The first plant that I put in my garden each spring is onions and these will go in the ground as early in May as my soil becomes workable. Garlic and shallot bulbs were planted last fall at the end of September or early October.
As I write this, I think I can hear my fellow Baby Boomers advising, “Don’t plant anything before Memorial Day,” which I always say is good advice even if I don’t follow it very well. I justify early onion planting because they can take a frost.
If you are planting the long-day onions recommended for Minnesota, there will be little or no onion growth after the June 21 summer solstice. If you want to extend your onion growing season, you can extend it by planting earlier, but not later.
Onions can be grown from bulbs or sets, dormant plants, or started from seedlings. If a method works for you, keep doing it. I haven’t found anyone having success getting onion bulbs when planting onion seeds directly into the soil.
When the Minnesota Master Gardeners last tested onion varieties, they had every grower start seeds indoors in mid-February. There is evidence that onions planted from started seedlings will produce larger bulbs and that they will keep better in storage than onion sets or dormant plants.
The University of Minnesota’s Lawn and Garden website recommends mid-April planting dates for southern Minnesota, but our growing season in Bemidji is shorter. My observations are that we are about 10 days later than the St. Paul area.
It is important to select good seeds. Onion seeds are known not to store well, so buy fresh seeds each year. Select long-day onions in Minnesota. Walla Walla and Ailsa Craig are good varieties. Patterson onions keep all winter, spring, and half the summer until you are harvesting the next crop. Day-neutral onions like Candy are also good in this area.
If you didn’t get your onion seeds planted in February, you can buy quality started seeds at several greenhouses in the area. Started seeds are often trimmed back to 4 or five inches, which makes them a lot easier to transplant. Onions grow best in full sun and well-drained, fertile soil.
It is recommended to space each onion plant 4 to 6 inches apart. The base of the plant should only be in the soil about half an inch. Planting onions too deeply may put pressure on the bulb, which will have more difficulty expanding against the soil.
Side-dressing fertilizer after the plants are well established is a good practice. Onions don’t compete well against weeds, so keeping the weeds at bay ensures a better harvest. Make sure to water them if we experience dry periods during the growing season.
When the onion tops fall over, it is about time to harvest them. Pulling them up and letting them dry in the sun or on a garage floor for a while will help them keep better.
Onions with green tops don’t keep well and should be used first. Garlic should be harvested when the first three leaves dry up on the stem. If you harvest them later, the papery layers that cover the cluster will decompose, leaving you without a nice cluster of cloves.
Some people prefer to grow shallots. They are smaller than onions, have an onion flavor and a slightly garlicky and sweet taste. Some people like the smaller size because they don’t end up with a half-used onion in the refrigerator when they are finished cooking.
Shallots can be planted like other onions, but leave them extra space because they form clusters of bulbs like green onions. Gardeners can harvest the larger bulbs by breaking them off the cluster and leaving the plant in the grounds to produce more bulbs later in the season. Some people plant shallots in the fall with their garlic and I plan to try it this coming fall.
I haven’t seen shallot seeds on the local seed racks, but they can be ordered online from many seed companies. Shallot bulbs can be found at some local garden centers. Shop early because they may sell out.
Onions, garlic and shallots are all good crops to grow, even for the inexperienced gardener. Additional information can be found at
extension.umn.edu/vegetables/growing-onions.
These local garden articles will reach you each week throughout the gardening season, but gardening information can be found year-round by clicking on “Yard and Garden” at the University of Minnesota Extension website,
www.extension.umn.edu,
or by visiting our Facebook page at
www.facebook.com/Beltramicountymastergardeners.
Local Master Gardeners will respond to questions via voicemail. Call
(218) 444-7916,
and leave your name, number and question.
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