I had planned to wait until the first week of March to start planting potatoes and onions, but last weekend the forecast was for a week of rain. After months of drought, I couldn't pass up the chance to get my onions planted in time to take advantage of the moisture.
I bought three different colors of sets. If I grew my own starts from seed, I would have a wide choice of varieties, but locally it's just red, white and yellow--no varietal name. Onion starts are available as sets, which are small onions grown last year, and transplants, which are small green onions grown from seed and sold in bundles. Transplants are more sensitive to frost, so I will plant them later.
I started by raking back the mulch. I wanted a row about two feet wide, so I could plant three furrows of onions in one wide row. Wide row gardening is similar to growing in beds. This row is along the east fence, with room on both sides for me to walk.
Onions need a rich soil, so I started by applying two inches of good compost.
I bought three different colors of sets. If I grew my own starts from seed, I would have a wide choice of varieties, but locally it's just red, white and yellow--no varietal name. Onion starts are available as sets, which are small onions grown last year, and transplants, which are small green onions grown from seed and sold in bundles. Transplants are more sensitive to frost, so I will plant them later.
I started by raking back the mulch. I wanted a row about two feet wide, so I could plant three furrows of onions in one wide row. Wide row gardening is similar to growing in beds. This row is along the east fence, with room on both sides for me to walk.
I used the corner of a hoe to make three shallow furrows, then added a good plant food to the soil.
Nature's Care is a 3-4-2 fertilizer that breaks down slowly, releasing nutrients and beneficial microbes over several weeks time. After the onions break the surface and have tops several inches tall, I will give them a good feeding with diluted fish emulsion, which is 5-1-1.
Onion sets should be planted about two inches deep. In lieu of a dibble, I poke holes with my index finger up to the second knuckle, about six inches apart, and drop in the bulbs. I covered the onion sets using the back of my garden rake.
The rain came, but it froze and then turned to sleet. My onion sets are snug in their furrows and the cold shouldn't hurt them. The forecast now is for a warm up and the weather man says winter is about over. I have my seed potatoes cut up and drying and I'll plant them just as soon as the rain lets up.
Stephen
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