Growing onions in Colorado can be a rewarding experience , but timing and patience are everything . I am currently ground out of Centennial State . The dependable advice I can give is to be patient , surprise frosts can appear up to May . Elevation , temperature fluctuation , and precipitation patterns all represent a role in ascertain the best time to engraft onion .
Get it right , and you ’ll revel a openhanded harvest of delicious , flavorful onions . Get it improper , and you may cease up with stunted growing , disease , or even complete crop failure . In this article , we ’ll explore the optimal timing for planting onion in Colorado , provide you with hardheaded advice and useful hint to ensure a successful harvest .
Good Onion Varieties to Grow in Colorado
Onions are a pop vegetable harvest among nurseryman due to their versatility in the kitchen and the ease with which they can be grown . There are numerous varieties of onions , each with its singular characteristics and manipulation .
Here are some of the more pop onion variety that gardeners like to farm :
Overall , each onion plant variety has its unique flavor profile and culinary uses , spend a penny them a popular and versatile harvest for gardener .
When to Plant Onions in Colorado
Allium cepa are a cool - season harvest that can be planted in the spring as presently as the soil can be worked . The exact planting time will motley depending on your location and mood , but more often than not , onions should be planted about 2 - 4 weeks before the last expected frost date in your area . The approximate planting window for onions in Colorado :
Additional Resource : Find Your Colorado Hardiness Zone
Before planting onions , it ’s all important to prepare the territory by loosening it to a deepness of 4 - 6 inch and incorporating compost or well - moulder manure . Onions opt well - drain soil with a pH between 6.0 - 7.0 .
To establish onion set , which are small onion plant bulbs , make a crease about 1 inch thick , found the sets 4 - 6 inches apart , and cover them with land . For onion source , sow in them about 1/4 inch deep and 1 inch apart , and embrace them with soil . Water the soil soundly after plant , and keep the soil moist until the seedling emerge .
Onions maturate well in full sun and require consistent wet to produce quality bulb . They also benefit from even fecundation throughout the growing time of year . Weed control is essential , so keep the area around the plants free of pot .
In closing , onions should be constitute in the outpouring , 2 - 4 week before the last expect frost appointment in your area . Prepare the filth , found the stage set or ejaculate , water the well , and keep the sphere free of gage . With proper care , you may savor a big harvest of delicious onions in the summertime and fall .
Planting Onions From Seed
Onions can be originate from semen , but it drive longer than establish onion plant sets or starts . It ’s recommended to set onion plant set forth rather than seed because onion ejaculate take a prospicient sentence to germinate and grow , and the plants may not mature as uniformly as Allium cepa set .
However , planting onion from seed can be a good option if you want to grow a specific smorgasbord that is n’t available as sets or starting time . Planting onion plant seed can also be more cost - effective than purchasing sets or starts .
If you resolve to plant onions from seed , you should start the seeds indoors 8 - 10 weeks before the last carry hoarfrost date in your area . The final frost date in Colorado are :
You should aim to originate your seeds indoors in Colorado around :
To start onion germ indoors , fill seed trays with a beneficial character seed - starting mixing , and sprinkle the cum on top of the stain . spread over the cum with a slight stratum of dirt , water the tray , and keep it in a warm , bright location . Onion seed need a consistent temperature of 65 - 75 ° F to germinate , so you may need to use a high temperature mat or grow light to maintain the correct conditions .
After the seeds have germinate , thin the seedling to about 1 in aside , and go forward to grow them indoors until they are declamatory enough to transfer outside . Harden off the seedlings by step by step exposing them to out-of-door term for a week before transplanting them into the garden .
When to Harvest Onions in Colorado
Onions are ready to glean when the leafage start to turn icteric and fall over . This typically chance in former summer or early declination , about 100 - 120 days after planting , count on the variety show and growing conditions .
To verify if the onions are ready for harvest , gently push back the soil around the nucleotide of the Allium cepa bulbs to see if they have develop into mature bulbs . If the bulbs are of the desired sizing , you could part to harvest them .
To reap onions , use a garden crotch or spadeful to cautiously abstract the medulla oblongata out of the soil . Gently relax the soil around the bulbs to debar damaging them . Once the bulb are out of the filth , leave them on the primer coat for a daylight or two to dry out out and cure in the sun . This will avail to toughen the skin and keep up the storage lifetime of the onions .
After the onions have dried and cured for a day or two , trend off the fore and root to about 1 column inch from the bulb . you could then store the onions in a cool , wry shoes , such as a garage or basement , with dear air circulation . hang them in mesh bags or bond them in braids is also a good way to hive away onions .
Onions should be hive away in a place with a temperature between 32 - 40 ° F and with low-toned humidity . avert storing onion near potato or other fruits and vegetables that produce ethene natural gas , which can cause onions to baffle more chop-chop .
