[Music] Onions are a must grow vegetable! Why?
Well, where to begin! To start, onions are very easy to grow, and properly prepared bulbs
will store reliably for up to six months. Like potatoes, there's something
immensely satisfying about the weighty harvest you can get from even a small area,
and as the starting point to so many recipes, there's every reason to
grow more of your own. So let's not hang about: here's our
Sowing to Harvest guide to onions. Onions come in traditional yellow and red
which are both great in the kitchen, but look out for white varieties too, which are often
bigger, milder, and great thinly sliced into salads. For an extensive list of varieties
check out our Garden Planner, where you can bring up a Varieties box
for every crop, including onions, and read through variety descriptions at your leisure. Drop some onions into your plan, then bring up the Plant List to check the best sowing, planting and harvesting
dates for your specific location. Onions love a sunny and open site
and well-drained soil enriched with organic matter such as compost or well-rotted manure. If your soil is heavy and tends
to remain overly wet then grow onions in raised beds or mounds to improve
drainage. For the earliest start, sow onion seeds into plug trays
or pots of potting mix to transplant later as seedlings. This avoids the need for thinning out,
encourages a more economical use of seed and, given the protection of a greenhouse
or cold frame, means sowing can start at least a month sooner, in late winter. Fill trays with seed starting or general-
purpose potting mix, pressing it down into the cells for a solid fill. Sow a pinch of 4-8 seeds per cell,
then cover with more potting mix to a depth of a quarter to half an inch (1cm). Water with a fine spray. Transplant the resulting seedlings while they're
still quite small to avoid disturbing the delicate roots. Make holes into prepared ground, planting each clump
of seedlings about 4in (10cm) apart before firming in and watering. Direct sowings can commence in spring as soon as the
soil is workable and has warmed up a little. Rake the soil level, then mark out seed drills
about half an inch (1cm) deep and a foot (30cm) apart. Sow the seeds very thinly, cover back over, then water along
the rows to settle them in. Thin the seedlings in stages until they're about
2in (5cm) apart for lots of smaller onions or 4in (10cm) apart for fewer but bigger bulbs. Covering early sowings or
transplants with row cover or fleece helps to speed things along at the start
of the season, and may help reduce the tendency to bolt (or flower),
which makes bulbs too tough to eat. Some especially hardy varieties of onion may also be
sown in late summer to sit through the winter and give an extra-early crop next
spring or early summer. In many regions you may be able to buy
onion transplants for immediate planting. Another alternative is to plant sets. Sets are part-grown onions
that are very easy to grow, and save time sowing. On the downside, they don't store as well
as onions grown from seed or transplants and they carry a higher risk of bolting. There are however heat-treated varieties that are
more resistant to bolting. Nevertheless, sets are clear winners when
it comes to convenience. Plant sets in mid-spring into prepared, weed-free ground
that's warmed up a little. Leave just the tips poking up from the ground and space
them 2-4 in (5-10cm) apart, depending on the final size of bulb you're after. Some sets may also be planted in early autumn to give
a harvest up to two months earlier next summer. Onions transplanted from module trays
may be left as they are or thinned out once they've grown on to give bigger bulbs. You can enjoy the thinnings as green (or spring) onions. As shallow-rooted plants, onions must be kept watered
in dry weather. Keep on top of weeds too, hoeing carefully between rows, then hand-weeding within the rows
so as not to damage the roots. Harvest time is approaching once most of
the leaves have bent down towards the ground. Bulbs will continue to swell over
the next few weeks before coloring up nicely in time for harvest. WHen they're ready lift them up with a fork or trowel, they move those destined for storing under cover to dry. Any form of cover,
from an airy shed to a greenhouse, is ideal, or in warm, dry climates simply
leave the onions where they are on the soil surface. Space bulbs out so there's good airflow
between them - racks can help with this. This drying process, called curing,
takes about two weeks and toughens up the outer skin of the onion so it
will keep for longer. Store onions suspended in nets, tied into bundles or,
weaved into beautiful onion strings like this. Onions should keep until at least
midwinter, and as long as spring. Awesome onions - you've got to love them! But
grow them yourself and you'll love them some more. Please do share your tips for growing onions
in the comments section below, and tell us how you start them off,
whether that's by seeds, transplants, or sets. We'd love to hear your experiences! Thanks for stopping by today, but before you head off
please do click that subscribe button. With the growing season nearing we don't want you to
miss out on any of the fantastic videos we've got lined up. I'll catch you next time. [Music]
