How to Harvest and Store Sweet Onions
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- Опубликовано: 13 май 2018
- Onions are one of the most valuable crops in our vegetable garden, because they can store for at least 6 months.
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You're doing such a great job at showing everyone the way you see the world! Thank you for this!
Thank you..I have learnt some fundamentals in drying onions
I LOVE Dixondale Farms. Excellent quality product and service! They also have lots of tutorials that helped me grow nice onions after many years of failure. They also have a newsletter so they can remind you when to feed, and when to stop watering before harvest, etc
Thank for you great onion growing instructions and the awesome drip tape and fertilizer injection system!! We grew huge onions this year!!! Have grown onions in the past, but this is the first time of growing really big onions!!! Thanks again! Keep up the good work!!! 👍😃
That's beautiful! The whole video.....beautiful! Great haul on onions!
Tom Mathews thanks Tom!
got mine from dixondale too. they great people when i have questions. thanks for the video
So glad to have found your video. I pulled my onions at the end of June here in North Arkansas. I have a pole barn with an open end. I didn't leave mine in the sun like you suggested but I put them in the barn on an old rabbit cage. So it's a wire cage abought knee high. I was thinking I'd need to move them and was thinking about putting them under the house. But that would be a pain to colect them. So, if you are in South Georgia and they last on your rack I'll give mine a go on my make shift rack.
We are learning so much and appreciate you passing on the knowledge.
Glad to hear it
Best video I have found on harvesting and storing onions. Thank you so much.
You're welcome Gail!
Thank you for creating this video. Extremely helpful! I want a Hoss Tools hat lol.
You can get one right here: hosstools.com/product/hoss-hat/
We should have all the colors restocked next week.
great tips!
Thanks!
Great video.
David Justice thanks!
I didn't know you could plant them in fall. Even in the south. I'm in Virginia and I plant seeds inside in late winter and put in ground late spring and now in late July they are almost ready. I've got walawala and Spanish. Great video.
In Virginia, you probably can't plant in November. But in south GA, we always plant in November and let them overwinter. We do the same thing with carrots. Thanks for watching!
Great info
Glad it was helpful!
Texas Legend onion rings yummy. My hubby always asking me to make them as a treat for him.
So good
I’m going to try to store onions for the very 1st time this season 😃
Charmaine Montgomery hope it goes well for you. Just keep them dry with good air flow.
Hoss Tools I have a spot under the back porch with lattice encased & my husband will make the wire racks. I bought the candy onions from Dixon Dale 😊
Onions are golden in my house too..so easy to grow and what a money saver for months..I've never grown onions over winter.. might try it..
You can overwinter them as long as temps don't get below 20 for long periods of time.
@@gardeningwithhoss I should be good here on oregon coast..rarely gets below 30 here. I'll get some seeds started and try it. We do get 100 inches of rain a year here tho..we will see how they do.thanks travis
Travis Texas legend and the Texas sweet 1015 are the best sweet onion to plant. I've been doing mine this way for about 30 years. I built the racks and use chicken wire basically the same way just cut the tops off and stick them down in the hole or the wire.
Joel Henderson great onion varieties for sure! The rack is working great for us this far.
Hoss Tools I came home today from the being at the lake for a week and tomatoe peas everything looked sick leaves curling up couldn't figure out what was going on and my son told me a plane was a cross the road spraying pasture well you can figure it out I'm pissed!
We hate that for you. The crop dusters around here tend to be pretty accurate, but it always makes us a little nervous to see them flying around.
I love the storage rack and plan to make one for my pole barn.
Do you have any problems with critters eating you potatoes or sweet potatoes?
I live deep in the woods and have lots of wildlife.
Thanks again!
Had an issue with squirrels a few years ago eating our sweet potatoes. But we solved that issue with a 12 gauge.
Hi Travis,
I have a question about storing the onions.
What is the temperature range when you store your onions.
I live in San Diego, California and my onions don’t usually get ready until June, the beginning is summer and heat.
I know you’re in a hot climate as well.
I would greatly appreciate any suggestions.
I started listening to your podcasts about 6 months ago.
You guys are amazing!!!!!!!!!!!! 😊
I plant all of my vegetables in Earthboxes and Root pouches, on 6-foot tables.
The onions do amazing here, but I’m looking for a solution to store them.
It's hot here, but ours store well in the shade underneath the open-air barn. We don't put them in a controlled environment. They usually keep for 3-4 months in the shade under the barn.
Not to put a damper on the very nice storage rack. However the premise of laying the products out on the ground utilizes the the earth and its natural temperature keeping ability. Meaning in the summer the ground is cool and helps draw the Heat from the produce. & the opposite in winter time. I hope it works out I'm curious to see if you have the same store ability as before
Paul's garden and gravelys you are correct in that the ground provides excellent insulation. However, if that ground becomes moist, there are problems. We’ve had friends use this method down here and it worked great for them.
I'm in Florida,and I've heard a lot about thrips decimating onion crops. How do you prevent them, and what will get rid of them if you do get them? Thanks in advanc!!
Hmm. We've never had an issue. In fact, we don't ever spray our onions. They are one of the crops that we don't have any pest or disease issues.
Travis, for those of us without the open barn, do you recommend putting onions in mesh bags and hanging them in a spare room or garage?
From our Hoss University Growing Guide
Harvesting, Curing & Storing Your Onions
When Should You Harvest Onions?
It’s time to pull up your onion plants when at least half of the tops have turned mostly yellow and are laying down. As far as size is concerned, you can pull them out of the ground when they get as large as you’d like.
Once your onions are ready to harvest, be sure to check the weather for the next few days as the onion crop will need to be pulled and cured on the ground in the sunlight for at least 2 - 4 days. Incoming rain or frost will keep the onions wet and make them more prone to rot and not store well. After 2 - 4 days, gently shake off the dirt from the roots being careful not to bruise the bulbs and get them prepared for curing. Ideally, you’ll want to harvest your onion crop in the morning on a sunny day and the temperature is between 75°F - 80°F.
While harvesting, be sure to pull out the onion by the bulb and not by the stems. Breaking the stems could leave the onion plant vulnerable to rot during the curing process. Also, if any of your onion plants have bolted (grown flower stalks) try to leave them in tact. Trimming them could also introduce bacteria causing them to rot.
Once your onions plants have cured in the field for at least a day, choosing the right place to cure your onions for storage is extremely important. There are several factors that go into an appropriate curing location.
1. Well ventilated
Choose an area that has good airflow. Onions like a slight breeze whenever possible. Lay all of your onions out in a single layer and not stacked on top of each other.
2. Shaded
Onions need to be kept out of direct sunlight so that they go completely dormant and lessen the risk of sunburn. A garage, covered deck, barn or similar area is the perfect location. If you are limited on shaded areas, you can cover your onions with a breathable material like cotton and turn them every few days. Never use a tarp, plastic or anything too heavy because air flow is absolutely essential for onions to cure.
3. Not too hot, not too cold
Onions cure best at 75°F - 80°F. In colder climates, you can use a space heater and wall thermometer to regulate the temperature manually if needed.
While the onions are curing, the skin will constrict and become dry around the bulbs. The necks of the plant will also turn brown and brittle and have no moisture present. A good rule of thumb is if you’re not sure if the onions are ready, give them a little more time to cure before storing them.
How To Know It's Time To Move Onions To Storage
Depending on your area, the amount of humidity will effect the time it takes for your onions to completely cure. On average, it takes anywhere between 3-6 weeks for onions to be completely dry and ready to store. The most important thing to know about moving onions to storage is that they have to be totally, completely, 100% dry. Moving onions to storage that are not totally dormant and still have moisture in them can spell disaster and breed harmful bacteria that causes the onions to rot.
When you see the leaves and roots are completely brittle and contain no moisture and you can easily blow away the dirt from the bulbs, they are likely ready to store. There are several methods to storing onions so choose the one that best fits your space and needs. Dormant onions should be stored in a cool, dry, dark place. Sunlight and warmth can cause the onions to come out of dormancy and begin to sprout, or worse, rot.
Some popular storage methods we have found are mesh onions bags, brown paper bags with holes, burlap sacks, mesh window screens, and even women’s hosiery. Root cellars, basements, and pantries are also popular locations for storing onions. The best temperature to store your onions is, ideally, between 35°F - 45°F with relatively low humidity.
That's awsome Travis but do you think chicken wire would be cheaper?
Maybe the galvanized would put chemical in them I dunno
Trivit30 chicken wire is cheaper, but also not near as rigid and would sag over time. The hardware cloth is definitely worth the extra money.
I just pulled my onions tonight. I will put them in the garage tomorrow night. Chance of rain Wednesday and Thursday. I do have a basement that stays cool all year long. How long should I leave them out in the garage for them to dry before moving them into the basement?
Until the tops are nice and crispy.
I would love to see how you lay out potatoes for storage
We'll put them on the same rack. Lay them out in a single layer so they're not really touching.
what is the average air temperature during the storage period? I am in San Diego and worry about how to store things like onions, garlic, winter squash, and potatoes.
It would be whatever the outdoor temperature is minus about 10 degrees since it's in the shade.
I tried your advice, laid my onions out in the garden on a layer of straw, unfortunately after 2 days they were badly sunburned and lost many of them. I live in northern Kansas, chose a time frame when there is no rain in the forecast, weather was high '80s with breeze, variety was ringmaster which I've had good luck with in the past. I was leery of laying them out in the sun as recommended but remembered my days in California were the commercial growers would leave them out in the fields for days in high heat so I figured it must be okay. For whatever reason I lost about half my crop due to the sunburn, the reds that I planted, can't remember the variety, also we're scorched but not as badly. Any thoughts or comments or appreciated.
Not sure what happened. It is recommended practice from major onion growers
I have the Thom multiplying onions and live in 6b(western ky). Do I need to dig them for winter?
Yes you do
Planting in the winter, does this mean they have to be covered on the few days we have freezes?
Or do you just let them endure the weather such as freezes and possible snow?
Btw I am in Houston area! Just referring to onions.
They can tolerate temps down to 20 degrees. We rarely get that cold here.
Thank you so much for the response and also for the videos!
When do you stop watering onions, or do you water up until they are harvested?
water up until harvest
It’s April 18, 2024 in central Florida and I just picked my Texas onions. Unfortunately I do not have the ability build such a flat container as I live on a corner block in the city with limited space. I can fry them as you recommended in the sun, it’s the storage concern. No open shed. Last year I clipped the dry leaves once I left them to dry and the stem eventually rotted the onions. Any suggestions on a long term storage?
I braid mine once the stem is almost dry and hang on a hook.
One option is to braid once the stems are almost dry and hang on a hook.
Here in Ohio, we have no need to water anything. Too much rain is generally the issue. I wish I could leave onions and potatoes in the ground a little longer, but things rot very quickly here.
Where y’all located?
South GA, about an hour north of the GA/FLA line.
How do you keep the raccoons and other critters from running off with your harvest?
A dog, two cats and lead.
What about sun scalding? I let last years onions sit in the sun last year and it scalded them. Most videos say to keep them shaded.
We only let them sit in sun for 1-2 days to dry. Then in the shade they go.
HELLO AGAIN I HAVE SOME SWEET ONION BULBS IM IN ZONE 8B WHEN IS IT GOOD TIME TO PLANT
Plant them now.
@@gardeningwithhoss 1 MORE ? when should i start the broccli seeds and thank you for helping me
right now
I've seen a guy use the long rectangular wire... just looking for a cheaper route
Advantage to that would be drying herbs
Trivit30 depends on if you’re wanting durability, or the cheapest option. Hardware cloth isn’t cheap, but it’s much easier to work with as opposed to the cheaper stuff.
Travis send me the plans for the storage rack you built. My email y'all have on file .
We don't have any "plans". We didn't draw anything to build it. Just kind of knew in our heads what we wanted it to look like, bought the lumber and hardware cloth, and started building.
Keep some of your onions in each room around your house - it's a country folklore tradition, said to filter the air of harmful viruses !