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Onions - Planting, Harvesting, Pests and Diseases

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onion

Planting in Garden: Onions like rich soil - not gravely or clay soil. Plant onion sets (that look like tiny onions) directly into a dry garden in the early spring. They are frost tolerant and in their early growth phase prefer colder weather.

When planting, make holes 4-6 inches apart (4 inches in deep beds) and deep enough for whole set to be under the soil when covered. Pat the soil over them. Keep onion beds free of weeds. Use mulch or hay. When plants grow pinch off any flower stems early. When the onion tops start to turn yellow, bend them over and snap them to start the bulbs ripening.

Harvest: In the fall, when the weather is dry, gently pull the onions and leave them there on top of the soil to dry. Be careful not to damage the skin or they will get neck rot. If it’s rainy, place the onions under
cover on a porch on overturned boxes or trays to give them some air circulation and help
with the drying process.

Pests and Disease: Neck rot is a common ailment and can be prevented if onions are dried
well before storage.

Planting onions

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