Walla Walla
It’s time! If you haven't planted Walla Walla’s you are
missing the best onion ever! This is a must for me to plant, because Fajita’s
are a go to meal for my family in the summer. You can't make a good Fajita without a sweet onion. They are available now at Portland Nursery and
Watson Nursery, so you can pick them up and store in a cool dry place until you
are ready to plant.
No Posting is complete without a photo to encourage you as you work hard in your garden. Check out this HUGH Walla Walla Onion!
Good companions: Carrot, lettuce, spinach, tomato, strawberry to name a few.
Bad companions: Bean, pea, asparagus, and sage
Planting
I have planted my onions as early as March 15th and as late as April 10th. Harvest time varies depending on when we get out warm weather. My past records show harvest dates from July 8th to July 30th. Walla Walla onions are Long-day varieties, because they grow well in the North West with our 14 hours of light in the spring/summer. Transplant your purchased plants (as well as those you started indoors) to your garden. Space 5 to 6 inches apart in staggered rows. If the leaves are long, cut back about 1/3.
Once again, they do not like weeds.
Fertilizing
Onions don't need much. If you have good soil don't worry about fertilizing (See my tips page on checking soil quality in your garden). If you need to use organic fertilizer like a fish emulsion once a month. DON"T over fertilize. Caution: Too much nitrogen will produce lots of leaves and small bulbs...done that:(
Watering
Roots are shallow and need soil moisture.They don't need much water, but mulch to maintain soil moisture and control weeds. WEED WEED WEED your garden!
Harvesting
Wait till almost all the tops fall over, then harvest. I like the soil to be slightly moist when I harvest. Gently pull onions from the ground, and leave them out to cure in the sun. I hang mine in a small tree I have in my back yard. Once the skin become crinkly, cut the tops off (about 1" from bulb) and store in a cool, dry place. I have never used onion bags, so not sure how well they work. I prefer to eat within a month and share with neighbors. Keep onions away from apples or tomatoes, because they will cause onions to sprout.
Happy Planting:)
Ruby
Good companions: Carrot, lettuce, spinach, tomato, strawberry to name a few.
Bad companions: Bean, pea, asparagus, and sage
Planting
I have planted my onions as early as March 15th and as late as April 10th. Harvest time varies depending on when we get out warm weather. My past records show harvest dates from July 8th to July 30th. Walla Walla onions are Long-day varieties, because they grow well in the North West with our 14 hours of light in the spring/summer. Transplant your purchased plants (as well as those you started indoors) to your garden. Space 5 to 6 inches apart in staggered rows. If the leaves are long, cut back about 1/3.
Once again, they do not like weeds.
Fertilizing
Onions don't need much. If you have good soil don't worry about fertilizing (See my tips page on checking soil quality in your garden). If you need to use organic fertilizer like a fish emulsion once a month. DON"T over fertilize. Caution: Too much nitrogen will produce lots of leaves and small bulbs...done that:(
Watering
Roots are shallow and need soil moisture.They don't need much water, but mulch to maintain soil moisture and control weeds. WEED WEED WEED your garden!
Harvesting
Wait till almost all the tops fall over, then harvest. I like the soil to be slightly moist when I harvest. Gently pull onions from the ground, and leave them out to cure in the sun. I hang mine in a small tree I have in my back yard. Once the skin become crinkly, cut the tops off (about 1" from bulb) and store in a cool, dry place. I have never used onion bags, so not sure how well they work. I prefer to eat within a month and share with neighbors. Keep onions away from apples or tomatoes, because they will cause onions to sprout.
Happy Planting:)
Ruby
I agree Walla Walla's make a great grilled onion for Fajitas.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the planting tips!
Digger