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mocc625

Onions/ Leeks

mocc625
10 years ago

Hi --

I have been reading on here off and on for a while, and am fairly new to market growing (starting year 3).

Last year hubby asked me to grow candy onions -- not having a real clue - I just bought some seed... and grew some onions -- started them late, let the weeds get ahead of me --- and still was pretty happy with how they turned out. But not the lovely, large onions I was aiming for

My question is this -- when do most of you start onions and leeks from seed to go in a tunnel or in beds outside? I am a zone 5 --

we tried some onion plants this year from Dixondale - they went in about mid Jan -- still not happy with how they look - no real growth or even much "greening up" ???
just put leeks in a few days ago --- too early to say much about those

Comments (12)

  • jrslick (North Central Kansas, Zone 5B)
    10 years ago

    You planted onions outside from Dixondale, in January, in zone 5? Personally I believe you planted 2 months early. I am in north central ks and I plant my onions, into a movable high tunnel in early to mid March and outside in early April. Last year I planted in early Febrary and we had lots of bolting.

    Jay

  • boulderbelt
    10 years ago

    question, areyou planting long day or short day onions. I know Candy is a day nuetral but most are either long or short day and you need long day onions.

    Plants go out in mid March through Mid May (earlier the better. Seeds go in the ground in Jan or Feb.) Though if you are using a hoop house than they should be just fine being planted as early as February.

    Leeks will need to go in a 6" deep trench that will be filled in over the season, much like establishing a bed of asparagus, for nice long , white shanks

    For big onions they need space and you have keep them well weeded or they will not get full sized

  • randy41_1
    10 years ago

    i started my onion/leek/shallot seed in january to be planted sometime in early march or as soon as possible.
    i have overwintered onions and leeks in the HT. they should be ready to harvest over the next few weeks.

  • myfamilysfarm
    10 years ago

    Don't onions need lots of consistent water? I've never had onions to 'size' up and have blamed it on no irrigation to them.

  • mocc625
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Well I did plant in a tunnel, but its sounding like I planted too soon especially this winter - with the harsh temperatures we have had

    Randy - what zone are you ? I did over winter some onions in the tunnel that we planted late Oct - they look pretty good -- was wondering how soon they would be ready to come out?? (they are candy onions)

    as far as the varieties - I did check with the folks at Dixondale they said the varieties should be fine where I am (which is a 5B on some maps) but did the Red Candy and a Cipponlini

  • randy41_1
    10 years ago

    this is zone 6. i try to feel under the soil to check their size and pull them based on that. these will be green onions. i plan to check them when i next pick for the market which will be friday this week. i did this last year on a smaller scale but planted them later and started selling them in april. this year there's different varieties planted.

  • rustico_2009
    10 years ago

    Seems like with hoop houses some of you could do short day onions , neutral or intermediate , and long day onions? As long as the plants are passing through 12 hours at good size wouldn't that give you good bulbs?

  • jrslick (North Central Kansas, Zone 5B)
    10 years ago

    I planted short day onions last year, planted early February and honestly they didn't produce any earlier than the intermediate onions in the bed next to them. They did bolt much more than the intermediate ones though. This was in an unheated high tunnel and in one movable tunnel. I probably won't do it again. I thought the same thing, plant earlier and get them bigger and have earlier onions. Also we had a baby in early March and I knew my work days were going to be limited.

    Jay

  • boulderbelt
    10 years ago

    you need long day onions to get the big ones as they will grow up to the solstice. short day onions quit growing when the days get over 12 or 13 hours and than they bolt. they rarely get big. maybe if they were grown between September and April in a greenhouse they might work

  • Mark
    10 years ago

    Here in zone 7/8 we overwinter short day onions and on good years they can get huge. The also are consistently 1 1/2 month earlier than February seeded long day onions.
    I've never tried planting them in a hoop, I can't get enough money for them to justify that.
    -Mark

  • boulderbelt
    10 years ago

    of course in zone 7/8 you would get big short day onions but zone 6 and northward you need long day onions to get big onions

  • Mark
    10 years ago

    For clarity, I am north. 45.52 to be specific. It's not always about the degree, but about how early you can get them to size up before bulbing triggers.
    These were harvested the first week of June. My long days were dug towards the end of July.

    This post was edited by madroneb on Mon, Feb 24, 14 at 11:49

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