Planting Onions & Shallots

Plant in full sun in well-drained soil. Onions will thrive in fetile, well-drained soil and will thrive further with quality organic nitrogen rich fertilizer applied during planting or a good layer of rich organic compost.

Plant onion sets 4 to 5 inches apart and no more than 2 inches below the soil. Set the bulbs with the point end up. Again, don’t bury them more than 2 inches under the soil. It’s critical that onions aren’t planted too deep, as this can affect the bulb development. Once planted onions typically develop into full-sized bulbs after 3 to 4 months.

Onions need a lot of nourishment and feed from the soil constantly, so if they are competing with surrounding weeds they will suffer, so keep the area well weeded.

Stop watering in the beginning of August to mature bulbs in dry soil. After half the tops have fallen, push over the remainder, wait a week and then lift the bulbs.

Curing is essential for long storage: Spread bulbs out in the sun for about a week, covering them at night to protect them from dew. When the outer layer of the onion changes from moist to dry and crisp, it is cured. If the weather is poor, cure inside.

Delivery in the Saint John area

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