There's still time to plant onion sets

February 2, 3:56 PMSF Gardening ExaminerChris McLaughlin

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Onions braided for storage

If you want to plant onions for summer harvesting, you still have time here in the Bay Area. Make sure you plant onion sets, not onion seeds. You’re looking for short-day onions and this month is really the last month you have for planting sets. Don’t plant the ones you buy in the grocery store they may go to seed right away, plus they could be diseased.

Good variety choices to purchase for growing in the Bay Area are described as “grown in the north and south”, “midseason”, or “intermediate-day”.

Try these varieties:

• Valencia
• Yellow Sweet Spanish
• Fiesta
• Southport White Globe
• High-Ball F
• Stockton Early Red
• Redman

Plant the sets just under the surface of the soil, about 3 -4 inches apart. The plants will get thick and big and then make lovely bulbs for you during the spring. You can eat onions fresh from the garden, but if you are going to store them, don’t jump the gun and dig them up too soon.

The best way to harvest onions you are going to store is to let the plant dry up all the way, and then leave the bulbs there for another week. If you’d like to store your onions by braiding them together, braid them right after you harvest the onions. Let them completely dry for storage by hanging them in a cool, dry place.