Onion planting can be a tricky process, but with the right techniques, it can yield some impressive results. In this article, we will explore some of the key factors that contribute to successful onion growth.
One important aspect to consider is the type of planting method used. Through experimentation, it has been found that interplanting onions with other plants, such as tomatoes and peppers, can lead to impressive results. This is because onions are a part of the allium family, which produces an odor that repels pests. Additionally, interplanting allows for more efficient use of space and simulates a polyculture environment.
Key Takeaways
- Interplanting onions with other plants, such as tomatoes and peppers, can lead to successful growth.
- Proper fertilization is crucial for onion growth, with a focus on nitrogen-based fertilizers for young onions and balanced fertilizers for mature onions.
- Drip irrigation can greatly benefit onion growth and yield impressive results.
Onion Planting Basics
Onions are a foundational plant in the kitchen, and as such, they require a lot of effort to grow. There are different techniques to growing onions, and they are different from most of the annual vegetables that we grow because most of the annual vegetables that we grow are fruiting plants, and an onion is not. We are actually eating the bulb, so they have different rules. After growing onions for a few years, there are three things that have been noticed that really give onions a boost.
Interplanting
Interplanting onions with other plants, especially plants like tomatoes and peppers, seems to be a great technique. Onions love being companion planted. Companion planting onions with tomatoes and peppers is great because they have very different root systems. The onion root system is a fairly shallow surface root system, whereas tomatoes and peppers have deeper roots. They don’t directly compete with each other, making them great friends. Alliums, which is the family that onions, garlic, leeks, and shallots are in, actually produce an odor that keeps pests away. Interplanting onions with sensitive plants such as tomatoes and peppers produces fantastic results.
Fertilizing
Onions require a proper fertilizing regimen. When you first plant your onion seeds, they will grow into little grasses, so once your onions are large enough for transplant, you need to fertilize them like a grass. Your first few fertilizings should be largely nitrogen-based, such as blood meal and miracle grow all-purpose 24 8 16. Once you get good green top growth on your onions, you need to start backing off the nitrogen. If you keep giving them high nitrogen throughout the year, they will continue to put almost all their energy into growing the onion tops instead of the onion bulbs. Once you back off the nitrogen regimen, you should switch fertilizing to a more balanced fertilizer or back off entirely. When planting onion transplants, liberally apply a 555 organic fertilizer, which takes weeks if not months to break down in the soil. Every two weeks, toss a couple more handfuls of that 555 on the onion beds. Once you back off the nitrogen fertilizer, there are probably enough organic nutrients that are slow-release and very balanced to assist in the bulbing. Since you won’t have a high nitrogen feed, you will then encourage the onions to grow more roots and a larger bulb.
Drip Irrigation
Drip irrigation is a fantastic technique that pays fantastic dividends. Running drip irrigation in all of the beds in between all of the rows that have the onions is a great way to ensure that the onions get enough water. Drip irrigation not only soaks the peppers down with water but also soaks the onions.
Experimentation with Onion Planting Techniques
Onions are a foundational plant in the kitchen, and therefore, it is essential to grow them properly. The speaker in the video has experimented with different planting techniques and has arrived at a number of conclusions. In one of the beds, the speaker has grown yellow granex onions from seed as single plantings and also as doubles and triples to see which is a better method of planting standalone or in clusters. In another bed, the same yellow granex onions were interplanted with all of the pepper plants, and the results have been dramatically different. The onions in the pepper bed are almost double the size of the onions grown as single plantings.
After growing onions for a few years, the speaker has noticed three things that give onions a boost:
- Interplanting with other plants: Onions love being companion planted, especially with plants like tomatoes and peppers. Companion planting with onions, garlic, leeks, and shallots actually produces an odor that keeps pests away. The speaker recommends interplanting onions with sensitive pest plants such as tomatoes and peppers for fantastic results.
- Proper fertilizing regimen: Onions are different from most annual vegetables that we grow. When fertilizing onions, it is essential to back off the nitrogen once you get good green top growth on your onions. After the high nitrogen regimen, switch fertilizing to a more balanced fertilizer or back off entirely. The speaker recommends liberally applying a 555 organic fertilizer when planting onion transplants and tossing a couple of handfuls of that 555 on onion beds every two weeks.
- Drip irrigation: This year, the speaker ran drip irrigation in all of his beds in between all of the rows that had the onions. The drip line has emitters spaced every 12 inches, which not only soak the peppers down with water but also soak the onions.
These three tips will help grow large onions that do fantastically well and produce beautiful bulbs.
Comparison of Different Onion Planting Methods
Onions are a foundational plant in the kitchen and as such, it is important to grow them properly. The speaker in the video has experimented with different onion planting methods and has arrived at a number of conclusions.
The speaker has grown an onion variety called Yellow Granex from seed and planted them in two different beds using different methods. In the first bed, the onions were planted as single plantings and also as doubles and triples. In the second bed, the onions were interplanted with all of the pepper plants.
The results have been dramatically different. The onions in the second bed, which were interplanted with pepper plants, are almost double the size of the onions in the first bed. The speaker attributes this to the fact that onions love being companion planted with other plants, especially plants like tomatoes and peppers.
The speaker recommends interplanting onions with other plants as it not only looks better, but also simulates a polyculture and is more space efficient. Alliums, which is the family that onions, garlic, leeks, and shallots are in, actually produce an odor that keeps pests away, making them great friends with pest-sensitive plants such as tomatoes and peppers.
The second tip that the speaker gives for growing onions that the onions absolutely love is a proper fertilizing regimen. Onions are different from most annual vegetables as they are a bit of a hybrid of each. When first planted, onions will grow into little grasses. Once they are large enough for transplant, they need to be fertilized like a grass. The first few fertilizings are largely nitrogen-based, while later on, the speaker recommends switching to a more balanced fertilizer or backing off entirely.
The third and final tip that the speaker gives is to run drip irrigation in all of the beds in between all of the rows that have the onions. This will not only soak the peppers down with water but will also soak the onions, giving them the moisture they need to grow properly.
Overall, interplanting onions with other plants, proper fertilization, and drip irrigation are all methods that can be used to grow onions successfully.
Key Factors for Onion Growth
Onions are a foundational plant in the kitchen, and growing them requires some effort and technique. After experimenting with different types of planting and techniques, the speaker has arrived at a number of conclusions. Here are three key factors that the speaker has noticed that give onions a boost:
- Interplanting with other plants: Onions love being companion planted, especially with plants like tomatoes and peppers. Companion planting simulates a polyculture and is more space efficient. Alliums, which include onions, garlic, leeks, and shallots, produce an odor that keeps pests away, making them great friends with sensitive plants. The onion root system is shallow, while tomatoes and peppers have deeper roots, so they don’t directly compete with each other. Interplanting onions with sensitive plants such as tomatoes and peppers has always yielded fantastic results.
- Proper fertilizing regimen: Onions require a balanced fertilizer regimen. When first planted, onions should be fertilized with nitrogen-based fertilizers like blood meal or Miracle-Gro all-purpose 24-8-16. Once you get good green top growth, you need to start backing off the nitrogen because if you keep giving them high nitrogen throughout the year, they will continue to put almost all of their energy into growing the onion tops instead of the onion bulbs. After you’re done with the high nitrogen regimen, switch fertilizing to a more balanced fertilizer or back off entirely. A 555 organic fertilizer is very good for onions when they are young. Once you back off the nitrogen fertilizer, there are enough organic nutrients that are slow-release and very balanced to assist in the bulbing.
- Drip irrigation: Drip irrigation is a method of watering that uses a system of tubing and emitters to deliver water directly to the roots of plants. The speaker ran drip irrigation in all of his beds in between all of the rows that had the onions. Drip irrigation not only soaked the peppers down with water but also soaked the onions. Drip irrigation is paying fantastic dividends this year, and the onions are doing incredibly well.
Interplanting Onions with Other Plants
Benefits of Companion Planting
Onions are a versatile plant in the kitchen and can be grown in various ways. One technique that has been proven to give onions a boost is interplanting them with other plants, especially plants like tomatoes and peppers. Companion planting with these plants has been found to be beneficial for onions because they have very different root systems. The onion root system is a shallow surface root system, whereas tomatoes and peppers have a deeper root system. This means that they do not directly compete with each other and can be great friends. Companion planting also simulates a polyculture, making it more space-efficient and aesthetically pleasing.
Additionally, alliums, which is the family that onions, garlic, leeks, and shallots belong to, produce an odor that keeps pests away. This makes them great companions with pest-sensitive plants such as tomatoes and peppers. By interplanting onions with these plants, gardeners can not only benefit the growth and yield of their onions but also reduce the risk of pest infestations in their garden.
Pest Repellent Properties
As mentioned earlier, alliums have pest repellent properties. This is due to the sulfur compounds they produce, which are toxic to many insects. By interplanting onions with other plants, gardeners can benefit from this natural pest control method. The odor produced by alliums can repel pests such as aphids, carrot flies, and onion maggots, which are common pests that can damage onion plants.
In the video, the speaker shows two onion beds, one interplanted with peppers and the other with only onions. The onions in the interplanted bed are much larger compared to the standalone bed. This is likely due to the pest repellent properties of alliums and the fact that onions benefit from being companion planted with other plants like tomatoes and peppers.
Overall, interplanting onions with other plants can be a beneficial technique for gardeners looking to improve the growth and yield of their onion plants while also reducing the risk of pest infestations. Additionally, providing proper fertilization and irrigation can also contribute to the success of onion growth.
Fertilizing Regimen for Onions
Fertilizing Young Onions
Onions have a unique fertilization regimen compared to most annual vegetables. When onions are young, they require a nitrogen-based fertilizer such as blood meal or water-soluble fertilizers like Miracle-Gro all-purpose 24-8-16. These fertilizers promote the growth of the onion tops. However, once the onion tops have grown sufficiently, it is important to reduce the nitrogen intake as the onions will put all their energy into growing the tops instead of the bulbs. A balanced fertilizer or no fertilizer at all can be used after the high nitrogen regimen. Additionally, a 555 organic fertilizer can be applied liberally when planting onion transplants, and every two weeks, a few handfuls of 555 can be tossed on the onion beds.
Fertilizing Mature Onions
To encourage the growth of large onions, it is important to fertilize them properly. Onions require a hybrid fertilization regimen as they are neither fruiting nor leafy vegetables. The first few fertilizations should be nitrogen-based to promote the growth of the onion tops. Once the onion tops have grown sufficiently, it is important to reduce the nitrogen intake to encourage the growth of the bulbs. A balanced fertilizer or no fertilizer at all can be used after the high nitrogen regimen. Additionally, a 555 organic fertilizer can be applied liberally when planting onion transplants, and every two weeks, a few handfuls of 555 can be tossed on the onion beds. Another tip to encourage the growth of large onions is to interplant them with other plants, especially tomatoes and peppers. Onions love being companion planted with these plants, and the different root systems of these plants do not compete with each other. Moreover, onions have pest repellent properties, making them great friends with sensitive plants like tomatoes and peppers. Finally, drip irrigation can be used to water the onion beds and promote the growth of the bulbs.
Drip Irrigation for Onion Growth
Drip irrigation is a technique that has been found to be very effective in growing onions. This method involves using a drip line with emitters that are spaced every 12 inches to soak the onions with water. The drip line not only waters the onions but also the companion plants like peppers.
According to the gardener, drip irrigation is the third tip that onions will absolutely love. He discovered that running drip irrigation in all of his beds in between all of the rows that had the onions is paying fantastic dividends.
Drip irrigation ensures that the onions receive the right amount of water they need for their growth. It also helps to keep the soil moist, which is essential for the development of the onion bulbs. With drip irrigation, the onions are less likely to suffer from water stress, which can lead to stunted growth or even death of the plant.
In summary, drip irrigation is a highly recommended method for growing onions. It ensures that the onions receive adequate water supply, which is essential for their growth and development. By using drip irrigation, gardeners can achieve healthy onion plants with large, flavorful bulbs.