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Time to Order Your Onion Plants!
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November 2014
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November is here, and you know what that means -- it's time to order onion plants! Your Dixondale Farms catalog is on its way, filled with many all-time favorites and Dixondale exclusives. If you can't decide, then try one of our samplers -- perfect for those with limited space but unlimited taste for different varieties.
Best varieties for your success
Before you order, make sure you're selecting the best onion plant varieties for your area. This decision is key to growing healthy, robust Dixondale onions. You can use the Daylength Map below to identify which varieties will thrive in your region.
Short-day onions do best in the South, intermediate onions prefer the mid-latitudes, and long-day onions excel in the middle to upper tier states. There's some overlap, especially between short-day and intermediate-day regions, so you have a wide range of choices.
From earliest to latest maturity
Within the short-day category, the sequence of maturing from earliest to latest is White Bermuda, Red Creole, Yellow Granex, Southern Belle Red, Texas Early White, 1015Y, and Texas Legend. Within the intermediate-day variety, the sequence is Red Candy Apple, Super Star, and Candy. The long-day maturity order starts with Walla Walla, moving on to Ailsa Craig, Yellow Spanish, White Spanish, Red River, Highlander, Sterling, Red Zeppelin, and Copra.
Visit our Web site to view our onion plant choices for the 2015 season, and to place your orders. We look forward to another fabulous season of growing with you!
Happy planning and planting,
Bruce "Onionman" Frasier |
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 Featured Products
Planting Time Aids
We offer numerous products to help you plant, fertilize, grow, protect, and harvest your produce. All our fertilizers and feed-and-weed products come in four-pound bags, as well as resealable 12-pound bags.
Before you set the plants in the ground
Weed and grass control. Treflan Herbicide Granules: This does a bang-up job of pre-emergent weed and grass control, handling the toughest weeds. Just mix granules into your onion bed before planting. They're now available in the four-pound Treflan bag pictured above.
Nutrients for soil. Dixondale Farms Onion Special 10-20-10: This is the fertilizer you want to start your plants out with, in order to establish the root systems. It contains a blend of organic humic acids and essential micro-nutrients that onions crave.
Fertilizer and weeder. Dixondale Farms Feed and Weed 10-20-10: This is a unique fertilizer and organic pre-emergent herbicide all in one. The 100% natural corn gluten meal blocks weed germination, while our fertilizer blend provides the nutrients necessary for huge, delicious onions. It can be reapplied every four weeks to maintain weed-free onions.
Organic fertilizer and weeder. All Natural Feed and Weed 2-5-3: This purely organic product combines an all-natural fertilizer with the pre-emergent weed control power of corn gluten meal. It can be reapplied every 4 weeks to maintain weed-free onions.
Three to Four Weeks After Planting
Nitrogen for growth and bulbing. Ammonium Sulfate (21-0-0) is ideal for providing the nitrogen your onions need. You can reapply it every 2-3 weeks. Dixondale Farms Feed and Weed 10-20-10 can be applied now and every four weeks until bulbing begins. Or, you can use the organic alternative, All Natural Feed and Weed 2-5-3, the same way.
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 From Our Friends
Wonderful Walla Wallas
Our friend Dan McNamee from Merrick, NY sends us this photo. Dan tells us,
"I have been a happy customer for many years. I have just harvested my WALLA WALLAs. This is my helper Jimmy showing them off. The dog in the background is Dewey."
Now, those are some nice-sized onions. Congratulations on the great crop, guys!
Got some onion-related photos to share? Click here for submission tips. You just might see your photo in a future newsletter!
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Around the Farm 
November's finally here, and we're already busy receiving 2015 onion plant orders. Your catalog is on the way, but you can order from the Web site too. Just be sure to order your favorite plants early to avoid disappointment!
Also, we want to let you know we'll only be shipping Nov. 17 - Nov. 23, and the first three weeks of December, due to shipping companies' limitations during the holidays. We will resume shipping every week starting in January.
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A Very Nice Write-Up!
We were thrilled to read customer Cindy Moxley's write-up about us, "Onion Business is Nothing to Cry About," in her quality service blog. We appreciate your kind words, Cindy. Thanks so much for taking the time to include us in your blog!
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| Cooking with Onions
Stuffed Onions Vegetable Medley
- 3 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 2 medium tomatoes, cubed
- 1/3 c. parsley, minced
- 1/2 tsp tarragon
- 4 large yellow onions
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
- 3 stalks celery, sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 1 c. white wine (chicken or vegetable broth may be substituted)
- 1 pound yellow summer squash, cut into julienne strips
Peel onions; trim the root end flat without cutting the root end off, so each onion will stand upright. Hollow them out, leaving 1/2-inch shells. Chop onion from centers. Place onion shells in large skillet, add 1 inch of water, and cover and bring to boil. Simmer gently for 25 minutes or until soft. Remove from skillet with slotted spoon and drain. Empty skillet; add oil and heat. Add chopped onion, squash, mushrooms, celery, red pepper, and garlic; saut� over medium heat until tender-crisp, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add tomatoes, parsley, tarragon, and wine (or broth) and cook 2 minutes longer. Nestle onion shells into pan and fill with vegetable mixture. Makes 4 servings.
Recipe courtesy of Dixondale Farms. Visit our Web site for more delectable recipes! If you have a recipe you'd like us to print, email it to [email protected].
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Q & A: Onion Plant Shipping Schedule
Q: When will my onion plants ship?
A: Your onion shipping date is based on your USPS Zip Code. Check out our shipping chart to find out the week your plants will ship. In general, Short-Days ship November 17-March 30, Intermediates ship from December 1-April 27, and Long-Days ship January 5-May 17.
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Fun Onion Facts
Onions have been grown for thousands of years, and were even grown in the cradle of Western Civilization, ancient Mesopotamia. One of the first written mentions of onions was on a Sumerian clay tablet that dates to 2,500 B.C., when apparently someone plowed up the city governor's onion patch. He probably got more than just a fine for that...justice was pretty harsh back then!
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Your Questions Answered
We have answers to your frequently asked questions! Just click the link for information on when to order your onions and how to find your frost and freeze dates, as well as for tips on planting, caring, feeding, harvesting, and storing them.
You can also print our electronic Planting Guide, or download a PDF version for easy reference.
And be sure to review our short videos, on topics ranging from bolting and fertilizing, to how onion plants are harvested, and how they deal with cold weather.
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About Dixondale Farms
As the largest and oldest onion plant farm in the U.S., Dixondale Farms offers a wide selection of top-quality, disease-free, ready-to-plant onion plants. To see our complete product line, request a catalog, or for growing tips and cultural information, visit our Web site.
Whether you're planting one bunch or thousands of acres, we're committed to your success. We've posted answers to frequently asked questions about growing onions on our FAQ page. You can also go to the Learn section of our Web site for growing guides. And of course, we're also available from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM CT at 877-367-1015, or e-mail us any time at [email protected].
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 Join Us on Facebook!
Join the community of friends and growers on our Facebook page! You can connect with us and fellow growers to share stories, photos, recipes, weather information, and other tips.
See what fellow growers have to say about their Dixondale plants. Why not write a review of your own on Facebook? |
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