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 Spring has sprung at Dixondale Farms! March is one of our peak shipping months as many of our customers are beginning to thaw out and get back in their gardens.
Each season we receive more and more phone calls, emails, and messages about growing onions in containers. This month, we dive into the basic size, planting, watering, and fertilizing requirements for growing onion in containers.
Happy Spring,
Bruce "The Onionman" and Jeanie
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March 20, 2018
Today is a day to recognize and celebrate the abundance provided by agriculture. Every year, producers, agricultural associations, corporations, universities, government agencies and countless others across America join together to recognize the contributions of agriculture. We are thankful to be a part of American agriculture.
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| Growing Onions in Containers |
Downsizing your garden? Moving to a smaller yard? Want to still enjoy home-grown onions? Growing onions in containers could be your answer! Container gardening differs from conventional gardening a bit. We have summarized and provided the essentials for growing onions in containers below.
Container Selection and Location
The most important factor is ensuring that your onions have enough room to grow. Onion containers must have at least 10" of soil depth. The diameter can be any size as long as each onion has 3" to 4" of room to grow. You can use a 5 gallon bucket, planter box, or any sturdy container you may have. Be sure the container has good drainage holes and try to elevate it 1" to 2" off the ground.
Just like conventional onion growing, place your container where it will receive the maximum hours of direct sunlight. Onions grown indoors will require added daylength hours and heat units from artificial light; it may be easier for Mother Nature to handle the temperature curve.
Soil Requirements
Onions grown in containers will do best in well-draining, loamy soil with a slightly acidic pH. Be sure to enrich the soil with a balanced fertilizer or mature compost before planting.
Fertilizing
After 3 weeks to one month, feed your area with 1 cup of
21-0-0 Ammonium Sulfate or similar high nitrogen product and repeat every 3 weeks to 1 month until the onions start bulbing. Cut the fertilizer once you can tell the onions have started to bulb.
Planting
Plant your plants 2" apart in all directions to enjoy some green onions before your full size onions are mature. Green onions are ready to eat in as few as 4 weeks after planting by harvesting every other onion. All of the plant is edible, so don't forget to use the tops, as well.
The remaining bulbs will then have enough room to make 4" bulbs later in the season. Onions need about 4" of space to grow to full size.
A 5 sq. ft. container, for example, will handle approximately 60 plants.
Watering
The onions require approximately 1" to 2" of water per week. Be sure to check the soil as onion plants often look healthy even when they need water. If you use mulch, onions will not need as much water. However, they should be checked regularly and watered if needed, particularly during hot, dry spells.
Check for moisture by inserting your finger in the soil. If you don't feel moisture by your first knuckle, then it is time to water. We refer to this as "The Knuckle Rule".
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Chad and Sarah Olson have been growing Dixondale Farms onion plants since 2011. Sarah sent in this photo of her boys pictured below.
Sarah writes, "Hello! We live on a dairy farm in Sebeka, MN and have been buying onion plants from you about the last 5 years or so. We had another AMAZING onion crop this year! We always plant a big garden and I do a lot of canning. It is soooo much fun watching these plants grow bigger than softballs. Here is a picture of our boys with our hay wagon full of onions this year."
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Wyatt, Blake, and Levi Olson with their Long Day Sampler onions.
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It is a pleasure to see kids growing up in the gardens and we can't wait to see these boys' crop in 2018!
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Fertilizers
Start your plants off right with our
Dixondale Farms Onion Special 10-20-10
to help establish their root systems. Our unique fertilizer is blended to include all of the micro-nutrients that onions require for
optimal bulb formation. Both 4 lb. and 12 lb. bags are available. 4 lb.
bags start at
$19.95
.
Once your plants are established, feed them
Ammonium Sulfate Fertilizer 21-0-0
to
maximize growth and bulbing potential. This
will help your onions generate more foliage and, therefore, more rings and larger bulbs. Both 4 lb. and 12 lb. bags are available. 4 lb. bags start at
$19.95
.
Shallots
*New for 2018*
We are now offering traditional
shallot transplants! If you're interesting in adding some unique flavor to your gardens, order shallots today. We recommend shallots be planted in the northern most parts of the country, as shallots are true
long day alliums. Shallots are known for their mild flavor and long storage potential (8-10 months). 1 bunch starts at
$14.95.
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Around the Farm
Read Across Carrizo Springs - "Where Are My Onions?"
The local school district hosted "Read Across Carrizo Springs" earlier this month. Various companies and offices around town read books live streamed to classes at Carrizo Springs Elementary School. Dixondale Farms owner, Jeanie Frasier, read "Where Are My Onions?" in the packingshed so the kids could see what goes on around Dixondale Farms during our busy spring shipping season.
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Cooking with Onions
Tennessee Onions
Ingredients
- 2-3 Vidalia, Yellow Granex, or sweet yellow onions
- 1/2 stick of unsalted butter
- Garlic salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 cup Mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
- Fresh oregano for garnish
Directions
Using non-stick cooking spray, prepare a 9x13 baking dish. Heat oven to 350°. Cut onions into 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick slices and separate the rings. Lay rings in the baking dish. Add garlic salt to taste (usually about 1 tsp). Add pepper to taste (about 1/2 tsp).
Cut the butter into pats and place around the dish on top of the onions. Spread the cheddar and mozzarella cheese on top of the onions. Top with the Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350°, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until bubbly and the cheese is starting to brown. Remove from oven, garnish with oregano, and serve warm.
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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 planting, caring, feeding, harvesting, and storing onions.
And be sure to review our short videos on Facebook. Topics range from fertilizing and dealing with cold weather to how onion plants are harvested. You can view these videos even if you don't have a Facebook account. |
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 or get growing tips and cultural information, visit our
website
.
New customer?
View our 2018 catalog or order a 2018 catalog
here.
We're available from 8:15 AM to 5:00 PM CT at (830) 876-2430, 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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 We invite you to join the community on our
Facebook page
. You can connect with us and fellow growers to share stories, photos, recipes, weather information, and other tips.
 Don't forget to subscribe to our
YouTube channel! Our videos will guide you on selecting the right onion variety, applying fertilizer, the best weed control options, and more.
 We're on Pinterest too. Check out
our Pins
which include photos covering small space onion gardens, tasty onion recipes, planting tips, and more.
 You can also join us on
Instagram, a photo community where we're sharing even more Dixondale photos.
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