Onion is a staple food around the world. It is a vegetable used in a large number of recipes, it can be consumed raw, cooked, baked, canned, and more. Like its uses, the properties of onion are also many. It contains antioxidants, lowers cholesterol levels, helps beneficial bacteria in the gastric system, among other benefits. Learn how to grow onion in a pot and some recommendations for its consumption and use.
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Onion, Which Variety to Choose?
Onion is an easy bulb to grow as long as the varieties are chosen correctly. Its flavor, size, and color give an infinite range of uses. Onions are sensitive to light, so we must choose varieties for our area. Short-day varieties have a sweet, juicy flavor and will store for a few weeks at room temperature or in the refrigerator. Intermediate day varieties can also be sown, their flavor is spicier and they are stored longer. For both options, there are white and purple onions.
How to Grow Onion in a Pot
Onions need fertile, well-drained soil to grow. Onion seeds are small black 0.12″ (3mm). The sowing is done in the seedbed, taking care not to hurt the roots in the transplant.
For sowing, the seedbed mix with compost and good drainage must be prepared. Make holes about 0.4″ (1cm) deep and place one or two seeds. Cover with mixture and water. The seedlings will begin to sprout in approximately 15 days. Always remember to keep the seedbed moist.
Seedlings are ready for transplanting when they have approximately 2.40″ – 3.15″ (6-8cm) high. The seedlings will barely have the second leaf when they are ready for transplanting.
Repotting Onions
If you then want to leave your onion plant in the pot it is fine, but if you want you can repot it into the ground by following these steps.
Before transplanting, we must prepare our soil by loosening and applying compost, you can grow in cultivation beds or in boxes and containers with a minimum depth of 12″ (30cm). The onion prefers sunny places.
At the time of transplanting, we must be careful not to hurt the roots of the seedlings. If the roots are very curled, we can unscrew them carefully. We can cut the roots a bit, this will stimulate their growth. The distance between plants depends on the variety, large varieties need 6″ (15cm) and small ones 3.14″ (8cm). Make a hole where the seedling enters where the leaves begin, accommodate, and cover with soil. Don’t put too much pressure on the soil as it can affect the growth of the bulb. Water the seedlings when you finish transplanting.
How to Grow Onion: Harvest and Storage
Onions are a crop that takes 3-4 months to grow. We can see the growth of our onions by looking at the bulb. The harvest can be done gradually, just harvest the onions that we are using and let the others grow. To harvest them we must pull the leaves, be careful not to break them.
Remove excess soil, cut off the leaves and roots (leaving about 0.4″ (1cm)). Short-day onions should be washed and stored in a cool place or in the refrigerator. Use these onions for the first 3 weeks. If they are for storage, cure the onions by letting them dry for a few days in a cool, dry place out of sunlight. You can then store them in cardboard boxes where they can last for several months.
How to Grow Onion: Tips
Keep moisture in the soil, avoid water storage.
The onion can be sown in association with lettuce, tomato, beet, strawberry, and pore.
It serves as a repellent for some pests.
Keep our soil free of weeds for better development.
We hope that this article on how to grow onion in a pot will be useful. We also recommend our article on how to grow broccoli.
