Onion
Allium cepa
I
should warn you that onions, perhaps more and you’ll have the mature onion, when the
than any other garden crop, are susceptible green tops turn brown and dry out. Th e bulb
to both disease and pests, especially if planted will be 3–4 inches in diameter.
as sets, which are immature bulbs (like tiny To avoid crying, chill the onion in the deep
green onions). If you select small bulbs (about freeze for 30 minutes before cutting. Th is works
1 inch or less in diameter), they will take lon for me, but then I’m 6 feet 2 inches tall—my
ger, but you should be more successful. Look eyes are 3 feet away from the onion!
out for disease-resistant varieties. Onions are called photo-periodic plants.
I find the derivation of the word onion quite Long-day varieties should be planted as early as
delightful. Apparently it comes from the Latin possible to make use of maximum daylight to
unio, whose literal meaning is “single large form a good-size bulb. Short-day varieties actu
pearl.” I will never look at or handle an onion in ally need less light, so they go into the ground
the same way again. in the fall. Long days are best when above 36
Onions are taken at three stages of growth. degrees latitude. A new breed has arrived called
They reach green onion/scallion stage in up to day neutral, and guess what? It doesn’t matter
35 days and have a stem width of about ½ inch. when you plant those.
If intended for such use, they can be planted
quite close together (1–2 inches).
The Numbers
Leave them alone (or thin them out to have
2–3 inches of clearance), and they’ll reach Onions are a good source of vitamins C, B 6 , and K.
what is called bunching , when the bulbs are For each 100 g raw (3.5 oz ; ½ cup): 40 calories, 0 g
1–2 inches in diameter. fat, 0 g saturated fat, 9 g carbohydrate, 2 g protein,
Leave them completely alone for 3–4 months, 1 g dietary fiber, 4 mg sodium
196 • GROWING AT THE SPEED OF LIFE
