, 

Watering is an important part of onion plant care. The secret is to strike the right balance between keeping the plants properly hydrated, but free of excess moisture, which can cause fungal problems.  

Here are some tips on when, how, and how much to water.

When to Water 

Once the roots are established, water at least weekly with a good soaking, allowing the soil to dry a bit between waterings. Onion plants have shallow roots, and keeping them moist but not wet is key. You can apply straw as a mulch to keep moisture in and weeds out. Just move the straw away from the plants when you see the bulbs emerging from the soil.  

How to Water

Always water your onion plants from below, rather than overhead. Overhead watering dampens the leaves and makes them vulnerable to fungus. It can also muddy the soil. Drip irrigation at the roots is an effective watering method, because it slowly provides water directly to the roots, keeping the leaves dry. Simple, reasonably priced drip irrigation kits are available at home supply stores.   

Just Enough Water

I like to use the "knuckle rule." Stick your finger in the ground up to your middle knuckle, and if you don't find any moisture, water the plants thoroughly. This method of measuring soil moisture can be used throughout the growing process.  

Onions use water to take up nutrients, then convert them to carbohydrates and send them up to the leaves. These carbohydrates become solid fiber building blocks.  

For this "conversion phase", just enough water means about two inches per week. With too much watering, your onions will just take up nutrients and never convert them to carbohydrates.  

Over watering can also lead to yellowing leaves, so if you see this, cut back on the watering. Check your plants often afterwards, to make sure the leaves are back to a healthy green.    

The closer you get to harvest time, the more water your plants will need. Once the onions begin bulbing, they are no longer converting nutrients to carbohydrates, but sending the carbs stored in the leaves down to the rings in the bulb. To fill these rings requires more water.

Sweet and storage onions require different water amounts, because sweet have more water in the cell structure than storage varieties (90% vs. 80%). You should increase your watering to approximately twice a week for sweet varieties, and about once every five days for storage.  

But when the onion tops fall over, the watering should stop, so the soil can aerate before harvest.

Watering for Success

Happy growing,

Bruce "Onionman" Frasier

This month's featured longtime customer is the Hageman family of Leonardville, Kansas. We love the Intermediate Day onion photos we've received from them over the years. The Hagemans have been our customers since 2006. 

Renee Peters recently sent in this photo of her father, and here's what she had to say:

"The person in the photo is my dad, Doug Kluever, and my two dogs, Russow and Ruby. The onions are Candy and Red Zeppelin, and were grown in summer 2013 in Rushmore, Minnesota."

We love to pass on the photos that come in, and hope they give everyone a smile!

Brian King joined the Dixondale Farms crew this month. He moved to Carrizo Springs from Dublin, TX, where he worked in the veterinary industry for several years.

Brian is eager to learn the daily operations around the farm so he can provide great plants to our customers. He's excited to be a part of Dixondale Farms, and we're delighted that he's joined our team.

• 2 large onions, sliced
• 2 large tomatoes, chopped
• 1/4 c. seeded jalapeno peppers, chopped
• 1/4 c. fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• Fresh squeezed lime juice
• Salt

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. We're also available from 8:00 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.

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.