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This is always an exciting time of year around the farm, as the new season begins! You've probably received our 2016 catalog by now, but if it's still en route, have a look
online in the meantime. Our goal is to make ordering your onion plants as easy as possible. And keep in mind that it's a good idea to order your plants early to ensure availability. We're already shipping short day varieties.
Not sure which onions to order for your area? Here's a daylength map that will show you which varieties grow best in your region.
The Redwing is Back!
We're delighted to once again offer you the ever-popular long-day red onion, the
Redwing! The photo below is of customer Bruce Hoying of Minster, Ohio, and his Redwing onions from a few seasons ago.
The Redwing (close-up photo below) is a globe-shaped, slightly pungent hybrid red that grows as large as 3-4 inches. Time to harvest is about 120 days, with a storage potential of 8-10 months.
This is the most popular
long-day red
onion grown by commercial growers. The deep red internal color continues to develop during storage
.
Note that the Redwing may not do well in southern portions of the long-day areas, since this is a true long-day onion, and requires at least 15 hours of daylength to bulb.
Best Regards,
Bruce & Jeanie
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Products for Healthy Onions
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We offer top products to help you plant, fertilize, grow, protect, and harvest your produce.
One key product you won't find anywhere else is our
Onion Special 10-20-10
fertilizer with micronutrients (
below). It contains all 7 essential micronutrients onions need for optimal bulb formation. In an independent study conducted in Tennessee, onions that were treated with Dixondale Farms 10-20-10 Fertilizer Compost increased yields up to 40%!
Following is the recommended schedule for applying weed control, nutrients, fertilizers, and nitrogen for the best possible onions. All our fertilizers and feed-and-weed products come in four-pound and re-sealable twelve pound bags.
Before you set the plants in the ground
Weed and grass control.
Treflan Herbicide Granules: This product (below) can handle the toughest weeds. Just mix granules into your onion bed before planting. You can reapply this every 4-5 weeks.
Nutrients for soil.
Dixondale Farms Onion Special 10-20-10
: Your onions will get the 7 essential nutrients onions need to establish strong root systems and for the best bulb formation. It contains a blend of organic humic acids and essential micronutrients 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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Spotlight on Longtime Customers
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Our loyal customer Cliff Kettle grows the best-looking Candy onions in California, year after year! He's been a customer since 1998. Since we can't grow Intermediate onions here in South Texas, Cliff kindly sends us a few Candy onions at the end of his growing season, which we always enjoy!
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2016 Shipping Notes and Catalog Changes
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A few shipping notes for November to December:
We'll only be shipping during the weeks of November 9, November 16, November 30, December 7, and December 14 through 20, and will be picking up again December 28 through December 31. This is due to the shipping companies' limitations during the holidays. We'll resume shipping every week starting in January through Mid-May. As always, you may select a specific week for receiving your onion plants.
A few catalog notes
Our catalog is now online, giving you another convenient way to order. Space limitations precluded us from listing our onion shears, onion calipers, and caps in the catalog this year, but you can still find them on our Web site. We are sorry to note that Big Daddy will not be available any longer, because the seed company that owns the rights has decided to stop producing it. Try our long-day Highlander instead, which is an extra-early maturing, storage yellow that is highly disease tolerant. |
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In this photo, Doug George, Sue Homchick, and their two grandsons display some of their recent onion crop. Doug and Sue tell us, "Gunnar and Nash helped harvest our Ailsa Craig onions. We had a bountiful crop, and enjoyed sharing them with family and friends."
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Visiting a Fair or Festival?
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Share Your Onion Award Photos!
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Are you planning to attend
a state, county or local fair soon?
If you are, please take some of your Dixondale onions and a camera with you, in case you enter a competition. We would love to publish photos of you and your prize-winning onions in an upcoming newsletter.
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- 1 to 1 1/2 pounds leeks (may only need one bunch depending on their size), cut white part into small pieces.
- 2 pounds (2 bags) baby carrots
- 6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- Olive oil
- Garlic salt
- Black pepper
Garnish:
- Crumbled bacon
- Goat cheese or feta cheese
- Fresh herbs
 Pre-heat oven to 375° with the rack in the middle. Season leeks and baby carrots with garlic salt and pepper. Toss with a liberal amount of olive oil; lay out veggies in a single layer. Roast for 40-45 minutes, tossing occasionally with tongs. Add roasted leeks and carrots to a large saucepan with the broth. Bring to a boil. Cover the pot and simmer for about 15 minutes. Remove soup from the heat. Let cool a bit and carefully transfer half of the soup to a food processor or blender. Blend to a purée or a consistency you like. Top with bacon, cheese, and herbs, and serve immediately. Yields 8-10 servings.
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Q.
When will my onion plants be shipped?
A.
Your order will ship during the appropriate week for your planting area. Find out what week that will be on
our shipping page
. All you have to do is enter your zip code.
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All Your Questions Answered
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| We have answers to your frequently asked questions! Just click the link for information on what varieties to order, how many plants are in a bunch or bundle, and how to find your frost and freeze dates, as well as for tips on planting, caring, feeding, harvesting, and storing onions.
And be sure to review our short videos on Facebook, on topics ranging from fertilizing and dealing with cold weather, to how onion plants are harvested. You may need a Facebook account to view the videos. |
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
. You can also view our
online catalog
.
We're available from 8:15 AM to 5:00 PM CT at 877-367-1015, or e-mail us at
customerservice@dixondalefarms.com
.
Whether you're planting one bunch or thousands of acres, we're committed to your success.
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Join Us on Facebook and Pinterest!
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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.
We're on Pinterest too! Check out
our pins
, which cover every aspect of onion-growing --
including photos and stories from fellow growers,
how-to articles, and a wide variety of guidance for growing the best onions ever.
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