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When you have questions during the growing season, where do you turn? Many people are discovering that social media offers an excellent way for gardeners to share experiences, and for companies like ours to provide updates and advice when Mother Nature throws us a curve ball.
We've found that through social media, we can deliver quicker answers, more visual aids, and share first hand grower experiences, all to help you become more successful onion growers.
Our social media outlets of choice are Facebook,
YouTube,
Pinterest, and Instagram. Read on to find out what you can learn through these sources.
Our Social Media Grower Communities
 Facebook
Our community of
Facebook friends is a wonderful place to share photos, ask questions, post tips or just view information and conversations.
Recent timeline highlights include:
If you're not already a fan of Dixondale Farms' Facebook page, just navigate to our page and click "Like." If you don't already have a Facebook account, just go to
www.facebook.com, fill out the form, and click Sign Up.
YouTube
Some folks are visual learners. If that's you, then you should get some helpful tips from our YouTube videos. How to know
when your onions are starting to bulb
is definitely one that calls for visual cues.
You may also be interested in the explanation for size variations in onions plants (click on the image at right).
To view other videos, such as how to apply fertilizer, how we keep your plants fresh during shipping, and weed control, visit
our YouTube site.
Click "Subscribe" to watch the videos.
Pinterest
As the idiom goes, "Every picture tells a story." You can peruse some of our top "stories" on
Pinterest, such as onion gardening tutorials, growing onions in small spaces, recipes, and much more.
Instagram
We're still fairly new at Instagram, but we've got a nice album of photos and vibrant community growing there too, and we invite you to
grow with us!
The Pluses of Modern Technology
We've always been committed to help you become successful onion growers, and now we have more ways than ever of keeping in touch. We hope you'll find some ideas, guidance, inspiration from our social media posts, and we look forward to meeting more of you on Facebook!
Happy gardening,
Jeanie and Bruce
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Products for Healthy Onions
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We offer top-notch products to help you fertilize and protect your produce. All our fertilizers and feed-and-weed products come in four-pound bags, as well as our new re-sealable 12-pound bags.
Treflan Herbicide Granules:
Before you plant. 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 below.
Dixondale Farms Onion Special 10-20-10:
For establishing root systems. This exclusive fertilizer contains a blend of organic humic acids and essential micro-nutrients that onions crave, such as magnesium, zinc, boron, copper, iron, manganese, and molybdenum.
Dixondale Farms Feed and Weed 10-20-10:
Feed and weed your onion plants at the same time. This is a unique fertilizer and organic pre-emergent herbicide all in one. The 100% natural corn gluten meal blocks weed germination, so you can establish your onions in a weed-free area, while our fertilizer blend provides the nutrients necessary for huge, delicious onions.
All Natural Feed and Weed 2-5-3:
An organic booster. This product combines an all-natural fertilizer with the pre-emergent weed control power of corn gluten meal. It's ideal for preparing a weed-free bed and feeding your onions up to size without resorting to chemicals.
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Wallace Martin Inducted into TIPA Hall of Fame
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Wallace Martin, Dixondale Farms' patriarch extraordinaire, has been inducted into the Texas International Produce Association (TIPA) Hall of Fame for his lifelong contribution to the farming industry. Wallace began his career at Dixondale after graduating from the University of Texas in 1948. In addition to onion transplants, he also experimented with growing cauliflower, cabbage, carrots, spinach, and cantaloupes, before settling on our two-crop model: onion plants and cantaloupes.
During his 65 years of growing onion transplants for farmers throughout North America, Wallace made Dixondale Farms famous for honesty, integrity, and respect for customers and vendors alike. Wallace continues to be a strong force in the operation, and his family is grateful for the guidance and expertise he has imparted to them over the years.
Along with a crowd of about 200 others, the Martin and Frasier families attended the Texas International Produce Association awards banquet a few weeks ago, to watch their beloved leader receive his well-deserved recognition. From left to right, the folks in the picture are Pam and Bill Martin, Wallace, Bruce and Jeanie Frasier, Marilu Martin, and Nancy Martin.
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Maura Thurman of
Homeward Bound of Marin in Novato, California, the largest provider of shelter and services to homeless families and adults,
tells us, "We planted Dixondale onion plants in our garden. We grow produce in two gardens at our headquarters. The fruits and vegetables feed people in our shelters, and are used in our culinary job-training program.
"Our photo shows our garden supervisor, David Jordan, with our garden mentor, Bob Tanem, host of 'Bob Tanem in the Garden' on KSFO-AM radio. These amazing onions won Best in Show, Best Bulb & Tuber, and First Prize at the 2015 Marin County Fair!"
Send Us Your Photos
We love to see photos from our customers, including those of award-winning Dixondale onions. We'd love to publish yours in an upcoming newsletter. Mail your onion photos to
customerservice@dixondalefarms.com
, and you may see one or more online in a future newsletter -- or even in our print catalog next year!
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Smoked Chicken Salad With Onions and Dried Cherries
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- 4-1/2 cups diced smoked chicken
- 1-1/2 cups diced celery
- 2-1/4 cups diced sweet onions
- 2-1/4 cups dried tart cherries, chopped
- 1 cup basil, fresh minced
- 2 cups mayonnaise
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon black pepper, ground
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
Place all ingredients in mixing bowl, stir gently until well combined. Refrigerate until ready to prepare sandwiches.
Makes 12 servings.
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Onion Plant Variety Chart
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Here's an easy way
to compare Dixondale onion plant varieties in your day area. You can use this reference chart to make growing decisions based on size and storage potential, onion color, and days to harvest. This table also includes specialty varieties and leeks.
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February Shipping Zip Codes.
Time To Order. Plants Ship Soon!
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Are the first three digits of your zip code on the list below? If they are, then your onions will be shipping soon! If you haven't ordered them already, now's the time. For more information, check out our
shipping page.
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Q. Where can I find information on planting and caring for my onion plants?
A. We offer easy-to-use planting guides on topics ranging from growing in raised beds and containers to fertilizing, FAQs, and harvesting. View our
planting guides here.
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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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In the last few years, we've gotten into social media in a big way, starting with Facebook. Once we were established there, we started branching out.
We invite you to 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.
And don't forget to find us on
YouTube and subscribe to our videos, where Bruce will guide you through every step of our onion growing process. from planting to harvesting, shipping, and beyond.
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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