Whether you’re just starting out, or searching for the perfect addition to your existing garden, now is the time to start thinking about planting onions and garlic.
Both are simple to grow & store, and can be used in countless dishes & dips! As with any fruit, vegetable, or herb- the trick to a successful harvest is knowing when and how to plant and care for your garden as your vegetation grows.
Onions and garlic can be planted in several ways: from seed, bare root, or cloves. Garlic is only available from cloves. If you are planting from seed, the best time to get started is between August & September. If from bare root plants, we suggest early to mid-November. For garlic from cloves, the best time is between October & January.
Planting
Before planting, mix Bumper Crop Soil Builder and Bumper Crop Tomato and Vegetable food into the existing soil where your plants will live. If using garlic cloves, ensure the clove’s tip is at or just above soil level, and keep the cloves approximately 4 inches apart. Bare root onions should be placed in just enough soil to cover the white portion, approximately 4 to 6 inches apart.
Watering & Light Exposure
Once planted, you’ll want to be sure your new crops are thoroughly and regularly watered, as needed. It is important that you do not keep the soil wet, as it should remain well drained. The plants should be grown in an area where they receive full sun exposure.
Harvest
Both onions and garlic will be ready to harvest in early summer. At first, the tops will begin to dry, which is a sign to stop the watering process. This allows the foliage to turn completely brown & cure for storage.
Once the tops are brown, remove the plants from the soil, remove the brown tops, brush off any excess dirt, and store them loosely in a cool, dark place.
Both onions and garlic can be eaten at any stage. While red onions store for only a few months, yellow and white are good types for long-term keeping.
Please call the nursery if you want to be notified when onion bundles arrive.
We expect onions to arrive around the end of October to early November.
Six-packs are usually available in late summer-early fall.
