Choosing the right site-
Onions love to grow in full sun in light, well-drained soil that's high in organic matter.
When to plant- to get to optimal size onion transplants should be planted 2-4 weeks before
last frost. Aim for April 17th thru May 8th in Boulder. They must be hardened off well to withstand some frost and snow along with the many hot windy days they'll face. (WeeBee Farms only sells plants that are hardened off and ready to plant.)
How To Plant- For big onions, separate each little onion and plant 2-3 inches apart by pressing into soil, slightly deeper than the top of the white part, the pulling up a bit to straighten the roots. For bunching onions, remove pot and plant the block as is, or separate into two or three sections.
Caring For Onions- Onions have shallow roots and need to be watered often. They need plenty of fertilizer up until about mid-July. We like to top dress with our high quality compost but you can buy organic granular or liquid fertilizer if you don't have compost that you are certain is herbicide-free.
Weeding onions is very important as they lose size quickly if forced to compete with weeds.
Harvesting- When 50% of the tops have fallen over, push the rest over and wait 1-2 weeks for the tops to dry out. Dig up and dry out in the shade for a couple of days with the tops still on. This happens in August for us in Colorado.
Storage- Choose only the long-storing varieties to store. Keep in a very cool an dry place in mesh bags. 33- 45 degrees is ideal.
The 2 Varieties that we sell because we love them and they grow well for us:
Cortland- a long-storing sweet yellow onion for sauteeing, soups and all types of uses
Red Cipollini- An Italian Heirloom variety that is very sweet and tasty used fresh, or for roasting and kebabs. Medium to long-storing.
