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KarenO · June 12, 2014

The "tops" of onions are the leaves which produce the sugars stored in the bulbs. Removing leaves while the onions are growing will make the bulbs smaller, not larger but if a flower stalk appears that should be removed to prevent the plant from diverting energy to the production of seed. I space my onions 4 inches at planting and then as soon as they are usable size I start picking every second one as I need them to leave more room for the others. Onions are not difficult to grow but as others have said it is important to choose the correct varieties for your day length. Keep evenly moist and they are heavy feeders. I supplement my already good garden soil with composted manure and a granular organic fertilizer made from blood and bone meal. I get bigger onions from seedlings and there is more variety but have also used sets and they work as well. I love to grow shallots, Dutch and French as they are so easy to grow, far easier than onions, Are wonderful for cooking and expensive to buy. I find they keep longer in storage than onions too. Give them a try, a gourmet treat and easy to grow. Multipliers (aka Dutch shallots) can be picked young and used as scallions as well so they are dual purpose and very quick to produce. I much prefer them to green onions as they grow so fast.
Karen

June 12, 2014	#23
KarenO Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Vancouver Island Posts: 5,927	The "tops" of onions are the leaves which produce the sugars stored in the bulbs. Removing leaves while the onions are growing will make the bulbs smaller, not larger but if a flower stalk appears that should be removed to prevent the plant from diverting energy to the production of seed. I space my onions 4 inches at planting and then as soon as they are usable size I start picking every second one as I need them to leave more room for the others. Onions are not difficult to grow but as others have said it is important to choose the correct varieties for your day length. Keep evenly moist and they are heavy feeders. I supplement my already good garden soil with composted manure and a granular organic fertilizer made from blood and bone meal. I get bigger onions from seedlings and there is more variety but have also used sets and they work as well. I love to grow shallots, Dutch and French as they are so easy to grow, far easier than onions, Are wonderful for cooking and expensive to buy. I find they keep longer in storage than onions too. Give them a try, a gourmet treat and easy to grow. Multipliers (aka Dutch shallots) can be picked young and used as scallions as well so they are dual purpose and very quick to produce. I much prefer them to green onions as they grow so fast. Karen Last edited by KarenO; June 12, 2014 at 06:33 AM.