When do you pick onions?

@ladyljs (1303)
United States
June 3, 2007 11:05am CST
Ok, I planted my first batch of onions...the red ones and they are up and very tall. I noticed that one had a little sprout looking things at the top of the green, so I thought that they were ready to pull. When I pulled it up though, it was just the size of a green onion like you get at the store. I want my onions to get big, so that we can put slices on hamburgers. How will I know when to pick them?
1 person likes this
2 responses
• United States
4 Jun 07
i keep brakingthe top of the stems off and use them for cooking and in different dishes but leave the bulb in the ground all summer I dont cut all the way down i leave like 3-5 inches on the bulb each cutting you can also freeze the tops and use them later for recipes you would use onions in
@ladyljs (1303)
• United States
5 Jun 07
Thanks for the response..I wondered why my onions weren't getting any bigger! Now I know why! Here's a plus rating for you!
• United States
7 Nov 09
Hello, i want to ask you when to pick the whole onion.
@deebomb (15304)
• United States
4 Jun 07
red onions - a field of red onions
That little sprout on the top of the green is a seed pod. When I raised onions and wanted them to grow big onions I would bend the tops over and keep them bent so the nutrition would go to the bulb and not to the greens.
• Canada
4 Jun 07
Deebomb, You said it all but why can't we let the onions dry in the sun? I used to braid the onions and hang them up to dry preferably in the sun. Dah
@deebomb (15304)
• United States
4 Jun 07
I forgot to answere your question about harvesting the onions. They are ready to harvest when the t5ops that you have bent over are all shriveled up and dry. Then you dig them up and let them set out until the outter skin is dry but don't put them in the sun to do this. If you try to store them befor they are dried they will rot faster.
@creematee (2810)
• United States
4 Jun 07
deebomb, you took away my answer!!! LOL! Guess I won't have to repeat what you just said. :)