# growing onions.....zone 8



## Miz Mary (Feb 15, 2003)

I have never had success growing onions - and I am determined to grow some onions !!!! I buy the little bags of sprouting baby onions, when do I put them in the ground ???? I assume now, since they are selling them ????? I want big bulb onions, not the green tops ......I read they are done when the tops dry out .......my baby onions never get big - they stay the same size !!!!


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## vicker (Jul 11, 2003)

Onions do not like acid soil. Sounds to me like you should do a soil test. If your soil is too acidic the onions won't grow.


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## Jenn (Nov 9, 2004)

Mary- In zone 8 we have day length issues. I can only find sweet onions like Vidalias- which do not last long (are not keepers)- as large bulbing onions for our area. Of course maybe I'm looking in the wrong garden catalogues ! but most of the bulbers are longday - need a day several hours over 12 long to bulb and so long a day does not occur at our latitude (below 35 degr from the equator- I am at 31 in south AL). I see Park has day neitral and shortday- and says Granex which I have planted (in fall is best our area) keeps fairly well- will let you know this fall if they work and this winter if they keep.

I planted lots of onions- granex the only bulbing one but several bunching ones- here in 8a/b S AL. All about Sep/Oct. in raised beds. Right now they are all very thick (as a woman's thumb) but striaght 'green onions'. Mixed up some of my onions transplanting overplanted ones (or maybe rather than two-three seeds one spot it was the bunching onions, bunching!) so I plant to eat only the ones I am sure are bunching or green (not meant to bulb) or when I see a bulb as big as I want (or when I get desperate for onions!) From what I understand once day is 12 hours long- or March 21- the Granex should start bulbing up (whereas long day onions will wait even longer; gives Northern growers a chance to get bigger onion shoots so the bulb in the end is bigger- while mine grew over winter to get big not an option up there too many places).

See a short day red in Parks- when I get another bed started will grow this as well bnut might not bulb this year.


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## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

vicker said:


> Onions do not like acid soil. Sounds to me like you should do a soil test. If your soil is too acidic the onions won't grow.


That is, in fact, quite the opposite of the type of soil that onions like. Their desired pH range is from 5.0 to 7.0. It's alkaline soil that they don't like.

Martin


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## Fire-Man (Apr 30, 2005)

Miz Mary said:


> I have never had success growing onions - and I am determined to grow some onions !!!! I buy the little bags of sprouting baby onions, when do I put them in the ground ???? I assume now, since they are selling them ????? I want big bulb onions, not the green tops ......I read they are done when the tops dry out .......my baby onions never get big - they stay the same size !!!!


Make sure you fertilize them when you plant them---then when the tops get about 8"tall, then again in about a month. Don't allow regular fertilizer to touch their green tops--it will burn the tops. You can sprinkle it around the bulbs. Don't let them grow to close together or have to fight weeds. Good Luck!! Randy


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## Miz Mary (Feb 15, 2003)

well thanks guys - they are going in today !!


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## LagoVistaFarm (Mar 2, 2006)

For the nicest big ones (IMO) try late summer seeding of Walla Walla or Buffalo and overwinter them. We are in Zone 8 also and we've seen some Buffalo onions the size of a baby's head. Chefs from the CIA in Napa rated them their favorite for caramelizing.


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## Jenn (Nov 9, 2004)

LagoVistaFarm said:


> For the nicest big ones (IMO) try late summer seeding of Walla Walla or Buffalo and overwinter them. We are in Zone 8 also and we've seen some Buffalo onions the size of a baby's head. Chefs from the CIA in Napa rated them their favorite for caramelizing.


LVF you're in long day onion country- these types might not work for us in LA/AL/TX below latitude 35.


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## TxGypsy (Nov 23, 2006)

Throw lime into the area you want to plant in about a week before you plant. Yeah I know you're supposed to get a soil test.....unless you live on a limestone slab your onions will probably benefit by some lime. Plant the onions firmly but not deeply. You want some of the bulb above ground. Papa always told me to hoe away from onions and towards taters. I know some folks who have their onions where only the roots are in the soil....the bulb is almost totally above ground. Supposed to get bigger bulbs that way. Water every other day or so until they are well established and the green tops are reaching upwards.


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## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

TxGypsy said:


> Throw lime into the area you want to plant in about a week before you plant. Yeah I know you're supposed to get a soil test.....unless you live on a limestone slab your onions will probably benefit by some lime.


I will repeat, onions prefer acidic soil conditions and do NOT like alkaline soil. Adding lime will increase the alkalinity of the soil and will NOT be beneficial to the onions.

Martin


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## TxGypsy (Nov 23, 2006)

Paquebot said:


> I will repeat, onions prefer acidic soil conditions and do NOT like alkaline soil. Adding lime will increase the alkalinity of the soil and will NOT be beneficial to the onions.
> 
> Martin



:nono: A couple of thousand old timers can't be wrong. Most of em will tell ya to throw lime to onions. Here is my suggestion: Find someone in your area that has a nice garden and is elderly and ask them. Chances are they know what they're talking about!....and they love to talk


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## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

TxGypsy said:


> :nono: A couple of thousand old timers can't be wrong. Most of em will tell ya to throw lime to onions. Here is my suggestion: Find someone in your area that has a nice garden and is elderly and ask them. Chances are they know what they're talking about!....and they love to talk


Unless one knows what the pH of the soil is, advising the addition of lime to soil which may already be alkaline will only worsen the situation, not better it. To correct the consequences then becomes more expensive. 

www.thegardenhelper.com/soilPH.htm

Also, I DO have a nice garden, I DO know what the soil pH is, I DO grow many different onions, and many already DO consider me as an "old timer"!

Martin


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## LagoVistaFarm (Mar 2, 2006)

Jenn said:


> LVF you're in long day onion country- these types might not work for us in LA/AL/TX below latitude 35.


Agreed, I was responding to Miz Mary who lives north of us. Onions are sensitive to daylight hours. That's why we like to overwinter so they get some growth going when the daylight hours start changing.


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## Jenn (Nov 9, 2004)

LagoVistaFarm said:


> Agreed, I was responding to Miz Mary who lives north of us. Onions are sensitive to daylight hours. That's why we like to overwinter so they get some growth going when the daylight hours start changing.


Sorry I was mistaking her for some other Mary in TX or LA- and there is OR on her signature- my bad.


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