January 2015
New Header 100 Straight
Dear Mary,

The calendar has flipped over once again, and we look forward to another year of growing onions with you. It's hard to believe that Dixondale Farms turns 102 years old this year!

 

Speaking of growing onions, some of you have been sharing your onion success photos for so many years that we've seen your children, grandchildren, and pets grow up. We find this inspiring, and enjoy sharing their stories with you. So, for the next few months, we'll be highlighting some of our long-time customers.

 

Our first Expert Onion Grower is perennial customer Terry Lazzell of Rushville, Illinois. Terry has been growing Dixondale Farms onions since 2008.

 

Terry always sends great pictures of his garden ventures, and I have to say that year after year, his onions are among the best that we see.  

 

In these photos, Terry shows off his classic Walla Walla onions (above) and our popular 2014 introduction, Red River (below). Looks like we made the right choice in adding Red River to our roster! Beautiful!

 

Expert Grower Terry is only the beginning. In upcoming months, we'll introduce more of our skilled onion growers and their impressive crops. Keep an eye open for our next installment, and be prepared to be wowed again by incredible onions. If you have your own "through the years" photos and stories, feel free to send them to us, and you might see yourself featured here soon!


Happy growing,
signature
Bruce "Onionman" Frasier
Featured Products
Growing Aids

The following growing aids will help you maximize your onion crop, by protecting your plants and encouraging their growth throughout the season. Keeping a close watch on the development of your plants is also helpful, in order to spot and treat issues early. 

 

a-sulftate More Leaves = More Rings and Larger Bulbs

Ammonium Sulfate Fertilizer 21-0-0 (left), the ideal fertilizer for established onion plants, is an excellent good source of nitrogen. Your plants need more nitrogen to create more foliage. The more leaves, the more rings -- and the larger the bulbs. The ideal number of leaves for an onion is 13, and our Ammonium Sulfate will help you get there. It's is good for all vegetables, so don't hesitate to buy in bulk! 


OmegaGrow Larger Yields
OmegaGrow (right) provides nutrients that break down and release nitrogen into the soil, continually supporting root growth, top development, and yield. It's gentle to the environment.

     

OxiDate Organic Disease Zapper

OxiDate (left) is an eco-friendly, ready-to-use organic fungicide/bactericide. It's EPA registered, a great alternative to copper-based products, free of chlorine and ammonia, and leaves no harmful residue. It stops powdery and downy mildew, phytophthora, brown rot, blights, and bacterial wilt on contact.

 
Mancozeb Fungus Prevention  

Mancozeb Flowable Fungicide with Zinc (right) is a liquid fungicide that does an excellent job of preventing fungus damage to plants. It protects against downy mildew, tip blight, stemphylium leaf blight, botrytis, white tip, and more.


Organic Insecticide. AzaGuard, an organic insecticide and insect repellent, kills not just onion maggots and thrips, but offers broad spectrum control of over 300 insect species. It destroys pathogens on contact and leaves no residues behind.
From Our Friends
A Bountiful Candy Harvest!

This month's photo comes from Vernon B. of Aztec, New Mexico, whose granddaughter Fiona is showing off two enormous specimens from his latest crop of intermediate-day Candy onions.

 

Says Vernon, "I have been a customer since 2011, and have ordered the Candy every year."

 

Now, those are Onions with a Capital "Oh!"

 

Got some onion-related photos to share? Click here for submission tips. You just might see your photo in a future newsletter!
Around the Farm

bruce All of our onion varieties for all day-lengths, as well as our famous Lancelot leeks, are available for purchase now.

 

Come and get 'em, first come, first served! Just remember, they won't ship until your requested or scheduled shipping date. See the Q&A to learn more.
Cooking with Onions

Sweet Onion Casserole, Low Fat Version

  • 1 lb, of onions, sliced and separated into rings
  • 1 c. buttermilk
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 2 egg whites
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 c. shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
  • Paprika to taste 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In medium saucepan, combine onions with water to cover. Bring to boil for 1 minute. Drain well. Transfer to 8-inch square baking dish sprayed with non-stick vegetable coating. In bowl, combine buttermilk and cornstarch and stir until cornstarch is completely dissolved. Mix in egg whites, salt and pepper; pour over onions. Sprinkle with cheese, then paprika. Bake 25 minutes. Serves 6.

 

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 customerservice@dixondalefarms.com.
Q & A: Shipping Schedule
Q: I want to order onions for a friend, who lives in a different state. How do I know when the onion plants will ship?

A. Here's when we ship each day-length variety:

 

Short-Day:        11/17/14 - 3/30/15

Intermediate:     12/1/14 - 4/27/15

Long-Day:         1/5/15 - 5/17/15
  
For more information, see our day-length map.
Fun Onion Facts

No doubt you've heard of onionskin paper, which is very thin and crinkly, resembling the outer skin of a properly dried and cured onion. Now, we've never heard of someone actually making onionskins into paper... but believe it or not, in 2014 a Japanese company started selling notebooks containing paper infused with propanethiol S-oxide, a chemical derived from onions that causes your eyes to produce tears.

 

When you write on the paper, the scratching of the pen or pencil releases the chemical, making those heartfelt letters all the more genuine, complete with tear stains! (And no, we can't make this stuff up!).
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.
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 customerservice@dixondalefarms.com.
Join Us on Facebook!
Facebook Icon 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.