If you grow your own onions, you need to know how to harvest and store onions so that you can enjoy their healthy properties for a long time. With our tips and instructions you can do it right!
Onions are one of the most popular crops and are used in many dishes, raw or processed. You can enjoy the healthy onion bulbs for a long time if you know the right methods for harvesting and storing them.
When are onions harvested and how do you know when they are ready to harvest? The exact time to harvest bulbs depends on the variety you are growing and when they were planted. When should I start harvesting onions? Harvest time can begin when the onion tops naturally fall over and turn brown. Depending on the variety, this usually happens 100 to 120 days after sowing. In late summer or early fall, the leaves of your bulb plants begin to topple over, turn yellow or brown, and begin to dry out.In this article we explain more.
Wait until half of the leaves have died, but not until the foliage has fallen on all plants, otherwise the plants that matured earlier will become overripe. Onion harvesting should be done early in the morning when temperatures are not too hot.
Note: When your bulbs are blooming and you see that one bulb has flower buds, cut off the buds to prevent the bulb from splitting. Harvest and use these onions first because they do not store well.
When to stop irrigation before harvest
You should stop watering the bulbs about 7-14 days before harvest to encourage the bulbs to ripen. As soon as you notice that the first leaves of the bulb are falling, you should definitely stop watering the plants. It is best to stop watering after mid-summer. This reduces the risk of rot and promotes plant maturation.
How to harvest onions
How do you harvest onions? It is very important to know how to harvest onions correctly to reduce the risk of damage to the plant. Use a garden fork to loosen the soil around your plants to make harvesting easier. Be careful not to skewer the onions. Gently pull or dig the bulbs from the ground, leaving the tops intact. Likewise, try to leave the entire stem intact to prevent rot.
After you harvest the bulbs, brush off the excess soil. It is best to leave the tops of the onions until they are completely hardened. If you cut off the tips before the neck has cured,Bacteria and fungi canlead to onion rot.
After harvest, if the weather is dry and there is no threat of frost, the plants can sit directly in the garden for a day or two before beginning to harden off. If the weather is wet or there is a risk of frost, immediately move the bulbs to a sheltered location, such as a tent. B. on the floor of the garage or a covered porch.
Onions dry before storage
After harvesting, the onion bulbs must be dried and stored. Drying should take place for at least two to three weeks or until the outer shell of the onion becomes slightly crispy. During drying, the outer layers of the onion dry out, contracting around the onion and forming a protective layer that keeps the onion firm and fresh longer. Drying onions is actually a very simple process.
What should you ensure so that the process goes correctly? Make sure your onions have plenty of room for air to circulate, and rotate the onions every few days to ensure they dry evenly.
Ideal conditions for drying onions are warm locations (23-26 degrees C), which are also dry, airy and not in the sun. Lay the onions out in a single layer to allow them to dry out slightly, being careful not to bruise them. Remove damaged bulbs as they can cause the others to rot.
When are your onions dry? If the necks are completely dense and dry and the stems no longer contain any moisture, then your onions are dry enough. You can use scissors to cut off the roots at the bottom. Remove any onions that still have green necks or whose bulbs are damaged.
Suitable storage conditions
Where is the best place to store your onions after harvest? It is recommended to store harvested onions in a dark, dry and cool room such as a basement, garage or shed. Consider that good air circulation is essential. Place the onions in mesh bags, a basket, a fruit rack, or a flat cardboard box with holes.
Check regularly whether the bulbs are sprouting or rotting and remove them. Do not store onions with apples or pears as the ethylene gas produced by the fruit will disrupt the onions' dormancy. In addition, onions can spoil the taste of these fruits.
How long do onions last?
Different varieties hold up differently. There are two main types of onions: hot and mild. Mild (or sweet) onions, such as Spanish, Bermuda, Vidalia and Walla Walla Sweet, should be used within a few weeks.
Hot onions (or storage onions) stored over the winter, such as Candy, Copra, Red Weathersfield and Ebenezer, require two to four weeks to ripen. When properly ripened and stored, a good storage onion will retain its eating quality for 10 to 12 months.
After drying, trim the tops down to 1 inch and store the dried bulbs in a wire basket or box in a cool place where the temperature is between 0 and 4 degrees Celsius. The humidity should be between 65 and 70 percent for optimal results. Note that if the location is too moist, rot may occur.
Most onions will last up to three months if dried and stored properly. However, make sure that they are not exposed to high temperatures and sunlight, as this can trigger germination.
Use onions as a home remedy
Onions are not only used as an ingredient in many dishes, but also have healing properties and have been used since the Middle Agesused as a home remedy. Cough syrup is made from onions by soaking raw onion slices in honey overnight. A whole onion eaten before bed should drive away a cold until morning, and sliced onions can be placed on the soles of the feet to drive away a fever. A generation or two ago, children were treated with a poultice made from crushed onions applied as a paste to a wound. A raw onion rubbed on a bee sting or insect bite relieves the pain and itching.
