Two of the most important keys to growing big, tasty onions are keeping them well-fed and avoiding competition from weeds. Follow the simple steps below, and you'll be rewarded with abundant onion harvests.

Weed and Fertilize the Soil

The soil cradles your growing plants, so make sure it's weed- and disease-free, as well as loose and crumbly, right from the start. If it's too firm, it will limit the size of your onions.  

When you plant your onions, help them establish their root systems with a fertilizer blend that has the essential micronutrients onions crave, like our Dixondale Farms Onion Special 10-20-10. Or, weed and feed at the same time with Dixondale Farms Feed & Weed. Work this unique blend of fertilizer and pre-emergent organic herbicide into the top three inches of your soil, and it will use the power of corn gluten meal to kill weeds as they germinate. We also offer an All Natural Feed & Weed.

 

Give Your Emerging Onions Nutrients

Two to three weeks after planting, your onions will need fertilizer. Ammonium sulfate provides abundant nitrogen, which increases foliage, which in turn increases the number of rings -- and that means larger bulbs. A great organic alternative is OmegaGrow Foliar Feed, which provides a rich source of nutrients that slowly break down and release nitrogen, supporting root growth, top development, and yield.

  

Watch for Signs of Distress

During growing season, if your plants show signs of distress, it's important to know if the cause is bacterial, fungal or insect-pest related. Visit this Onion Disease Guide to determine what the issue is. If you need additional help, contact your local county extension agent.

 

If the problem is fungal, you can use Mancozeb Fungicide to protect your other onions. If it's bacterial, the solution is our OxiDate spray. For insect pests, try this organic-approved formula, Azagard, which is both chlorine- and ammonia-free.

 

During the growing season, you should apply a protective fungicide to prevent disease just in case. Chances are, if you live anywhere other than the desert Southwest, conditions will favor the formation of spores that will attach to your leaves. When the onion transfers the carbohydrates from the leaves to the rings of the onions, it will transfer this bacteria or fungus to the interior rings as well. Only a very well-trained eye can spot the spores, so it's important that you coat the leaves with the fungicide to prevent them from attaching.

 

Tender Loving Care

Onions take a while to mature, but it's worth all the TLC you give them when you get a bumper crop to enjoy! Put these tips into play, and your storage bins will be bulging by season's end.

Happy growing,

Bruce "Onionman" Frasier

Featured Products 

We're offering up something really special: a ten-pound box of our very best Texas jumbo sweet onions. We hand select only the largest, sweetest onions available, and include our favorite onion recipes along with them. Not only are these onions great for your own table, they make an awesome culinary gift. You can't beat the price of just $24.95 for one box; and if you order two or more, you can get them for just $22.95 each.

These onions will ship only in May. Get yours today!

Calipers for Measuring

From Our Friends 

"We had a hard time curing our onions after harvest at the high elevation of
6,500 feet in the rugged Wyoming climate where we live.  We can grow great onions, though, as seen here. 

"We had to get creative, and moved these awesome Super Star onions that were started at Dixondale Farms to our cucumber trellis in our Greenhouse. They cured very well using this method -- we ran a box fan on the onions to keep up good air circulation. The Super Star Onion has also stored great for us at a constant temperature of 40 degrees in 10-lb onion bags."

Excellent solution, Hudson! Folks, keep this one in mind if you ever have any curing problems with your onions.

Around the Farm   

The Texas Neighbors newsletter was recently sent out for Spring 2014, and Bruce was on the cover. He starred in their "Meet a Texas Farmer" feature, talking about the challenges and rewards of growing onions in South Texas. Visit the Texas Farm Bureau's Texas Table Top page to read all about it.

We also want to let you know that we'll soon be wrapping up our onion transplants season. We'd like to wish everyone a great growing season. We're here year round if you need any help or have any questions. Just email us or call us at (877) 367-1015.

Q&A: Harvesting

A. An onion is fully mature when the top falls over. Bending the top over will only stop the bulbing process, so don't be too eager to harvest. You don't have to wait until all the tops fall completely over to harvest, but harvesting early may cause the onion to sprout during storage since it hasn't finished the bulbing process. 

Fun Onion Facts

What do apples and red onions have in common? They both contain a flavonoid called quercetin that makes them red. We've mentioned quercetin many times before, because this natural chemical is an antioxidant that has positive health effects. It helps rid the body of the free radicals that cause cell damage and acts as a natural anti-inflammatory.

All 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.

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