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  • From: Pam Twin Oaks <pam AT twinoaks.org>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Starting onions in ground
  • Date: Thu, 3 Jan 2013 09:50:07 -0500

Chris, a lot depends on your latitude, and when onions start bulbing. Different varieties have differing numbers of daylight hours to trigger the start of bulbing. (Temperature is a secondary trigger). First, make sure you choose varieties suitable for your latitude. Then figure out how to get big plants before the bulbing date. If bulbing starts in April, as it does here at 38N, there's no hope of big onions from seed sown in January or later.

Are you talking about bulb onions or green bunching onions or little scallions?

What works for us, for bulb onions, is to sow in the hoophouse 11/10, then transplant outdoors as soon as we can 3/1-3/7. Harvest is in early June. If your latitude is similar, that will work for you. If not, it probably won't! In Georgia they transplant outside in October - that wouldn't work for us because the winters are too cold. Sounds like you are probably north of 38, given that you are thinking about starting onions now. I can say that sowing in the hoophouse and transplanting out works very well, I just don't know what the dates should be for you.

Pam

--
Pam Dawling
 
Author of Sustainable Market Farming, Intensive Vegetable Production on a Few Acres
http://www.sustainablemarketfarming.com/
http://www.facebook.com/SustainableMarketFarming
http://www.newsociety.com/Books/S/Sustainable-Market-Farming





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