HOW TO GROW ONIONS

Onions

Onions are such a versatile vegetable – they feature in so many recipes, so growing your own onions means you’ll always have them to hand. They are easy to grow from baby onions called sets. Although seed is available, sets are the easiest and quickest way to grow onions. Sets are also are better in colder regions, and are less likely to be attacked by some pests and diseases. 

Grow

Water if the weather is dry and give an occasional feed with a general liquid fertiliser. A light feed of sulphate of potash in June will help ripen the bulbs ready for storage.

Mulching the soil will help conserve soil moisture and keep down weeds. Stop watering and feeding once the onions have swollen, and remove any mulch or soil to expose the bulb to the sun.

Remove any flower spikes as soon as you see them.

Plant

Onions need a sunny, sheltered site with fertile, well-drained soil. Avoid planting on freshly-manured ground as this can lead to rotting.

Onions are best suited for growing in the open ground, but you could grow a short row or two in large, deep containers or raised beds. They are not suitable for growbags.

Plant onion sets 10cm (4in) apart in rows 30cm (12in) apart from mid-March to mid-April. Gently push the sets into soft, well-worked soil so that the tip is just showing, and firm the soil around them. Plant hardy Japanese varieties in autumn for an early crop the following year.

Birds can be a problem lifting the sets, so carefully remove the loose skin at the top of the set before planting.

Problems

Harvesting

Onions can be harvested when the foliage turns yellow and starts to topple over. Although it is sometimes suggested to bend over the foliage or gently lift the bulbs to break the roots, this is no longer recommended.

Leave for two to three weeks and then carefully lift with a garden fork. Onions for storage must be firm, disease-free and then dried for two to three weeks, either laid out in the sun or in a shed if the weather is wet.

Recipes

After a tasty light lunch? This flavourful Onion tart is the answer.

Onion is added to fried potatoes and tomatoes with chilli to make these Patatas bravas.

Salad onions join forces with garlic and ginger in this Thai-style brassica stir-fry.

Varieties

‘Setton’ AGM: One of the best onions with excellent yields of dark-skinned bulbs that store well.

‘Sturon’ AGM: A popular and reliable onion with excellent flavour and medium-sized bulbs that store well over winter.

‘Hercules’ AGM: This is a large onion with dark golden skin and is quick to establish.

‘Hyred’: A late-maturing red onion with attractive crimson bulbs. Stores well over winter.

‘Ishikura’: Salad onion - Long, slender white stalks which don't form into bulbs, making it perfect for salads and stir-fries.