Onion

Onion

Cultivated by the ancient Egyptians, onions rejoice in rich, open soil and moist conditions. The tasty leaves grow prolifically which in turn feeds the formation of the bulb. 

Long day/short night or late varieties are not suitable for the tropics but short day, early varieties may be grown anywhere in Australia. Direct-sown seed must be weeded and thinned — sowing seedlings and transplanting is often easier! If sowing into punnets, transplant the seedlings when they are about half as thick as a pencil, planting them no more than 2.5cm deep. It’s essential to keep onions weed free. Bulbs are mature when stems die down; dry well before storing. Shallots are multiplying onions - these onions will produce offsets as well as the primary bulbs increasing in size. Replant some offsets for the next crop.