onions are the base of many recipes in almost every cuisine around the world. Onions can be eaten raw, cooked, grilled, pickled, and powdered. They are used in soups, salads, sauces, and relishes. Onions can be stuffed, roasted, boiled, fried, or sauteed.

To use bulb onions, remove the outer skin. To minimize stinging eyes while cutting onions, try chilling the onions first. You can also try slicing off the top and removing the outer layers without cutting through the roots. (The root end has the most chemicals that make your eyes water.)

To use green onions, peel off any dry outer layers and yellowed leaves. Cut off the roots and tops of the leaves. Cut and use the leaves and white parts either fresh or cooked.

Authors: Erika Olsen, Extension Associate Rick Durham, Extension Consumer Horticulture Specialist Rachel Rudolph, Extension Vegetable Specialist Contributors Jann Knappage, Food System Specialist Rita May, Senior Extension Associate Michele West, Marketing and Media Specialist Bethany Pratt, Food System Specialist

If all of this is more than you want to do yourself, just shop at the Greenup County Farmers Market! You’ll find wonderfully locally grown onions that will make you want to add them to every recipe. Opening day is May 10. Many of the vendors have high tunnels which makes them able to have early produce. Come and see for yourself!

For more information, contact Anne Stephens, Agent for Community Arts and Development in Greenup County. 606.836.0201 anne.stephens@uky.edu 35 Wurtland Avenue, Wurtland, KY 41144 The Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment is an Equal Opportunity Organization with respect to education and employment and authorization to provide research, education information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function without regard to economic or social status and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, creed, religion, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, marital status, genetic information, age, veteran status, physical or mental disability or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.  University of Kentucky, Kentucky State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Kentucky counties, cooperating.