Winter Garden Tips & Inspiration!

Hello dear friends of the Sharing Gardens and welcome to our February Digest with timely "How To" articles on: Growing Peas, Onions, Kale, Milkweeds and other Winter Crops from Seed and Grape Pruning. (Image, left: Llyn Peabody 2020).

And, even if you're not so interested in gardening topics, be sure to scroll to the bottom of this post for links to "An Amazing Synchronicity!" and a short video about the connection between 'sharing' and the 'experience of abundance'. Both are very inspiring and thought-provoking!

The back of our house, workshop, Oz-greenhouse and garden shed.

Here is our latest new post on Starting Early Spring Crops from Seed (lettuce, kale, cabbage etc) (but wait a bit on broccoli and chard because if they're kissed with frost they have a tendency to 'bolt' - got to seed). In it we offer step-by-step instructions using our method of starting seeds in re-purposed tofu-containers with holes drilled in their bottoms (left) inside a grow-tunnel or greenhouse.

We've also been having a lot of success starting seedlings directly in the raised-beds of our greenhouses (left). Read here about our methods.

PEAS: There's just nothing to compare with the delicious sweetness and crunch of edible-pod peas. Many years ago we discovered a method to get a head-start on pea-planting. Read this post to learn how: Valentines Day - Time for Pea Planting!

ONIONS: Some years we have better success than others in growing onions. With gardening, there are always so many variables so, what works one year, may not work the next! Here are posts that outline the methods that have yielded the best results over many seasons:

Onions - Growing from Seed - Using heat mats and shallow pots

Onions - Growing From Seed - deep pots 

The following article was written in the heart of summer but the first part of the post details onion harvesting and curing so we include it here. Growing Onions from Seed - It takes a Village

Kale is one of the easiest plants to grow in the Pacific NW; it is hardy through the winter and, if mulched and watered sufficiently can even withstand the hottest parts of the summer. Along with Collards it is the most nutrient-dense food per calorie! Unfortunately, it is also one of the most highly pesticided plants as well. Follow the links below to learn:

Why it is so important to only eat organically grown kale: Kale again in the "Dirty Dozen" - 2024  

Excellent info on the nutritional value of Kale and tips on growing it! "The King of Vegetables; 'Kale' to the Chief!" 

One of the pleasures of growing your own food from seeds is to begin to save your own seeds. With most varieties, it's not difficult and the seeds you save yourself will naturally select/adapt to be more perfectly suited to your local climate and conditions. Saving seeds also contributes to having a greater sense of local food-security in case there ever comes a time when seeds are not distributed over long distances, or there is a seed-crop failure in another part of the country. Read here for more tips on Growing Kale and Saving and Storing Kale Seed.

Cathy, Danielle and Llyn with Red Russian kale - a powerhouse of nutrition!

Another important mission of the Sharing Gardens is to provide habitat for the wild species of flora and fauna that call this land 'home'. Though we are at the very farthest northern reaches of the Western Monarch population we have established three perennial patches of Showy Milkweed, the host plant for the Monarch (and sole diet of the Monarch's caterpillars). We've yet to see a Monarch in our yard but there are plenty of other pollinating insects that just love it's sweet nectar. Here's a How-to post for growing milkweed from seed: How to help the Monarch Butterflies - Starting milkweed from seed

Adri and Kaylyn with Showy Milkweed plants

February is grape-pruning time in our area. Below is a link to two resources we've found to be incredibly helpful in learning the proper ways to prune grapes. The post includes both a video and an article with excellent pictures and descriptions to guarantee your success!

In previous years, we had experimented with different methods of pruning. Our theory was: the more fruit spurs we left behind, the more fruit we'd get from them. It can be a bit anxiety-producing to cut off a lot of plant material and reduce your grapes to just two canes and two renewal spurs (for next year's growth)! In truth, by cutting back the plants so radically, you may get fewer bunches but the ones you get will be larger and more filled out and easier to harvest. Click here for The Best video and article (we've found) on Pruning Grapes.

A fraction of our harvest following the cane method of pruning.

And lastly, we read an inspiring article about a woman who has been living without money for ten years. She said:

“I actually feel more secure than I did when I was earning money, because all through human history, true security has always come from living in community and I have time now to build that ‘social currency’. To help people out, care for sick friends or their children, help in their gardens. That’s one of the big benefits of living without money.” (To read the full article, click here: An Amazing Synchronicity! (and a woman who's lived 'money-free' for ten years!)

And, if you've any doubt about the connection between 'sharing' and 'abundance', please enjoy this marvelous, short video by our friend and partner in sharing Nick Routledge:

(In case this newsletter was forwarded by a friend, or you've just stumbled on our website for the first time and you would like to be added to our list to receive future newsletters, send us an email at the Sharing Gardens: shareinjoy AT gmail.com) "Bee" well!  Chris and Llyn

Sharing Gardens Founders and Stewards: Chris and Llyn

Best Video on Pruning Table Grapes!

Here is the best video I've found on pruning table grapes (and I've watched a lot!). I was able to watch this video and head straight for our vineyard of 36 plants and confidently prune them for what I hope will be our most productive year yet while preparing them to be productive for next year as well.

Grape Vine Pruning Made Easy! (Table Grapes) Using The Double Guyot Method

And, for an excellent written post on pruning grapes: both cane and spur methods explained, click here: How to Prune Grape Vines – Cane and Spur Pruning Explained (Thank you Deep Green Permaculture!)

Update - February 2025: We followed the method outlined in the video above for our grape vines in 2023 and 2024 with excellent results.

Some of the 36 grape vines we grow...after pruning.

In previous years, we had experimented with different methods of pruning. Our plants looked a lot like his did at the beginning of the video. Our theory was: the more fruit spurs we left behind, the more fruit we'd get from them. It can be a bit anxiety-producing to cut off so much plant material and reduce your grapes to just two canes and two renewal spurs (for next year's growth)! In truth, by cutting back the plants so radically, you may get fewer bunches but the ones you get will be larger and more filled out and easier to harvest.

Just a fraction of our harvest using the pruning technique outlined above.

Starting lettuce from seed *(re-purposing plastic tofu containers)

Red Iceberg Lettuce - a summer rose!

This post gives generic information for starting cool-weather crops (lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, kale etc) from seed.

 

Note: Though this was originally written and posted in 2011, and some of our practices have shifted (for example we no longer use rabbit manure - or any animal by-products - in our garden or soil-mix - LINK: Making Your Own "Veganic" Potting Soil in Your Greenhouse Paths - Using Worms) - the core of the information is still accurate and useful so we have republished with minimal editing...

 

Here at the Sharing Gardens (in the Pacific NW) we have several ways of starting seeds. This post is about starting them in a grow-tunnel or greenhouse using re-purposed tofu containers to get them started. (To read about Starting Seedlings Directly in Greenhouse Raised Beds - click here).

We're vegetarians and end up with a lot of these white, plastic, square tofu containers. We've found they make great tubs to start small seedlings. We drill holes in the bottom for drainage and fill with a finely sifted, moist, organic potting mix.

This method presumes you have a greenhouse though it doesn't need to be very big. Seedlings will need sun and protection from wind and severe cold once they have germinated. In 2010, we started everything we needed for three 50 x 50' garden-beds in an 8'x10' greenhouse (below). We just had to time everything so that the first seedlings that were less cold-sensitive (lettuce, peas, cabbage etc.) could be brought outside in time for the hot-weather crops (tomatoes, peppers, melons etc.) to be started inside.

Of course if you have a much larger greenhouse, you can start many more seedlings!

In 2010 we started everything we needed for three 50 x 50' garden-beds in this cozy, little 8'x10' greenhouse. We just had to time everything so that the first seedlings that were less cold-sensitive (lettuce, peas, cabbage etc.) could be brought outside in time for the hot-weather crops (tomatoes, peppers, melons etc.) to be started inside.

First step - Soil: In the early days of the Sharing Gardens we purchased soil by the trailer-load. We chose an organic soil that didn't have any nutrients added, and added an organic fertilizer. We mixed up batches in a wheelbarrow. Later, once we were more established, we began to make our own potting mix but most people don't have that capacity. Just be sure you use 'organic' potting mix from a reliable source.
 

In the early days, we bought organic soil by the trailer-load and added commercially-made fertilizer. Now, we make our own. Making Your Own "Veganic" Potting Soil in Your Greenhouse Paths - Using Worms

Sifting Soil: The key here is that, if your potting mix has large chunks of organic matter, your seedlings will struggle to grow. We sift our soil through a nursery flat with tiny holes to remove all large chunks.

We use a nursery-flat to sift our potting mix. This gets rid of larger chunks of material that would make new seedlings struggle to grow.

Be sure your soil is moist, but not wet. Fill with a good potting mix, using the bottom of another tofu tub to pack the soil firmly and make a flat surface for the seeds. This is important as, if the soil level is uneven you will get varying germination-times for your seedlings. You want them all to come up at once.

Planting seeds: After misting the soil so it is good and damp, we sprinkle the seeds with our finger-tips trying to distribute them evenly and not too thickly. If the are planted too densely, it's hard to tease them apart when you transplant them to larger pots.  

 

Seedlings germinating in re-purposed tofu containers. We try to sprinkle them evenly and not-too densely.

 

Lastly we gently sprinkle a thin lay of cover soil over the seeds and lightly mist to settle the seeds. They must be kept moist but not overly wet or the seeds and starts may rot. Lettuce and brassica seeds germinate best in a cool soil so you shouldn't need to put it on a heat mat or under a lamp to get it to germinate. If you do apply bottom heat, check seedlings frequently so they don't dry out.

 

Chris and Donn transplanting seedlings into tofu containers; six to a 'pot'.

When the seedlings are about 1/2" - 1" (2 cm) high, they are ready for transplanting. We put ours in regular or "jumbo" six-packs, or in the same tofu-containers (six to a container). We use a basic, organic potting soil and add our own fertilizer. To each wheelbarrow of soil we add about two cups of all-purpose organic fertilizer and about a half-gallon of sifted rabbit manure. (Note 2025: We now make our own potting mix from the compost 'harvested' in our greenhouse paths, wood-ash and perlite: Making Your Own "Veganic" Potting Soil in Your Greenhouse Paths - Using Worms). For the Sharing Gardens, where we might grow 1,000 or more lettuce plants per season, transplanting is done in large batches. Being systematic in the nursery will save you time and materials and you will have much better results. Have labels ready so you keep track of the varieties you are transplanting. 

 

Being systematic in the nursery will save you time and materials and you will have much better results.

Fill a flat of six-packs (or tofu containers) with soil and mist them with water. Wet soil is less shocking to transplanted roots than dry. 

 

Adri, filling 6-packs with soil. A fun, relaxing job, at any age!

Using your finger, a stick or some other object, make a generous hole in each of the cells of the six-packs (or whatever you're planting into).

Lettuce seedlings in a tofu container. Using a pen to make holes for transplants.

To remove seedlings for transplanting: Cupping your hand over the whole tofu-tub of seedlings, flip it over and tap the bottom, catching the whole clump of soil and seedlings in your hand. Gently flip it back over and place it on a tray to catch the loose soil as it drops off.

 

From the tray, pull off a clump of seedlings and, holding them by their leaves, tease apart a single plant with its roots. 

 

It is very important that all the roots go down into the soil and are covered. If they stick out from the surface, this is called 'J-rooting' and  will often kill the plants as they dry out too easily. This is why you want to dig a generously-sized hole so the rootlets don't catch on the sides as you lower them in. After pressing the soil in around each seedling, water them in gently to settle the soil. Label the tray and move onto the next.

Transplanting seedlings. Note: Hold seedlings by leaves, not roots or stems.

Depending on warmth and sunlight, and the size of the six-packs you use, your lettuce will be ready to plant in garden beds in six to ten weeks. If you stagger your plantings it will mean your lettuce doesn't all come ripe at once. Ideally you wait until the root ball has filled the six-pack cell enough to hold the soil as you pop it out, without being totally root-bound (roots coming through the bottom of the six-pack).

A variety of seedlings growing in tofu containers; six to a pot.

 A week or two before you transplant into your garden, bring the starts outside and begin "hardening them off". Put them where they will get plenty of sun but not too much wind. They will withstand a light frost but if it is going to get very cold, or doesn't warm up in the day, bring them back into the greenhouse till conditions improve. During this hardening-off period, prepare garden beds so they are ready to receive transplants. In our "deep-mulch/minimal till" gardens, we pull a row of mulch over to the adjacent path (with a pitchfork) and, with a trowel dig a small hole just the size of the lettuce's root-ball. This leaves worm holes intact and lettuce seems to thrive without any roto-tilling needed.

Seedlings "hardening-off".

Here in our area, slugs can be a real problem in the spring. Follow this link for ideas on how to re-use milk cartons or soy-milk containers to thwart off their feasting: Re-Purposing Things. Here is another way to deal with a slug problem: Organic Solution to Slugs - Iron Phosphate. 

Transplanting peas and lettuce

We don't find that additional fertilizing is necessary for lettuce plants. They receive enough nutrients from the soil. But heavy feeders such as broccoli, cabbage or any of the other 'brassicas' would benefit from added compost or some organic fertilizer mixed in at the site you are planting out your seedlings - just don't use too much or the plants will grow quickly and have thin cell walls making them more susceptible to pests.) 

Several weeks after transplanting. Picking individual lettuce leaves for salad.

We hold off on mulching them because we want the sun to warm up and dry out the soil and mulch provides habitat for the slugs. Sometimes, after the lettuce or other seedlings are well established and the soil is warmed up, we mulch with a few inches of grass clippings around our plants. Ideally, let the clippings dry out for a few days on a tarp or in a bin. Fresh clippings, if piled thickly, can heat up considerably and burn your plants.

Chris Burns with beautiful lettuce harvest! 2011

We plant our lettuce spaced about 6" - 8" (12 - 15 cm) apart (brassicas need more room: 18" seems to work well...). We harvest the lettuce intermittently, giving the remaining lettuce room to grow. In the early stages, before the heads are fully formed, we harvest one to three leaves off each plant, rather than clipping whole heads. As the heads become full-size we harvest by cutting them off at the root with a paring knife, leaving the roots in the ground to feed the worms.

 

We hope this post has helped take some of the mystery out of starting spring crops from seed. If you've been interested in learning to save your own seed, lettuce is one of the easier crops to save seeds from. Here's a post we wrote about the process: LINK: How to Save Your Own Lettuce Seed Enjoy!

Valentines Day - Time for Pea Planting!

Garden tips for Peas: In our region (Zone 8b - Last frost-date zone map - USA), its ideal to plant peas around Valentine's Day. This gives them the best head start for blooming in time for the longest possible harvest season. The problem is that, here in Alpine/Monroe, Oregon, the soil is often very wet and cold this time of year and, even if you get a good start sowing seeds directly in the soil, the March and April rains can significantly retard their growth, the seedlings can rot off at soil-level, or slugs can decimate your starts.

If you have outdoor raised beds, direct sowing shouldn't be an issue but if, like us, you don't have that luxury, what follows is a method we've used successfully for several years to deal with these challenges. 

By starting seeds in pots and later transplanting them it will increase your chances of an early, abundant edible-pod pea harvest. 

For this method you will need a greenhouse (or indoor seed-germination set-up), and live in a similar climate as the Sharing Gardens (we're in zone 8b, according to the this zone map of typical first and last frost dates). You can start your seeds in pots much earlier than you would be able to direct sow them outside. Depending on when you start the seeds, they can be transplanted into a greenhouse for earliest pea-production, or later, to beds outside.

 

Peas, started in pots.

For plants that will be grown to maturity in our greenhouses, we start our seeds as early as the first week of January. These are then transplanted to greenhouse raised beds by mid-February. Seeds started in pots in mid-February can be transplanted to outside beds in March. 

 

By starting our first batch of seeds at the new year, we can be eating peas by late March and on into April - at which point the peas we plant outside the greenhouse will begin producing and carry us through May or June!

You'll need:

• Seeds: Our favorite varieties are: Sugar Snaps - delicious pods/shorter trellis - 6' or Melting Sugar - need a tall trellis - 8' - very prolific but not as sweet.
  
• Soil
• 4" pots (4-6" deep) - the deeper pots give more time before plants become root-bound. You'll need one pot per two seeds. Plants will be transplanted at a spacing of 6"-8".
  

Fill pots to within a half-inch of the top. Water the soil to help it settle.

Poke two seeds, in opposite corners, about the depth of one knuckle (3/4" or so). That's two seeds per pot. This gives each plant enough soil to germinate and grow to several inches in height before you transplant. Cover the seeds with soil (about the depth of two seeds-deep) so they're not exposed to sun. Water them gently. Do not over-water. Seedlings can rot if soil is too damp.

Plant two seeds in opposite corners.Note: Since having first written this article, we have now shifted to planting two seeds per pot but do not have photos to reflect this.

Keep the potted seeds protected from marauding slugs by putting them up on a table, or putting a milk-carton collar around them. (Link to post on Re-Purposing Things - including milk-cartons as collars). 

 

If you're planting in January, you'll need a greenhouse, or indoor germination set-up to protect them and keep soil in pots warm enough for germination. If you wait until mid-February, pots can be outside in a sunny place, protected from north winds. Temporarily bring them inside if faced with a severe freeze.

Pea seedlings in pots. Pea leaves and tendrils are edible and delicious in salads.

When they are at least 6", and no longer than 12", you can put them in your garden, or greenhouse beds. Best to wait until their root-systems are quite dense in the pots -- almost "root-bound". They will be easier to transplant without damaging the plants. On the other-hand, if you wait until the stems are too long, you risk breaking stems during transplanting so it's a matter of finding the right balance.

 

These peas are ready to be transplanted! In fact they're almost too well developed! Tendrils from neighboring plants are starting to entwine. Pea plants are very fragile and you must be careful not to break the stems.

Transplanting: Plant each 4" pot (with its two seedlings) about 8"- 10" apart with thin bamboo stakes or other climbing trellis in between each clump of starts. (Note: peas need a trellis with stakes or caging that is less than 1/2" (1 cm) in diameter. They climb using tendrils (instead of wrapping around the trellis - like beans) and won't be able to grab and climb if your trellis/caging uprights are too thick.)  

 

Pea-plants are not typically transplanted but sowed directly in place. They are very susceptible to shock so be gentle with the roots and stems. Best to have your trellis in place before you transplant so you don't injure roots driving in the stakes.  

 

If slugs are a big issue in your area, planting them in milk-carton collars can make a big difference. We also typically sprinkle about a teaspoon of iron-phosphate ("Sluggo") around each bunch of plants. This is an organically-approved way of dealing with slug/snail infestations in your garden. (LINK to article about iron phosphate).

The plants might go through a little stress from transplanting but once they acclimatize to their new environment they'll be well along the way to yielding a bounteous and long-term harvest!

Good idea to have trellis in place before you transplant peas (so you're less likely to damage roots). The plants will go through a little stress from transplanting but once they acclimatize to their new environment they'll be well along the way to yielding a bounteous and long-term harvest!

 

John and Llyn transplanting pea-seedlings outside in early to mid-spring. It's a good idea to have your trellis in place before you transplant peas (so you're less likely to damage roots).

Sara picking peas in the greenhouse in April. Note: peas need a trellis with stakes or caging that is less than 1/2" (1 cm) in diameter. They climb using tendrils (instead of wrapping around the trellis - like beans) and won't be able to grab and climb if your trellis/caging uprights are too thick.

Pea-vines headed for the compost pile. Peas, being legumes are able to add nitrogen to your soil through a symbiotic relationship with organisms that grow on their roots. This will help improve your soil, particularly if you leave the roots in the ground when you cut down the "greens" to add to your compost pile. (Link: Saving pea seeds - a low tech method to prevent 'pea weevil' damage)

Growing food together, grows community too!

Other relevant posts for early-spring gardening:

Can I Speed Up Potato Sprouting?

Do I Need to Buy Seed Potatoes or Can I Just Grow Potatoes from the Grocery Store?

Sprouting potatoes? What to do.

Onions - Growing From Seed

Onions - Growing From Seed - deep pots

There are literally hundreds of varieties of onions grown in this world, but unless you grow your own you usually have access to only a handful of varieties from the grocery store.  If you rely on growing onions from ‘sets’, (the little onions available from nurseries with about a hundred per bag) your options are often still quite limited.  Growing from 'sets' has other disadvantages too; often they will produce a significant number of ‘doubles’ (meaning smaller onions at harvest-time) or they go to seed, 
which makes them tough and unpalatable.   

Here is a guide you can follow that will ensure your success at growing onions from seed.

Onions going to seed.

Here in the Willamette Valley of Oregon (USDA Zone 7b - Link to finding what zone you are in), we do best to grow what are called ‘long day’ varieties which include Cipollini (chip-o-leenie) both red and yellow varieties, Southport White Globe,  or White and Yellow Sweet Spanish. There are many more varieties to choose from; check your seed catalogs or go online to see a greater selection. (Be aware that, if you wish to save your own seed, you must choose Heirloom/Open Pollinated non-hybrid seeds. Those listed above are all Heirloom varieties.)

You will need:

• Sifted potting mix
• Sand (optional)
• Pots: 4"-wide x 6"-deep (1 pot per 25 seeds)
• Seeds; start with fresh seeds each year; onion seeds lose viability within one or two years.
• Greenhouse or grow-lights, or the ability to bring seedlings indoors if in danger of frost.
• Plant-mister  

When to start: About eight-to-ten weeks from the time you wish to transplant them into your garden. We always get the seeds started around the middle of February. By late April the seedlings will be ready to set out into the garden.  They are ready when you can see a clearly defined "bulb", 1/8" to 1/4" pushing above the soil-surface in the pot. At this stage, the sooner they get into the ground the larger your onion bulbs will be at harvest time.  It’s always a good idea to have a bed in mind that you’ve prepared during the previous fall since it’s difficult to prepare beds in the spring if you have a long rainy season like we often experience here in Oregon. The seedlings can handle a touch of frost at this stage but its no fun transplanting them in really muddy garden beds. Some people wait until early or mid-March to start seeds and still have plenty of time for the onions to ripen.

Pots: We've found that starting the seeds in pots that are 4" - 6" deep is best. Any shallower and the seedlings become root-bound before it's time to transplant them.

Soil/Sand: Start with a good organic seed-starting mix.  It doesn’t need to be a premium potting blend, in fact, if you start with too rich of a soil blend you can experience a condition referred to as ‘damping off’ which looks like mold growing on the surface and which causes the young seedlings to rot as they emerge from the soil.  One way to help eliminate this condition is to sprinkle a thin layer of sand over the seeds.  By keeping the soil damp but not too wet and having good ventilation you shouldn’t have this problem. 

Onion seeds can be started in a variety of containers.

Fill the pots with a sifted soil to about 1/2" from the top (tiny seeds find it difficult to germinate in soil with large chunks of material). Level out the soil, tamping them down with the bottom of another pot to create a level surface so that all of the seeds will be sewn at the same depth (otherwise they germinate unevenly). 

Seeds: You may want to actually count out the seeds the first time so that you can have an idea of what 25 - 35 seeds looks like because that is about how many would be optimal to sew in 4" pots.  You can adjust up or down depending on the size container you choose.  The idea is to not have an overcrowded condition that would produce weak and unhealthy seedlings.  Place the seeds in the palm of your hand and pinch out a few at a time. Gently drop them on the surface of the soil, distributing them as evenly as you can without becoming too concerned about accuracy.  It’s OK if some seeds are touching each other. Sprinkle a sifted layer of starting mix or sand over the seeds at a depth of about an eighth to a quarter inch.  Tamp it down again and water gently (a planter mist-er works great at this stage). 

Watering:  Keep the soil moist using either a small spray bottle or water them from below by putting water in trays and setting pots in them. Tiny seeds, until established can be washed away with more aggressive watering techniques. Make sure you label them with the name of the variety and the date you started them.  Then it’s time to be patient, and let Nature do her work.

The seeds will not require sunlight until they have emerged from the soil, usually about two weeks from the time they are sewn, so you can keep them indoors where they will not freeze, on a window sill or in a greenhouse if you have one. Once the greens are up, they will require full sun. If you don't have grow-lights or a greenhouse, be sure to bring them inside at night if it looks like you may have freezing temps.

Teasing onion-roots apart before trimming.

Transplanting: Each pot of seedlings must be teased apart. You will need to trim back both the tops and the roots before trying to stick these tiny seedlings into the ground. You trim the roots so they're easier to slip into the holes and you trim the tops so that the pruned roots can support the greens above.

First, dump the whole pot into the palm of your hand.  Next, separate the clump into several sections (maybe 10-12 seedlings in each clump).  Hold one clump by its 'greens' and gently tap the root ball until most of the soil has fallen away.  Tease the seedlings apart and lay them back in your hand so that the small bulbs are in a line (see picture below). Using a scissors or hand pruner, cut away all but about 2 inches of the roots.  Trim the tops to about the same length as the roots. Now set the clump into another shallow container with a little water in the bottom to keep them from drying out while you prepare the rest for transplanting.  Prepare only as many as you are able to set out in one session.

Trim roots and greens to same length.

In the bed that you’ve already prepared you open up small holes about 4-5 inches apart. Our onions are usually planted in beds two to three feet wide, with several rows in each bed.  

Make holes: To make the holes you can fashion a planting stick called a ‘dibble’ from a smooth branch or a ¾ in dowel with a point, or, just use a ‘Sharpie pen’ to make the hole.  Make a number of holes and then go back and drop a single onion in each hole.  Gently press the roots into the hole and pinch the soil around each one, making sure the part that was under the soil in the pot is covered when you transplant leaving only the green top showing.  You’ll get the hang of it after a few and will be able to transplant hundreds in no time at all!

Onions in a wide bed.

Now the focus becomes keeping the bed weed-free and well watered.  Once the plants have become established and the warmer, sunny weather settles in you’ll be amazed at how fast everything grows.  Feel free to thin out your onions when they are immature and be sure to use the whole thing, greens and all. 

If you have planted non-hybrid seeds, hold back a few onions to replant next spring to save seed. Onions are biennial meaning they don't produce seed till their second year. By collecting your own seeds you can begin the process all over again, and saving seeds, dear friends, is one big step toward greater food security!

Link to another post we wrote about onion-growing.

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