Since they are a cold climate crop, they could be planted in enclosed spaces in early spring or outdoors and covered with approximately a quarter of an inch of soil. It's amazing how fast they germinate; you may see the green germinated leaves of the soil emerge in seven or ten days.
Large immature bulbs turn into green onions, while smaller ones are left on the ground to form bulbs.
Differences:
• Transplants. They are seedlings the size of a pencil, which begin to grow in the growing season. They are marketed as immature bulbs, usually through nurseries and mail orders. They form bulbs quickly - in about 65 days - but they are more susceptible to diseases and their varieties are limited.
These should be grown on land, between four and six weeks before the last strong frost of spring (which even for experts could be difficult to determine). Try to make lots of loose soil and plant the bulb no more than an inch of its size, which could expose several inches of it on the ground.
• Immature bulbs. It has an even more limited list of available varieties, they are dry and underdeveloped bulbs that were cultivated the previous year. They are easier to plant, they are harvested faster and they are less prone to diseases. One pound of immature onion bulbs could produce approximately 50 feet per line.
Often, immature onion bulbs are only identified as white or yellow, instead of the name of the specific variety, which makes the identification of these varieties a little unknown unless they know what they are and where they come from.
Half-inch-long bulbs are less prone to spike. Once an onion gleams or blooms, use it first and as soon as possible, since the green stem of the flower that comes from the center of the bulb will prevent its storage for more than one or two weeks.
• Seeds. In general, there is a greater number of varieties available; however, it is obvious that the period of growth increases by about four months to complete its maturity process.
So, especially in colder growing areas, you could grow plants in enclosed spaces, under lights for cultivation or cold structures (in which case you can plant them even earlier) to make the most of the season.
When the seedlings are between 2 and 3 inches tall, you can begin to move them to start the transplant stage, but first you must make them more resistant-by accustoming them to outside temperatures-by exposing them gradually in a back porch or in an area " intermediate ".
How to choose and grow onion varieties
There are several types of white, yellow and purple onions. In terms of size, they could vary from small onions for pickles to large Spanish varieties.
They can be shaped like a balloon, spinning top or torpedo. It is said that the sweeter varieties are more flattened, or rather, have an oval shape with the stem at the top.
And the shallot onion "reproductive" of the group of the Allium cepa var. Aggregatum develops a group of bulbs, so every time you harvest them, you will have a virtually unlimited supply of bulbs to replant.
When you buy your onion transplants, try to put them on the ground as quickly as possible. If you can not grow them due to rain or any other adverse circumstances, sprinkle them in a cool, dry area. If they start to dry, it's fine; as members of the lily family, they will survive another three weeks. Once planted, new roots will emerge almost immediately.
When growing immature bulbs, push the flat side down on the moist soil until the pointed side is visible at the top, 4 or 5 inches away. Grow them as soon as you can work the soil, and try to make sure that the temperature does not drop to 20 ° F.
The lines can be sown at a distance of up to 12 inches or a separation of up to 18 inches. Again, planting them very deeply prevents onions from developing large bulbs.
Always water them immediately after growing them, and keep them relatively moist as the time of harvest approaches. Meanwhile, it is important to weed carefully so that the plants invade.
