Harvested Onion Bed
Here are about 300 onions we harvested from one of our 5 feet wide by 20 feet long open raised beds. The red onions are Red Bull, which performed extremely well. The yellow onions are Copra, a reliable storage onion that we’ve grown for many years. Both are hybrids.
Grown on 5 inch centers and spaced in a block across the bed, these onions would have required a single row 125 feet long, which is one reason we really like growing in a bed versus rows – many more plants in far less space.
Buckets of Onions
Here, loaded into buckets, the onions will be spread out single layer on tables in the garage to dry. We let them dry a week to two weeks, then we trim the stems down to about two inches.
After drying the onions are stored in the basement in open airy containers. We easily get about nine months good storage with our system. Last year’s crop lasted almost a year before the new green sprouting overwhelmed the usable onions. We know a root cellar and cooler temperatures would improve storage, but right now, that’s a luxury we don’t have.
Red Bull and Cipollini Onions
These are Red Bull and heirloom Cipollini onions we grew in a different bed and harvested two weeks ago. We find onions easy to grow and store.