Yesterday I planted my first packet of seeds for the 2013 growing season. Yellow Granex Onion. This is a new variety for me so I’m pretty excited.
Brief description: The Yellow Granex Onion is mild, sweet, and great for storing {also known as Vidalia Onion}. If you are from Washington State, and like Walla Walla Sweet onions, my dad told me these taste just like them.
Where to Plant Onions: They thrive in warmer climates with 12 hours of sunlight. Onions can be sown directly outside starting in late fall for a late spring harvest. Or started indoors in early January {like I’m doing} and transplanted outside in early spring when the weather warms up. Onions do well in a sunny location/raised beds/or even a greenhouse.
Planting Seeds: Plant seeds 1/4″ to 1/2″ deep, with 2 seeds every 4 inches apart.
Growing Tips: Water throughout growing season, including winter. Onions can withstand a freeze if they are sufficiently hydrated.
How to Harvest: Harvest when their necks feel soft and/or the tops have fallen over. When 50% of the tops have fallen over and are lying on the ground, go ninja and knock the rest over. Then about a week or two later when much of the foliage has dried, carefully dig the onions out and dry them in the garden in the sun for a couple of days.
After drying, remove the roots, clip the stems so you are leaving about 1″ of the neck.
Have you ever thought about storing your onions in pantyhose? All the cool people are doing it! Go HERE to learn how.
Favorite Recipes with Onions -
French Onion Soup – Perfect for chilly winter nights.
Favorite recipes with onions
Rainbow Salsa – Homemade salsa is the best stuff on earth.
Will YOU be growing onions this year? Do you have a favorite variety? Do tell!
~Mavis
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Vidalia Onions are my favorite, they go good with anything. But that’s just my personal opinion. My sister is planning raised bed gardening this year, also vertical (with pallets) and I’m hoping she puts in some onion. Will let you know how the vertical gardens go, not sure what she’s putting in but that’s going to be fun to watch! By the way, I’m in NE Ohio so it will be a challenge…sneeze and the weather changes.
You know, I was talking with my dad (from MI) just a couple days ago about vidalias. He went on about eating them like apples. I told him about Walla Wallas (my husband is from WA) and my dad couldn’t believe that Walla Wallas were anything but some special name given to vidalias. Know anything?
Vidalia onions are from Georgia (Vidalia, GA). They are much like Walla Wallas. They are great. Some folks in the south eat them Vadalias like apples.
LOVE these posts about gardening in real time, when you’re planting (indoors and out), and this start to finish post. Thank you so much!! Your hard work inspires me and I’m working along with you here in the Portland area.
Thanks Diane.
The cheap shop lights with good old regular fluorescent bulbs hung about an inch away from seedlings after they sprout work so awesome! They don’t use much electricity.
Did you start them under your grow lights?
I actually got FREE onion bulbs using the zombie mulch coupons a few months back . Although the packaging says plant in the fall I think I might take a shot at planting them this weekend in the garden beds.
What do you think? Should I try it or just buy seeds?
Here is our current update on our garden adventure as well:
http://bakinginsunshine.blogspot.com/2013/01/make-do-or-do-without.html
Egyptian Walking Onions. The only Perennial onion I know of…you should check it out.