Everyone knows about red onions, especially if you cook your own meals. These reddish bulbs belong to the Allium family that has a very distinct and strong flavor.
How to Grow Red Onion?
It’s not difficult to grow red onion. All the onions are biennials, which means it takes two years to complete their life cycle. Before discussing the growing methods, we should know about the red onion and its usage.
Nature has given us many useful and beneficial plants to mankind. One such wonderful plant is an onion (Allium cepa L). The red Onion is one of the oldest cultivating herbs. Onion can be used in different forms. we can use them raw in a wide range of recipes like casseroles pizzas. we can also get onion powder for shelf-ready solutions. Red Onions are super-healthy, they are excellent sources of flavonoids, phytochemicals, vitamin C and sulphuric compounds.
Soil and climate needs
These plants need a specific soil type and specific climate to grow. Red onions like daylight, so make sure that plant them in a spot that gets a lot of sunlight throughout the day. Moreover, they grow in any kind of soil except dense clay. You can also add compost to give them a nutrient boost for larger growth.
Planting seasonally
First weeks of April and the last week of the march are the most ideal times to start planting red onions.
Ways to grow red onions
We can grow red onions from the sets and seeds. Sets are small onion bulbs that will sprout, grow several more onion bulbs. Growing red onions from sets are more reliable and easier than growing them from seed
There are three main methods for growing red onions i.e., planting by seeds, scraps, and bulbs/ sets. Let’s discuss them one by one.
Planting red onion seed
You can grow onions from the seed. You cannot plant red onion seeds outdoors.
These small or tiny seeds would not be able to withstand the garden beds. That’s why you need to start them first indoors. Grab a small container or pot of soil and then sow the seeds into them. Place them at least 1 centimeter apart from each other and cover the seeds with compost. The seeds should be ready for planting in six to eight weeks. Onion seedlings need moist, damp soil to sprout. Moreover, water the seedlings at least one to three times a week every time the soil dries up.
Plant red onion seedling
Most people prefer to plant sets of red onion rather than seeds because it’s much faster. Remember, seeds take takes a full year to create a bulb. So, if you did not use onions sets that wait two years for harvesting. Therefore, only using sets for fast-growing.
Before planting, sort through your red onion sets and look for tiny ones or ones that look bad. The larger sets are preferred because they’ll grow better and produce larger bulbs.
Add one inch of compost to the soil. This will add nutrients to the soil that will help foster strong growth. Moreover, Dig a hole in the soil two inches deep. Place the bulb into the hole so that the root end of the onion is down and cover the bulb with soil. If you are planting multiple bulbs place the second bulb four inches apart from the first one. Once all red onion sets are planted in the bed, water your onions until the soil is completely soaked.
Planting onion scraps
Peel the onions’ outer layer off and then, open the red onions up by cutting them toward the center.
Slice the onion’s base to expose the bulb and slice it out by making small vertical cuts around it.
Once you have extracted the bulb, set the onion aside for your consumption. Repeat the same method for all other onions.
Harvesting of red onions
When bulbs form and the green tops of the plants begin to yellow and fall over, pull them and cure in a warm place for about 10 days before storing.
Stop watering when around ten percent of the onion tops begin to fall over. You can now harvest the onions or leave them in the ground to be stored and used as needed.
Remember that, always use garden beds for growing the onions. It can also grow in pots or containers but the potted won’t be as fat and rich.
Storing Red Onion
Red onion and other bulb vegetables are prone to fungus and rotting after harvesting, therefore, red onion should be stored in dry and clean conditions. It is good to pack in paper or gunny when you want to transport the red onions to longer places.
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