Alicia Craig on the left, Redwing on the right
So the plan was to plant on Wednesday. I don't follow plans well. People think I'm organized, but really I'm not naturally. For me organization is a learned trait. And gardening plans especially are made to be broken. I tend to be spontaneous. You could think of it as impulsive. Sometimes I feel that way. The onions were just calling out to me. They wouldn't let me ignore them. They so wanted to be outside in the rain. They didn't want to get stuck inside by the back door for two days. So out I went in the light drizzle.
Well Monday morning was calm for the first time in days. I didn't fertilize the beds where my peas and spinach were planted because the wind would have just whipped the fertilizer away when I tried to put it on. So they still need to be done. Those beds are especially low in phosphorous so they will get a lot of bone meal. But did I fertilize them Monday? Well no. I did do the bed for the onions before planting though. Thank goodness. I hate having to fertilize after I've already planted. I swear the next calm day that isn't raining I'll get to them. Really I will. But probably only if they call to me.
I did a few calculations to figure out how far apart I could plant my onions and still fit them into the bed. I had six rows 6" apart which I made to follow the curve around the bed. I decided the best would be to plant 5" apart in the rows. In the past I've followed Jeavons spacing which is 4" apart in all directions. I've never gotten good onions that way. So now they are getting so much more space - twice the square footage. I want good onions this year.
I've planted four types of onions. From inside the circle to outside, I have Alicia Craig, Redwing, Varsity, and Copra. Copra has the most as they are the best of the storage onions. Though all but Alicia Craig are supposed to be good for storage.
You might notice that the corners weren't planted. I didn't have enough onions to fill them. Usually I have backups of plants just in case some get taken down by something. But this year I don't have any backups for onions. I'll keep a close eye on them and if the birds get vicious I'll cover them with remay. The corners I'm guessing will get more cilantro at some point. Dang I should have thought about it and just seeded them out then. Well maybe I'll start some inside.
Your onions look great and definitely ready to be planted outside! I really like the way you planted them in curved rows in the beds. Here's hoping for a good onion crop for you!!
ReplyDeleteIt will be interesting to see if the added space makes a difference for you. I will also be interested to see how your Alicia Craig onions do as I was contemplating trying that variety this year but did not. Your onions look so darn good, hope mine look even half as nice come planting time.
ReplyDeleteYou really did grow some nice onion plants! Mine weren't that big, but hopefully they will catch up.
ReplyDeleteThose onion plants are really handsome - well grown and sturdy. The planting curve is really attractive and should make for a pretty (and hopefully produtive) bed. I have increased the spacing on my onions to 6 inches for much the same reasons as you are. I have had mixed success with closer spacing and decided I just need to increase my odds of better production by giving them a little more room.
ReplyDeleteI have decided not to grow onions this year as there are just the two of us and we don't use many.
ReplyDeleteI'm a spontaneous planter, too. Funny, we like our rows and crops organized, but we both plant on a whim. Last year I planted by the moon, and my garden was less successful than it had been other years, so I'm back to planting "when it feels right". I always do my onions at 4", but they aren't storage onions, so I'm pulling every other one to eat green, at various stages of growth.
ReplyDeleteWOW! Your onions look huge! I decided not to grow any from seeds this year. When waiting until my local nursery carries transplants. (I'm a slacker, I know!)
ReplyDeleteNice looking beds, all planted! Good work! I too am a learned organizer, and tend to spontaneously plant. I normally stand out there thinking "have I planted this here before?"
ReplyDeleteI plant my green onions much closer together and they work fine, but alas, they're green, and produce a tiny bulb. hehe. I don't cook with onions, so I don't grow them. Best of luck with a great harvest!
Wow! Your onions look wonderful. They are off to a great beginning in the garden. I think the extra spacing will be good for them. My trial with multiplanting onions last year was not successful.
ReplyDeleteI try to plan and organize. It is easy and fun to do during the winter months when I can't garden. However, in the end I pretty much wing it and have to adjust my garden plans accordingly.
Do onions like cool weather? I just started mine from seeds about 2 weeks ago. They're about 1.5 inches now. I don't know when I should plant them outside. Yours look great! I've also purchased onion bulbs - 200 of them :) Altogether, I have over 360+ onion plants!! All are inside ......for now.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous onions - such nice big transplants!! I understand about 'working' towards being organized.. so true! We're still eating the last dozen of last autumn's onions.. really, such a worthwhile crop to grow!
ReplyDeleteNice potager. The curved rows of onions will look great once they've grown in. I'm a staunch fan of ornamental vegetable gardening. It may not be efficient for large-scale farming but it works beautifully for small backyard gardens such as ours.
ReplyDeleteThose really from seed? - I planted out some a fraction of that size last week!!!
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