The onion has always been a staple vegetable in almost all of the cultures around the world since ancient times.
This is not surprising since the onion has a wide range of uses, such as being a garnish for countless dishes, an herbal remedy, and a religious icon.
With this in mind, it is not farfetched for one to think of growing onions in one’s backyard since learning how to grow onions is far from being complicated even if one has no green thumb to speak of.
When learning how to grow onions, one must first know the difference between onion sets from onion seedlings.
Onion seedlings are just that – seedlings. Seedlings are the way to go if one wants greater varieties of onions. Otherwise, one must go for onion sets, particularly if one is still learning how to grow onions for the first time.
This is because growing onion sets are easier and they can be bought heat-treated already which means greater chances of success for the grower. Onion sets also yield relatively larger bulbs than seedlings.
Knowing the right way to grow onions is knowing the right soil for your onions. The spot for planting onions should have plentiful sunlight and an adequate drainage system.
Planting the onion cloves in ridges also helps, particularly because they decrease soil moisture.
A fertile soil is a must, of course. But be careful in putting too much fertilizer as onions are averse to too much nitrogen which can come from fertilizers.
When learning how to grow onions for the first time, remember that it is important to prepare the soil by applying the fertilizer weeks before the actual planting.
Plant the onions by digging a shallow hole in the soil, deep enough to make the neck part of the onion the only one above the ground. So how do you know when it’s time to harvest the onions?
The most reliable sign to look for is the color of the foliage. When they turn yellow, then it is time to harvest the onions.
Here is one important tip for those who are learning how to grow onions for the first time: It is important to weed regularly since weeds eat up some of the nutrients that are meant for your onions.
Letting the weeds grow unchecked will result in your onions swamped with competition.
Knowing how to grow onions the right way will let one enjoy the benefits of having fresh onions grown and harvested straight from one’s own backyard.
