Hunt County Master GardenersTexas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

Potatoes and Onions

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Potatoes and Onions by Karla Basallaje, Master Gardener.

As you peruse seed catalogs and start to plan your gardens for the upcoming year, remember there are some vegetables you can start planting now. Potatoes and onions are planted at about the same time in our zone with seed potatoes and onion bulbs available for planting now in January and February. Although they are not suited for companion planting they are awesome companions in the kitchen! Whether roasted, baked, sautéed or fried, potatoes and onions make spectacular partners in so many recipes.

The onion variety, short day, which includes the Yellow TX Supersweet 1015, and Red Burgundy, have an average “days to harvest” of 110 days. The conventional wisdom is that the earlier you plant them, the larger they get. The Texas 1015 was developed by Texas A&M University and derives its name for the ideal time to plant the onion seed, which is October 15th, and also for its exceptional sweet taste and its non-tearing properties due to its low pyruvate content (which is what makes you cry when you cut up an onion). However, you can still plant the bulb (small bulbs are called sets) now, January 15th through February 15th. Also in the short day variety are the Early Grano (80 days to harvest) and Crystal Wax (60 days). When planting sets or transplants, they are planted 3/4 inch deep but not more than an inch deep and 3 inches apart.

A seed potato is a potato that is planted to produce a crop. It is the manner in which farmers and growers typically plant potatoes, although it is possible to produce true potato seeds, it is not commonly done. A potato is a tuber, which is the structure the plant uses to store energy to regrow the next season. Potato tubers start to sprout new growth from points called eyes. It is not recommended to use potatoes from the supermarket as seed potatoes because they might not be the right variety for your area and they are not guaranteed virus and disease free. The potato variety best suited to our hardiness zone are the Irish potatoes which include the Yukon Gold (90 days to harvest), Red LaSoda (100 days), Norland red (80 days) and the Caribo (95 days), just to name a few. Potatoes are typically planted by either placing a smaller whole potato directly into the ground or by cutting it up into smaller chunks, making sure that there are at least two healthy “eyes” in each chunk. Soil preparation is important when planting potatoes, working the soil into trenches 10-12 inches high and 36 inches apart. Because tubers grow above the seed piece, it is necessary to add mulch as the potato plant grows to keep it protected from sunlight and to keep the tubers from turning green.

Both vegetables grow best in full sunlight and well-drained soil and benefit from fertilizers early in their growing stage. For more details and information on growing potatoes and onions visit aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu.

Winter Planting of Onions, Garlic and Leeks

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Winter Planting of Onions, Garlic and Leeks by Byron Chitwood, Master Gardener

Although onions, garlic and leeks have been around for a long time, it is not really known where they originated. Archaeologists have found evidence that they have been used as a food source through cultivation for at least 7,000 years. No doubt, the early hunter-gatherers foraged for them in the wild along with anything else growing wild that could be eaten. The earliest evidence of domestication and cultivation has been found in China, Asia and Persia.

The first European settlers to the Americas brought seeds with them. However, they found that the Native Americans were already using them as a food source. They probably cooked or ate them raw with the vegetables they were already cultivating such as corn, beans, squash, tomatoes and potatoes.

For the home gardener, there are many varieties of onions available for cultivation in their garden plot. Onions come in three basic colors: white, red and yellow or brown. They can readily be cultivated from seeds, transplanted using “sets” or from small bulbs that are grown for the specific purpose of gardening.

If you are going to start onions from seeds, now is the time to plant them for a spring garden they will overwinter just fine. They will get an early start towards forming bulbs. Onions need to be planted in a fertile and well drained area with as much full sunshine as possible. Rather than starting onions from seeds, most home gardeners buy small plants or sets that come in bundles of fifty to one hundred individual sets. Since there are many varieties available, choose several different ones to diversify your garden and tastes. White and yellow varieties seem to do the best in our area. As the sets take root and begin to grow, a few can be eaten as “green” onions or scallions. As the days grow longer, the onion sets will begin to form bulbs and immature bulbs can be some of the best eating. Onions are ready to harvest when the green tops begin to fall over. They should be harvested and stored in a cool and dry area. Some varieties keep better than others.

Garlic and Leeks should be planted in October for harvest in mid June. Garlic can be purchased from any major seed and garden supplier. Garlic comes in bulbs made up of from 9 to twenty cloves. Carefully separate the cloves from the bulbs and plant these individual cloves about 4-6 inches apart. They should be planted with the root end down and the sharp end up. Like onions, garlic is ready to harvest when the tops begin to turn yellow and topple over.

The worldwide production of onions is about 100 million tons with china producing about 25% of the total and India not far behind. By comparison, U.S. production is about 3 million tons. If my arithmetic is right, that is about 20 pounds of onions per year for every man, woman and child in the U.S. The Chinese eat about 33 pounds per person. Can one suppose that the demand for breath fresheners will grow at the same rate as the consumption of onions and garlic?

Onions

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Onions by Diana Sidebottom

I know you’re thinking, who gardens in January?  Well, onion lovers do, and it’s time to get onion slips in the ground.  Onions are rugged plants that can withstand some temperatures below freezing, which is good because they need to be planted 4 to 6 weeks before the last frost date.  Varieties well suited for East Texas can be purchased in small bundles of 50 -100 at this time of the year.

Plant your slips as soon as possible, but if you are unable to plant immediately, spread them out in a cool dry area.  The onion is a member of the lily family and can survive up to three weeks without being planted.

Onions require very specific conditions to produce really good results.  They need full sun and prefer a rich loose soil that is full of organic matter, but will grow reasonably well in clay soil.  They prefer a pH between 6.2 and 6.8 so test your soil and amend as necessary.  For the best growth and yield, fertilize right from the start.  Dig a 10 foot long 4” deep trench and sprinkle with ½ cup of 10-20-10 fertilizer.  Cover with 2 to 3 inches of soil and plant the transplants no more than 1” deep and at least 4” apart.  Water thoroughly after planting, and regularly thereafter.  Onions have shallow roots, so don’t let the soil become dry and cracked.

Fertilize every 2 to 3 weeks after planting.  Use ammonium sulfate (21-0-0) for alkaline soils or calcium nitrate (15.5-0-0) for acidic soils.  Water after each application.  Remember that soil test you did?  It will come in handy now!

Weeds are a problem with onions, so apply a light layer of compost mulch and weed by hand, being careful to not damage the roots or bulbs.

When the soil starts to be pushed away as the onion grows, the bulbing process has begun and you should stop fertilizing at this point.  When the tops start falling over, generally in May, stop watering and let the soil dry out before harvesting.   Pull or gently dig up the onion, brush off excess soil, and lay them in a shady spot for a week to dry.  Clip off the roots and cut the stalk about 1 to 2 inches from the bulb, and store in a cool dry place with onions not touching.  You can also store in onion net or nylon hose with knots tied between each onion.

Due to temperature fluctuations in this area, sometimes onions will send up a flower stalk know as bolting.  Onions are biennial, and if the plant is exposed to alternating cold and warm temperatures the plant becomes “confused” thinking two seasons have passed, and will prematurely bolt.  Once the plant has bolted, it doesn’t matter if you remove the flower stalk.  The bulb is completely edible; however, the storage life of the onion will be shortened, so plan to use those bulbs first.

So get those slips in the ground and prepare to be amazed in about 4 months when you are holding an onion that will rival any you have ever purchased.  As always, happy harvesting!