ONIONS AND ITS BENEFITS.
Onions are very rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. They have very rich health benefit. Onions are very good for the heart. It can stop heart attacks, rectal cancer, and lower your blood pressure. They are very tasty. They are used in soups, salads, and all kind of dishes. They are used as a condiment.
HOW ONIONS GROW?
Onions are read, yellow and white. They are biannual bulb plant. It grows the first year in the bulb. The neck of the onion is the most important part. Preserving the neck of the onion keep the plant growing. It sends the nutrients, energy and water to the plant thru the neck. Onions will grow the second year and it will flower. It stores the energy in the bulb. It is very important to preserve the neck of the onion in a regular size. If the neck is super long. You will need to trim the onion. The onion will grow big, sweet, and tasty. The right size of the neck will determine the size of the onion.
HOW TO PLANT ONIONS?
You need to get starts onions. You can get them from a local nursery. You can get a bundle of onions and separate them. There are smaller and big onions. They are 4 inches long and 2 inches wide. Once you plant them, they become huge. It takes 90 days to grow them.
When planting the onion place the onion a foot apart from each other. 2 inches deep in a container of soil. They need space to grow big. If there is enough space the bulb will continue to grow bigger.
Place each onion in the soil and put some compost on top. The top of the onions is not covered. The top of the onion shows. The soil must be rich in phosphorous to help the development of the roots. Onions grow well in 75 degrees temperature. It needs 8 to 10 hours of direct sun daily. The soil should be slightly acidic. Keep the soil moist all the time.
After 3 weeks the bulb will start to grow. You will see the bulb of the onion grow big. After 12 weeks the onions will be ready to be harvest.
WHEN TO HARVEST ONIONS?
Onion bulbs grow big and bulky. That is when they are ready to be picked. When harvesting the onion, the neck is down in the ground 90 degrees. You scoop them up. If you pull them up, you could break their neck. You want to take them intact. Keep them in a cool shady dry place.
After 2 weeks in a cool place the crust of the onions will get papery leaves. The onions are nice and dry. Once the onion is dry cut the top and the bottom and clean them up. They are brushed not washed. They ready to bag them in aired bag. The onions need to be aired all the time. They can be put away for 3 months. They will stay sweet until they are consumed. Enjoy them.
