Difference between revisions of "Onion"
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* Bulb onions can be planted very early. Onions anyway must be planted or sown rather earlier in the year as they don't appreciate warm weather but they do need long days for the growth of the bulb (ca 16 hours daylight, a little dependent on which cultivar you grow). The bulbs grow as soon as the temperature is above 6 C. So you want to sow and plant them early in the season so they can grow when the days get longer, but later the days will shorten again. In spring they grow well in a cold frame or a greenhouse, but not anymore when it gets hotter. | * Bulb onions can be planted very early. Onions anyway must be planted or sown rather earlier in the year as they don't appreciate warm weather but they do need long days for the growth of the bulb (ca 16 hours daylight, a little dependent on which cultivar you grow). The bulbs grow as soon as the temperature is above 6 C. So you want to sow and plant them early in the season so they can grow when the days get longer, but later the days will shorten again. In spring they grow well in a cold frame or a greenhouse, but not anymore when it gets hotter. | ||
* Bulb onions can be planted in autumn (depending also on the species), but when done outside, many disappear because of the weather. When done in a greenhouse, they come through winter but don't grow well in spring. Better is to plant them outside in early spring, under a cover of plastic, and then remove the plastic as soon as the bulbs sprouted well. | * Bulb onions can be planted in autumn (depending also on the species), but when done outside, many disappear because of the weather. When done in a greenhouse, they come through winter but don't grow well in spring. Better is to plant them outside in early spring, under a cover of plastic, and then remove the plastic as soon as the bulbs sprouted well. | ||
| + | * Carrots can be affected by carrot flies. Crop damage is caused by the up to 10 mm long larvae (maggots) feeding on the outer layers of the carrot root. Onions can be affected by onion flies which resemble houseflies. They lay their eggs in groups on the shoots, leaves and bulbs of host plants and on the ground nearby. The larvae create large cavities in bulbs. But onion flies don't seem to like the smell of carrots and carrot flies don't like onions. So onions and carrots make perfect companion plants. I always plant bulb onions in the lines of carrot seeds, each one or two hand widths an onion. I've never had problems with either carrot flies or onion flies but heard of many gardeners who had this problem. This method also has the advantage that you can see where you sowed the carrots. Carrots take long to germinate but bulb onions sprout fast. | ||
== Gallery == | == Gallery == | ||
Revision as of 18:43, 18 May 2012
Chunks of information
- Bulb onions can be planted very early. Onions anyway must be planted or sown rather earlier in the year as they don't appreciate warm weather but they do need long days for the growth of the bulb (ca 16 hours daylight, a little dependent on which cultivar you grow). The bulbs grow as soon as the temperature is above 6 C. So you want to sow and plant them early in the season so they can grow when the days get longer, but later the days will shorten again. In spring they grow well in a cold frame or a greenhouse, but not anymore when it gets hotter.
- Bulb onions can be planted in autumn (depending also on the species), but when done outside, many disappear because of the weather. When done in a greenhouse, they come through winter but don't grow well in spring. Better is to plant them outside in early spring, under a cover of plastic, and then remove the plastic as soon as the bulbs sprouted well.
- Carrots can be affected by carrot flies. Crop damage is caused by the up to 10 mm long larvae (maggots) feeding on the outer layers of the carrot root. Onions can be affected by onion flies which resemble houseflies. They lay their eggs in groups on the shoots, leaves and bulbs of host plants and on the ground nearby. The larvae create large cavities in bulbs. But onion flies don't seem to like the smell of carrots and carrot flies don't like onions. So onions and carrots make perfect companion plants. I always plant bulb onions in the lines of carrot seeds, each one or two hand widths an onion. I've never had problems with either carrot flies or onion flies but heard of many gardeners who had this problem. This method also has the advantage that you can see where you sowed the carrots. Carrots take long to germinate but bulb onions sprout fast.
Gallery
Onion plant that grew from a small bulb, planted before the winter in a greenhouse, shown here after several weeks of freezing temperatures.
Planting the first onion bulbs in the season, the end of February 2012. A cover of plastic will advance the growth of the bulbs until it gets warmer. In a few months they can be harvested as spring onions, or later the bulbs when they have fully grown out.
Companion planting of carrots and onions
External links
- Onion Wikipedia
