can anyone tell me if you water onions or not, as ive been to water them and also not to?
doesnt anyone know then ???
I grew onions for the first time year before last, so not an expert by any means. I was also told to water/dont water, so I found this site and took their advice - great onions, reasonable crop, no pests. Have a look - but incase you have problems finding it, I have cut and pasted ...
Meg
http://www.vegetable-garden-guide.com/how-to-grow-onions.html
How to Grow Onions - Caring for Your Plants
Below are important points to remember so that you know how to grow onions of maximum yield.
Keep weeds down as to much growth will affect the quality of the crop. Preferably weed by hand as onions hate having their roots disturbed.
Feed occasionally with a liquid fertiliser and water the onion plants if the weather is dry... but not otherwise. Apply a mulch to keep weeds down and conserve moisture; don't cover the swelling bulbs though, as they need to be exposed to the sun.
Cut off any flower stems that appear - you want all the plants energy going into swelling the bulb and not setting seed. Stop watering once the onions have swollen and begin to ripen.
I just play the weather!
This year I have watered more than I have ever done but then again May has been one of the driest on record in my area.
Most years I never have to!
One point! ; Never feed during dry conditions, always ensure that the soil is quite moist, or it is about to rain before feeding.
This link and slide shows might help; http://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Data/Onions/Onions.htm (http://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Data/Onions/Onions.htm)
BTW I don't totally agree with keeping the weeds down!!
Before the bulbs begin to swell YES! after this there is no need!
The weeds will remove the excess nitrogen in the soil that the onions do not need from this stage onwards!
I just play the weather!
Once again the voice of common sense. Water plants if they need it.
there is still too much old fashioned `lore` around -I still see books/sites suggesting one should turn over onion leaves to help them ripen
I did not think that there is much point in taking off the flowers, once they produce a head the stem hardens and they do not seem to keep well, so I tend to eat them. Good for stews and curries. I thought that hoeing onions encourages them to flower, so I tend to pull weeds, but since I am not interest in prize size ones I tend to leave small weeds the onions do not seem to sugger much.
thanks for all the info