MY TOP 4 TIPS | Growing Big Onions

[@maryhathaway4669]

I grew up in a farming community, and very old farmer wives taught me to garden, decades ago. I was taught seeds and "sets". I was taught to plant sets practically on top of the ground. If they come loose that first week or two, tuck the couple that may be loose back in.. once they take hold leave them be. Huge onions. If you plant properly, no spooning...which I have never even heard of. I have also never heard of cutting the tops off. Strange idea, honestly, those greens feed the bulb, and the open tubes would let in rain/irrigation and rot it all out. Open them up to disease, and pests. I read hundreds of VERY old organic gardening magazines from the 70's on, read books, grew up in farming area, been in a LOT of old time gardens.... I just have never seen or heard of any of that. Onions are easy when plantedshallow in well maintained soil. None of that extra work needed. Sorry, I have to disagree with this video!

[@gregorygrskovich]

I think a lot of people just plant their onions too deep because they think of them like any other plant and think they need to be anchored. Your insight is appreciated. I'm just trying to figure it out so what you are saying and what the video shows help me understand that basically the bulb just needs to sit higher up. Thanks for sharing your experience.

[@WakandaBabe]

Thanks. I just planted my first onion sets. I tend to go with 'old school' advice. Sometimes, people make things harder than necessary. While her method may work for some, I'm trying the 'old school' way.

[@kathyhutchison1947]

I planted my onion sets like she describes, and had HUGE onions. I haven't planted in several years and want to again this year, so I'm rewashing to do it again

[@katewhitelaw9182]

Well.... some folks equate busy with accomplishing. Never needed to do any of this hoo hah either...big onions every time. Cut the tops off...???? never.

[@dangreytak2319]

I plant onions from bulbs every year and have always had huge success. I live in a short-season area and generally plant around St. Patrick's day and start harvesting nice-sized onions mid to late summer.

[@alwaysbekindlove]

Please don’t apologize for the wind you can’t control it and you’re doing a great job. Have a beautiful day

[@rebeccacron8614]

A one or two inch wide paint brush works WONDERS for spooning! Just sweep the soil away. No spoons, no digging with your fingers, gentle on the plants, and FAST!

[@charliehenderson38]

👍 thanks

[@247KW]

Great idea!! Thanks for sharing

[@charliehenderson38]

@@247KW 👍

[@johnoneill8211]

If your soil is loose enough to brush away the natural growth of the plant would push it away?

[@1870s]

Sure

[@smhollanshead]

The four tips are: start with onion seeds not onion bulbs, topping your onions, removing the soil around your onions to allow the onion bulbs to expand, and keep your onions well fertilized and well watered. My additional tip is start with good onion seed. The better the seed the better the plant. Genetics matters!

[@misscandicern]

Thank you

[@AmyRector]

Thank you 😊 ugh I started with bulbs 😔😔

[@deborah820]

What’s the difference between onion bulbs snd onion starts?

[@smhollanshead]

@@deborah820 an onion bulb looks like a small onion. An onion start is a small green plant that looks like a scallion. Your onion seeds will grow into onion starts. Most people start there onion starts indoors, and then transplant their onion starts in the early spring.

[@deborah820]

@@smhollanshead Oh thank you so much! I appreciate you taking the time to respond!

[@christiansingle1]

I just wanted you to know I am really appreciating your garden attire the past couple of days. 😀

[@1870s]

Awe thanks, just summer attire is cuter than fall and winter

[@hannahhalleck9558]

I was thinking the same! I love that jumper!

[@jenniferallison3323]

I was going to comment the same!

[@tabethapacion7137]

@@1870s I am so jealous I have never grown onions in that magnitude. And thank you for the tips I will try that this year 2021

[@childofgod94]

I know right! That is so adorable and looks super comfortable and fun to wear. I want one of those. It's part of the reason I clicked on this video.

[@robyndudley9684]

Onion is a no maintenance plant. No need to spoon onion as long as you don’t plant them too deep. Make sure at least half the white part is above soil when transplanting. Trimming the tops reduces the plant’s ability to photosynthesize. Plus, as they’re bulbing, the onion is pulling resources from the green top. Plant onion, feed nitrogen before the bulbing phase then leave them alone.

[@5GreenAcres]

I don't understand why Rachael gave a heart to this comment because you are basically telling her the exact opposite of what she is claiming about cutting the tops! People DO NOT CUT your tops of onions. The only time you cut them is if you start your own onions and when they are about 6" high under grow lights or in greenhouse. Then when it is time plant them in the ground and water often.

[@robyndudley9684]

@@5GreenAcresI dunno. I’ve known so many people who’ve ruined their onion by trimming to late. I get taking a snip here or there but removing the greens that the onion needs to fuel the bulb is counter intuitive. I think most of us interfere unnecessarily with our garden plants. But that’s just me.

[@5GreenAcres]

@@robyndudley9684 Oh, don't get me wrong. You do need to trim the greens but only when you grow from seedlings. I failed to do that this year and the little patch of my own seedlings I didn't cut the tops after they got 4-6 " and now I have nothing but very long greens and no bulb. They look like huge bunching onions. My onions that I buy the onion starts were huge onions. I did just a bit of bending over a couple of the greens on each one when they got large. I agree with you....leave the onlons alone nature does a beautiful job. Same with tomatoes. We have all been told to take the suckers off. Not me....Out of 8 tomato plants I got over 150 lbs of tomatoes! They are still going strong and it is Oct. In Wis.

[@hollylovepeace]

My grandpa yeilded sooo many onions each year and he does nothing. He even successfully yeilds new onions from old onion sprouts. He makes it seem effortless

[@thechrononaut1]

Agreed, but topping in the seedling stage is beneficial for promoting good neck strength.

[@rocio2917]

2:40 Starts 3:51 Trim leaves - topping 7:55 spooning 11:45 feed and water

[@freedombug11]

Thank you

[@walterradcliffe5639]

Thanks, getting tired of blah & mixing up talking about carrots or onions Blah.

[@marksieber4626]

Spooning, sounds like fun!!!

[@DebRoo11]

​@@marksieber4626 😂

[@margaretdavis5695]

Thank-you for the info. I've been a gardener for over 50 years, but never heard of the spoon method or the explanation of sets vs. starts. There's always something new to learn!

[@searcymasonry]

yea . i thought ' spooning was a intimacy position with your boner growing in the middle of her lumbar . never too old to learn new things i s'pose .

[@johnnieblackburn3182]

I saw this method on Hollis and Nancy's Homestead. He gets nice large onions.

[@nicolasbertin8552]

I grow big onions from sets without spooning, topping off or fertilizing... So I think you shouldn't bother if you already have perfectly fine onions. If it ain't broke don't fix it :D

[@salemdesigns65]

My grandfather did use a spoon to remove soil around the onion. He planted them in a high rows so than when it was time, he just moved the soil back down the hill. I miss him so, he taught me everything about growing food, repairing things and baseball! 🙂

[@1870s]

The old timers knew a thing or two. I feel sometimes like a lot of what they knew, never got passed down, and things kinda skipped a generation.

[@salemdesigns65]

@@1870s Yesterday, my garden had an open house. And one of the comments that came up over and over; when did you learn how to do all this? The answer was; I paid attention and helped when told to do so. That meant that if I were playing with my Barbie dolls and my grandfather said for me to pick these beans, I picked those beans. Or if he were painting some trim outside of the house, Im there to hold the bucket because he told me to do it. Haha. I learned, asked questions, saw mistakes and I could see myself doing tasks on my own down the road...and I did. My 23 year old son, however doesnt like being dirty, making choices and cannot be told. Hopefully and soon, he and many other young people will see the importance of physically creating their own personal environments instead of waiting for someone to do it for them.

[@noniemarley7012]

You are correct, the people disagreeing must know something others don’t. Kinda like calling green onions scallions, two different things. We grow softball and larger onion, 15,000 each year, sets will never get this big, no matter the nutrients.

[@sharonbice7490]

I love onions, just can't see me not living without them! ❤️

[@ArmindaHeart]

I grow my onions from seed, plant them when they’re about 4-6” tall, and then forget about them until I see bulbs, around July, harvesting them when as I need, and then picking the rest when they’ve fallen over. I plant them in clusters of 3-4 and they get large, no problem. I even allow the heavy mulch that’s in my garden to burry the base. Most times I don’t even notice the bulbs lol! Large onions, no work 👍

[@alimajoy1]

I have always had big onions using sets. It's the only way I've ever planted onions. I'm also going to try your way and see what happens!!

[@keithsweet3760]

Hi everyone there is a problem with cutting the tops off in the uk (south wales) the rain we have gets in the open tops and rots the onion from the inside!!My farther used to just bend them over and he always had great onions!!I tried what this nice lady said and lost most of mine i won't be doing that next year LOL (ps last year i had big one's)

[@emilboncina9090]

We do it the same thing in Gheorgheni (Transilvania)

[@CupcakeBaker1982]

I’m so glad I saw your comment. I’m in Somerset and would have the same problem. I’ll be cautious this year x

[@FloridaGirl-]

I’ve always bent them too

[@akovach1292]

I never did either, and still had a great crop. But, I’m going to try bending. (I likely don’t have time to harvest the onion tops, much as I might in future years when time is not the issue.)

[@ann-mariehoran7415]

I had that happen here in NY.

[@bennyhill4228]

Just turned 50, not a clue about growing, However cost of living here in the UK has pointed me this way, thank you for the video .

[@adryawebb2556]

The trick for me with long day sets is not to bury the whole thing underground. Pick out the bags of them with most of the bulbs being less than 3/4" inch diameter. Stick just the bottom of the sets into the dirt just enough so they root, leaving at least the upper half of the sets above the soil. Water a bit and wait for them to get several inches tall and then apply your first application of nitrogen fertilizer like blood meal and repeat that every month... Water well. I've got Stuttgarter, Ebenezer, and a red variety (I can't recall the name at the moment) that have grown lots of big leaves and are beginning to bulb... No cutting of the tops, no spooning. Onion starts are sold with the tops cut off only because it makes it easier to pack bundles in the boxes for shipping.

[@1870s]

Thanks for sharing your tips on sets.

[@karencooper6634]

Thanks for the tips. I wondered why I never got onions of any size while growing the bagged sets

[@Aslanlives08]

After reading a Johnny's Seeds article on overwintering onions, I started some Bridger onion seed last summer and planted the seedlings in a 4 x 8 low tunnel raised bed in my zone 6 yard in late September. The low tunnel covering worked well through the winter months and the plants survived fine even though being nibbled by some vole activity. The real excitement though, is using your spooning advice and watching the onion bulbs develop to be mature onions by the end of May! Everyone else is "setting up their gardens" and I am looking at harvest ready onions! Pictures are available if interested.

[@1870s]

Oh that sounds amazing. Could you please send link to article

[@michealakintunde7727]

Thanks. Today, I planted my ever first onions in my my garden. I learned a lot from your video. Watching you from Jos-Nigeria.

[@wild_free_homestead]

I'm in WA. Maybe your way is how onions are grown in the north-central area? We buy the sets (bulbs) every spring and get huge onions that fall. We have never topped them nor done the spooning thing. We actually pile more dirt on top of ours as they grow. We only plant white onions. I've also recently heard that you apparently can't store white onions. I have stored mine every winter in my root cellar. I've never had a problem with storing them. Very interesting to me how other people do gardening.

[@1870s]

I'm so happy for you! Happy gardening

[@fxm5715]

I think a lot of gardeners fall into the trap of thinking that what works for them must work for everyone, or that it is THE right way to do it. I take all such tips as suggestions of things you might want to try if what you're doing now isn't working as well as you'd like. :)

[@wild_free_homestead]

@@fxm5715 Yes I agree with you. I do the same as far as (suggestions) goes. But I thought her video was very interesting. This is the first time I've heard of anyone growing onions as she does. I thought she would like to know that we here (where I live) don't have to do all that. :)

[@alivingpeace]

I'm in WA too, and have NO problem growing softball size Walla Walla onions. I watched the video to learn what I could. I guessed she must be located somewhere else...as too small of onions hasn't been a problem. I've never seen That 1870's Homestead videos before, but will look up more. I appreciate the information & friendly, simple & concise manner it's shared. Cheers!

[@waynebriggs2965]

I've been planting onion sets since I was kid with mom, now 54 and have always had baseball to softball size onions, in northern illinois

[@alph8654]

I start my onions from seeds in the my greenhouse and leave them until ready to harvest. I use pelleted seeds so they are easy to space. I do 1000 every year. I do not cut the tops out of my onions. I do not spoon the onions. I put about 1 inch of mushroom compost on my no dig bed in the fall. I sow the seeds in late January or early February. I always get nice big onions. Nice big onions with not much labor. I do make sure they get plenty of water !!!

[@verngib9041]

My kind of process!!!

[@alph8654]

@@verngib9041 It works for me. If you want to see more on No- Dig gardening try googling Charles Dowding no- dig gardening. He has been doing it for over 35 years and has a beautiful garden. Makes a living off of it. Time and work saver plus wonderful results.

[@NCharlesworth86]

Haha so the complete opposite of this video ;)

[@1870s]

Sounds great!

[@1870s]

There is never one way to do gardening, I too love Charles but do not have his set up or his exact growing conditions. So I had to come up with a way that worked for me.

[@ChloeMain12]

Great clear teaching! Good job. Thank yoi

[@mytech6779]

In farming any crops the whole top flopping over is called lodging (like a place to sleep). It can be an issue for farmers under certain conditions or with specific cultivars but I have never seen any topping prior to the harvest season, the bigger the leaf the more energy it holds for the bulb scale(ring). You may have onions with weak necks due to nutrient imbalance or be in an area with strong winds(Put up a wind fence several feet from the beds, slats slow the wind, solid will make the wind tumble.)

[@Greens5511]

🤯Okay I am only 5 minutes in and my mind is blown away!! I have grown onions for 40 dag gone years...I never ever heard about trimming the tops off ....I have to say I am almost MAD that this tip is so hidden!!! I watch A LOT of KZbin and in the last few years of watching constantly NO ONE that I have ever seen (now I am going to go google that in others channels) has done this or talked about it 😩 And to make onion powder from the greens!!! BOOM...THIS AN AMAZING IDEA!!! To late for me here in MN....my onions are in the barn for the winter storage.....oh well....back to the video and this will be one HUGE change that I will LOVE to do next year!!! THANKS!

[@curiouscat3384]

Just came back to tell you how invaluable this video is! I've never been able to grow onions for all the reasons you stated so I logged onto Dixondale Farms and was amazed by his tutorials. I bought their sets and a bag of his special fertilizer this March, planted them 1st of April (North Carolina) and they are looking good! 7 leaves, tall and strong.....I'm so excited!! Thanks for your good work and it's nice to view without annoying background music, kid distractions and bouncy/spinning camera action :)

[@1870s]

We try to keep things simple, especially in videos where we're trying to share knowledge with others.

[@cstre2091]

Wow, all the times I've grown sets & ended up with scallions thinking my onion growing skills were the reason😲 thanks so much for these tips, this year there will be large onions😊👍 🧅🧅🧅

[@naturesteward2205]

I have grown from sets for years and have had great success with getting large bulbs, do some try to bolt, yes, but not a huge amount. I changed to planting from seeds the past three years as I wanted a variety that I couldn't get easily. As they are growing from seed in the trays I will cut them back if they start to flop over, but once they are in the ground I do not cut them again. I get huge onions. No spooning, lots of watering and compost tea feeding. Much less work!

[@georgesidhu460]

I grow the red onions from the sets the only thing I do is when I see in middle part of the onions have seed shoot come out I cut it immediately and every year I get tons of large size onions and the shelve life is from mid July to end of May the next year. I use mushroom manure and novacal( calcium)

[@lavonnajones4543]

Thank you!! Growing onions for the first time in my life. After planting them in April, I didn't know what else to do with them. Today I trimmed them back and "spooned" them. Fingers crossed!

[@amandamullis2969]

Onions were a new addition this year for me. I started with sets that were a gift. Had alot of green tops, but tiny onions. Looking forward to using all your great advice this coming year. Great video! Thank you!

[@MommaJoy]

Coming back to refresh my memory from last year!

[@bluegreenoranges]

This is another video I wish I had seen. We planted sets for the first time onion grower this spring. But we will enjoy both the green and bulb we get and learn for future.🙂 Thank you for showing your garden while you talk and then showing clearly what you are doing! Really enjoying your channel!

[@ivanaiyabei5502]

We grow a lot of onions in Eastern Uganda and I would like to thank you lady for sharing your farming skills. Your articulate presentation is commendable.

[@truthseeker3977]

Seeds always yield great onions. Select the right variety for your zone. Plant your seed weed free. Watch the onion seed germinate and sprout. Grow them for 6 to 10 weeks. Pull the onions, and set them out in your garden according to your regional zone. Give them plenty of water, nitrogen, and PH optimization. Watch your sets grow into nice onion slicers. Harvest and enjoy.

[@sharonkeef0522]

Can u do video Bc I’ve tried this

[@ruthperry1914]

Ok

[@gardenextra7415]

Good video, this is the first year I started onions in the winter from seed. Should be my first good onions, big. Thanks 😊

[@joeboudreault2226]

All very good. I'll have to consider starting onions from seeds or starts. Currently, I've painted quite a lot of sets, but with a bit of care they will be okay though not the greatest in size, and don't require spooning. Thanks. Seeds next year (for my own starts) maybe.

[@nycthick]

What is nitrogen and ph optimization?

[@mleggieri801]

Thanks for sharing these good "how to grow onion tips." Much appreciated. Happy Gardening!

[@ka6148]

Been growing stuttgarter onion sets for years and have never had trouble growing a full size onion

[@1870s]

Do you know what variety they are,long day, short or intermediate?

[@sarapulford5957]

🇬🇧 Exactly. No problem with sets in UK except they need to be protected with netting from pigeons who pick at the first sprouting points of green and pull them out.

[@sarapulford5957]

@Pete Bailey 🇬🇧 Huh. "I went to agway" What are you trying to say ?

[@TheBdylan23]

I have also grown stuttgarter and stuttgarter giants from sets for many years and never had problems growing full size onions

[@TheBdylan23]

@@sarapulford5957 It seems to be a problem in the US, GB and Ireland never a problem.

[@blacksinglemomhomesteadont6454]

Thanks for the tips. I got my first onions last year from onion scraps I planted late spring or early summer. They were a golf ball size bunch but tasted nice. I was so proud. This year I planted whole onions that had sprouted in my kitchen in early April and today is May 1st so I'm looking forward to my harvest this year.

[@jillclark9215]

Thank you for your videos. Your videos are so helpful and although I've been gardening for 50 plus years I have learn a lot from you. Your videos are so clear and enjoyable and I love sharing them.

[@anthonyford8049]

That is all new to me. I get small onions. I will experiment by trying it on some of my onions to compare. Very interesting, thank you.

[@1870s]

You are so welcome. Be sure to come back and let us know if this was helpful to you! 🍈🍃

[@toneyjohnson8910]

Thanks I have never heard about topping my onions I most of mine this year were just larger that a golf ball when the tops fell over. I will give it a try with the ones I plant this fall.

[@1870s]

All the best and happy gardening

[@lindagraff2484]

I never knew, thank you so much. I have planted the little bulb ones for green onions though.

[@OurBlackCatCottage]

I have always struggled to grow onions and your tips made a huge difference. Thanks for all of your videos!

[@christywright2188]

This was very helpful information that I will be using this year for onions. I will check out your onion planting video. Thank you and happy farming. Missouri Wrightchk

[@dldenton3982]

She is right for her situation, it may not apply to your growing conditions. I have the same problem with sets as she does. Starts grow much bigger onions for us. But this is not true for everyone.

[@johnjude2685]

My first year with growing big bulbs and I will trim.my onions, I'm in leaf compose and don't seem to need spooning mine already near 4"dia. thanks for the teaching.

[@shelleyspence9818]

Thank you for the onion tips. I just bought a dehydrator so I am looking for ideas on what to dehydrate. I am definitely going to try onion powder. Also I am a new subscriber to your channel and I enjoyed this video so much that I can’t wait to go back and watch all your other videos. Thank you for sharing your gardening knowledge with us

[@1870s]

Glad it was helpful! Should have the onion powder video our in the few days. Got a little bit of a backlog going on right now with videos. Rain the next few days should help us get caught up.

[@UltravioletHeather]

I use my dehydrator all the time. I love kale or Brussel sprout chips and when I juice using my masticating juicer I use the pulp to make crackers in my dehydrator too. It is one of those items that I just love to use. And of course I do dehydrate lots of greens and vegetables too.

[@Valerie-bb5hi]

This video has been more informative than any other video or articles I have read I've been gardening for 50 years and did not know this is why I didn't get my onions

[@daughteroftheking6889]

I know this video is 7 months old , but this is amazing advice. I'm going to do exactly what you advised for my 2021 garden.

[@jayshneilprasad4509]

0:30

[@farnabyurquhart6970]

Thank you. This is my third year trying to grow onions and have always ended up with small bulbs 🥺 found your video just in time

[@rumi885]

Thank you so much for this informative video! Now I understand why I had ping pong sized onions and what I need to do next year! ❤️👍

[@ronaldwells1805]

Good tips I have never buried my onions I set them right on top of the dirt so the sunlight can get them worked out well for me and they turn out softball-size

[@dustyflats3832]

Nice video. Not sure if you mentioned in another video about long day onion plants for North, short day for South and intermediate for either. Nice to know about topping greens cause that will prevent them from maturing too soon as mine usually do. I would just take my sharp hand operated hedge shears and top them. Thank you.

[@coltenmckeever9372]

So generous to give your time to teach us things!!!!!!

[@1870s]

Glad you found it helpful!

[@FermentedHomestead]

Just growing onions on a larger scale for the first time without much luck in the past. Thank you for sharing your advice 💜

[@1870s]

Best of luck!

[@ann1260]

Dixondale is awesome! I grew onions for the first time last year and I was very pleased with my harvest!

[@ecocentrichomestead6783]

I have found starting onions from seed, in late February, to be relatively easy. And should be less expensive than buying starts.

[@1870s]

👍

[@Greens5511]

I will say now that you mentioned they need to keep them well watered...well this year was my first year planting all my onions in a raised bed and now that you say that I just figured out I will go back to in ground gardening my onions! I never ever water my onions in my in ground garden...but my onions in my raised bed this year was horrible to keep watered...I felt I had to watered them almost daily in the heat of summer....that is not working for me. This video is so informative!!! Love it! A little fyi....I always have had very good luck growing big onions and I used to always use onion sets...so for those that think you can't grow anything but table onions from sets..that isn't true for me here in MN....and I never fertilize either....just some chicken poop it in the fall if that and I am good to go next year. And as much as I do love a big onion...this year I botched my onions by putting them in a raised bed and planting them too close...well those smaller onions are not all bad....I kinda like having an onions that once I clean it I use it all and do not have to store the left over onion in the fridge....to sometimes get pushed back forgotten and rotting.

[@jsmythib]

I recently learned garlic leaves(per plant)indicate the number of cloves in your bulb. Very similar to an Onion bulbs layering indication by leaves. My two most important flavor plants! :)

[@1870s]

Thanks for sharing!

[@MsTreeWeaver9]

do you top the garlic?

[@SD-my9so]

I have never trimmed my onions back. Always have had a good onion crop. I’ll try doing a few and see the difference.

[@theheritagehousesc]

Thank you for the tips Rachel! I tried onions a couple years ago and I’m not surprised now why they did poorly. I’ll try your tips next time. Have a great harvest.

[@1870s]

Thank you and hope the projects are going well over there

[@johnroy4508]

Thank you for your very informative video and excellent explanation of the procedure you use to grow big onions for your family. May God Bless you and your family.!

[@joannabaldwin1787]

That’s so neat how you’ve planted them in bunches to save room instead of a long line. Can you show us what the starts look like when you buy them? Is that more expensive or easier than starting by seed?

[@Wolfe_Metals_Stacking]

We did sets last year, and as you said, nothing larger than a golf ball. This year, we are growing from seed. 600, to be precise. I'm not looking forward to doing the spooning for all of them, but I have heard from a few friends, and now your video that it helps. Here's hoping we get what we want out of our onions.

[@mairimarshall244]

In my experience and lots of others as well, ( loads of KZbin videos will bear this out) onion sets do grow large onions and also they do like to be grouped together in 4s or 5s. So I was really surprised to hear you say they don’t grow big at all.!

[@taylorbryar5813]

You should write a book! Each video would be a chapter. I'd buy it, sense I don't have the best internet. I'm sure I'm not the only one. Your garden is my goals! 😍🥰

[@leighfunderburk1072]

I think that we need to be aware that everyone's soil will differ. I've had to add sand to our soil for the carrots, garlic, and onions so they can even grow. When you're dealing with clay or gumbo in your area, an extra step like blending your soil with sand, or coconut coir or other things makes all the difference. No tip is going to help until your dirt is right, in my opinion.

[@dianehall5345]

Rachel- You gave an excellent explanation for us beginner onion growers! In the past I lacked the confidence to tackle serious onion growing, other than chives. Now I will give it a go. Thanks so much! ~Diane

[@blackdeath5026]

I use sets, red onions as a matter of fact and i always get large onions, that are sweet and juicy and and so good for everything we use them for

[@CristalMermaid]

Yo can also make a pesto or sofrito by blending them with olive oil in the blender and use it in toasts or as a marinade or for cooking soups or stews.

[@1870s]

Great idea

[@johnsciarretta7878]

That 1870's Homestead i

[@suphaters]

Third year gardener here in MI. I planted sets in the fall, but since I cannot change that, I followed the other instructions--well two of them. I trimmed the greens and spooned them. I'll let you know if that seems to make a difference. Next spring I'll get some starts from Coleman's in Ypsilanti. I saw them this year and looked at them, like why would someone choose to do it that way instead of sets in the fall. The lessons we learn.

[@1870s]

Hey maybe your will be the one michigander that can grow big onions from Sets :)

[@MrDynamitd]

Put in 300 sets , got about 275 onions , not green onions but real 3 inch onions which last into next april or may.

[@galeharris6696]

I've started my onions from sets for 30+ years, and always gotten good sized onions, all the rest is the same, except I just don't plant them very deeply, and they push themselves up out of the ground as they get large. Maybe things are different in the south. I'm in VT. Interesting video, thank you!🌻

[@ixchelskyfeather2513]

Great information! Thank you!! And I LOOOOVE your romper/jumpsuit!! Can you tell me where you purchased it? I would love to get one! 😍

[@MissTiina]

Me too, love your jumpsuit!!

[@kemmyyoung8454]

me too!! love, love love

[@jeanneamato8278]

A lot of work but I use an onion a day use for salad let alone meals. Thanks for this info.

[@1870s]

Post Edit Important Point: Don't Cut back your green tops after they stop producing! This could inadvertently prematurely stop your growing season. @ 10-12 weeks is optimal for me. Also I grow Long Day variety. Also, it's not wise to cut right before a rain storm. Water can get down into the tubes, and could cause them to rot.

[@wild_free_homestead]

How do you know if you have long day or short day variety? I've never heard of this either.

[@lovescamaros1]

@@wild_free_homestead a quick google search will let you know if you have long or intermediate day onions.

[@ecocentrichomestead6783]

@Debbie onions grow best according to day length. Long day varieties need to be used in high latitudes. Short day varieties in low latitudes. And there's intermediate varieties.

[@cherylanderson3340]

Thank you for these timely tips. I bought onion seeds this year, & had no idea about these methods. I didn't know anything about how to grow them, really!

[@wild_free_homestead]

@@lovescamaros1 Thank you

[@parker1ray]

Use Urea mine is 46-0-0 during leaf growth, and potash when the bulbs begin to form 0-0-60. The more leaves that an onion produce the bigger the bulbs. Hence the super high nitrogen feedings. Stop the nitrogen once the bulbs begin and switch to the potash which promotes big bulb and root production. One trick that I was taught years ago is to plant them in slightly raised rows and then the spooning more than once is not necessary as the soil is already away from the base of the plant.

[@vsgP7117]

Chopped green onion leaf mixed in scrambled eggs.

[@777Ryank]

Vs Guevara 👊🏼

[@chrisawelch]

I've been using them in omelettes, pasta sauces, and sprinkled over ribeye steaks.

[@karaamundson3964]

Yum! I also make onion omelettes, any stage of onion, with a little sage... Touch of parm, white ched, or gouda optional 😃 On a ton of things, actually... They're a luxury item

[@velezhustlers8619]

hi thank you for sharing. i have recently started a homestead way in the beginning stages. i have also started a youtube channel to document my progress. i have always wondered how to get the big bulbs on a onion. thank you so much for all the tips.

[@AndreasCreations]

Great tips. This is my first year trying onions. I planted sets so I'll try the rest of your tips. Fingers crossed. Thanks for sharing :-)

[@1870s]

Good luck, I had a viewer that lives in PNW and said she gets big onions from sets, so there is a way

[@Jimmy-372]

Very well informed video. I too, have been challenged with growing onions. Been gardening for decades and have given up on onions until this year. And once again, CHALLENGED! I have been growing from sets and have already made up my mind, that I will be using starts next season, even prior to seeing this video. You have confirmed my thought process. All veggies have been challenging this year in central PA. Thank you for sharing with the community. God knows, we all need helpful tips and folks as yourself. God bless

[@1870s]

Awesome! Glad you found this helpful. Do please come back and let us know, how things work out for you in the future. It really helps us to get feedback from people. 🍃

[@countryfrau8328]

I appreciate that cutting tip because I find that the stems are cracking off whenever I weed near them, etc.

[@1870s]

They will thank you, for the haircut 🍈

[@sandraholder1010]

In the caribbean we make green seasoning with them. We blend them together woth garlic pimento peppers. Ofher green seasoinings like thyme, oregano, cilantro and water alittle vinegar or lime juice. . This is then used to season meats, add to stews, soups etc.makes

[@jasminthiaa]

I am trying to grow my own onions from seed, started them last oct-november and the sets are finally ready to be planted! Thank you for your helpful tips! I've never been successful at growing those "second year" onions. Keeping my fingers crossed! Happy gardening!

[@ramonajolley1966]

Wow!! Very interesting. My onions are very small. So I'll get out there and try this. Onion powder mmm. Thank you for the information.

[@CelestialChef90]

Great I’ll be enjoying a bunch of green onions this year. SMH. Starts it is from now on. Thanks!

[@user-di6cn2ne7u]

#same . I also planted bunching onions - so ill be up to my eyeballs on green onions

[@1870s]

Dehydrate them, and make powder 💚

[@user-di6cn2ne7u]

Yes I've been dehydrating. Also making scallion pancakes !

[@backwoodswilly1288]

Good stuff young lady. Spooning is also called ringing. I've never topped my onions. I'll give it a shot this year. Love your channel. Tip of the hat to your hubby. Awesome beard. Mines as white, but only half again as long.

[@Citystead]

Onions are about to learn the harsh reality of growing in my garden, you get the time you get 😄

[@1870s]

Good activity for the kiddos

[@susanlinkletter7422]

I am the same. No special treatment in my garden.

[@klbfarwell]

I love onions so much and was too concerned I wouldn't be successful... you have motivated me to try.

[@mikespeers8281]

I agree that growing onions from seed and “starts” as you call them is better than growing from sets. This is because set onions are more prone to ‘bolting’ (going to seed). However, in my experience the only reason to ‘spoon’ or ‘bowl’ (as we call it) onions is to help giant onions (competition) from being damaged by stones etc around the base of the onion and allow easier swelling. The down side to this is if your beds are prone to strong winds! In my experience the larger the onion the poorer the flavour (especially giant competition onions). If soil is properly prepared and top dressed with fish bone and blood, there is no need to do anything else other than weeding and hoeing the soil around the onions to avoid panning (water retention caused by a layer forming which stops water from penetrating the surface properly). No chemical based fertilisers are required at all. Cutting leaf that early in the growing cycle will not increase yield. If anything it reduces the ability of the onion to swell properly. An old guy described it to me when I started growing onions “careful with that hoe son, damage the leaves and you’ll damage the growing engine” 🤣😉 I mostly grow a variety from seed called Zebrune. They are actually shallots or ‘banana shallots’ but unlike shallot sets they only produce one bulb. Chefs love them because they vary in size and are easy to prepare, top tail slit and skin falls away. The flavour is superb, there are also red varieties available. Storage is exceptional. 👍

[@karlgru3n654]

Will try Zebrune! Lost the seed of an 'onion' named Red Torpedo, Miss it. ;) Your reasoning and obvious experience inspires.

[@mylightofhope]

Mike I just started some Zebrune seeds and Karl, I also started red torpedo. My first time ever trying onion from seed. Was nice to hear your comments on them, I hope they do well! Mike I'm glad to read your suggestions as well. However, I'm wondering what does limit onions to grow to a good size then? I've had better luck in raised beds with them, but still haven't gotten as big a other growers. I typically plant candy onions from starts or a Texas sweet I think I tried too.

[@WonbyGrace2]

Wow thank you for posting all that information

[@704406bbl]

Just caught you video. Great presentation and very informative. I subscribed to your channel. Thanks for taking time to share.

[@peterk.6093]

My mom always grew the onions on very poor, clay and sand, low nitrogen soil, no fertilizer as a rule. No topping, no spooning. Just keeping the weeds away. Hardly any watering ever. And they were always nice size. Definitely no golf ball size. The onions somehow pushed themselves out from that heavy soil. They had a rough time but survived nicely the whole winter wtithout any rot.

[@1870s]

That's awesome 😀

[@peterk.6093]

​@@1870s Yes, I think I understand also your love for the onions. They are a very hardy and flexible vegetable. I think the same onions can be grown in quite a different environment to produce different size and type of bulbs. Just the possibility of sowing them in such a different times of the year for different growth dynamics is fascinating.

[@searcymasonry]

thats comical . my grandpa used to break all of the accepted norms . he wouldnt have been able to afford fertilizer if the shit was a penny a ton . he would roll softball sized potatoes out from the rottenest / rockiest dirt ever know to man . the thing i do remember is , he would hoe his garden in the hottest part of the day . he carried a file in his coverall pocket and every few minutes he would stop and sharpen up his hoe . he said -- you cut the weeds off at surface level in the heat of the day and them shits get their root systems baked and never come back . grandpa was a fn mess . his front teeth were absolutely horizontal and he told his stories incessantly , only amplified when everyone had left the room . id rather just buy a bag of onions / potatoes than to aspire to his level of crazy .

[@searcymasonry]

my dad was just as nuts . he was a frothing religious zealout . he couldnt deal with crazy grandpa much . in my elder years i imagine my dad being cornered by crazy grandpa ( everett ) somewhere in heaven , and grandpa everette telling him the story that will literally NEVER END . i think karma has a sense of humor . :)>

[@jujubeethatsme]

I would love to know how your grandpa did that

[@joanievoskuhl5071]

very very excellent video I dint know why my onion sets would not grow large onions.now i do . thankyou

[@cuttwice3905]

I grow my own starts from seed.

[@rdking8001]

Wow thanks so much for the onion information, I’ve been waistline my time for 5 years I’m going to get it right this year

[@1870s]

You got this!

[@gardeninggoddess]

I rubbed my eye whilst watching and thought oh no onion in my eye lol

[@1870s]

lol

[@ahsanredemption]

😂😂😂😂👌💖💖

[@davideverett6322]

You better stay away from the Habanero videos!

[@DragonflySailsHomestead]

Ouch! Been there, done that.

[@levenscott645]

Fantastic to know these tips. I have been growing great green tops but not much in the way of bulbs. Until now.

[@justryan2070]

Clif Notes: Topping, spooning, and fertilize from seed.

[@smas3256]

I never wanted to try growing onions but the costs at markets is high. Thanks for all the tips.

[@rosemacaskie]

I am a pretty useless gardener and find that my walking onions grow big the next summer not on the year i planted them. My celery to has grown big in the third year after planting it. I have planted a lot this spring or grown a lot from seed for next year. Onion seeds seem to sprout well in hot weather.

[@1870s]

Awesome, I would like to try some walking onions next year and see how I like them.