Q.
Hi Tui Team, what do I need to do to grow decent red onions? I just put in another lot as the last lot were small. Do you have any advice please? Thanks, Tina.
A.
The trick with onions is to plant them into a moist rich soil; and avoid planting them out in the intense heat of summer. They love organic matter such as compost and well rotted manure, so dig this in when planting.
Onions need plenty of water to produce decent sized bulbs, particularly when these start to form in November and December. Applying layers of Tui Pea Straw Mulch will prevent help reduce water loss from the soil.
Choose the best looking seedlings you can, most are sold as a generic red onion. If the seedlings look spindly or small, grow them on in the punnets until they look fatter and larger. Transplanting them when they are tiny often causes transplanting shock, which limits the end result. Seasol is a an effective seaweed based plant tonic to give them a boost and will help reduce transplant shock.
Happy planting!
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How do I grow decent red onions? Comments
Hi, do I need to prune the tops and roots of red onions when I plant them?
Brenda Butler
Hi Brenda
Trimming helps develop bulbs so the plants energies go into producing a bulb rather than foliage. Wait until the tops get to about 20cm high, cut them back by half and they will shoot away again. Repeat this a couple of times during the growing season.
Happy gardening, Tui Team.
When I plant the onion seedlings, I trim both leaves and roots. The leaves are trimmed to reduce transpiration, the roots are trimmed to ensure the roots remain straight and not doubled back.
peter neal