The Drier the Onions, the better they Store; Hang some Braided Onions in your Kitchen

Pull your storage onions when the plants are dead. The tops will lose their green color, turn brown, and start to wither. That’s the time they should be harvested. Don’t let them stay in the ground once they are dead.

A warm, sunny day is ideal for pulling onions. Leave them bottom side up in the garden for 2 or 3 days until they are dry.

Keep roots away from the ground. The drying kills the roots—they look like little brittle wires. When thoroughly dry, they’ll break off easily with a swipe of your hand.

Onions then need a longer drying or “curing” period of up to 2 weeks. Spread them out in a warm, airy place in the shade. I usually put them alongside our gravel driveway. I cover them with a light cotton sheet (do not use plastic). Held in place by stones, the sheet keeps the sun from burning the bulbs, but allows plenty of air circulation. I turn the bulbs a couple of times to promote even drying.

Once the onions are dry (after about 2 weeks), I sort them according to size. Then I put them in mesh onion bags, hang them in the garage, and leave them there for another 3 to 4 weeks.

Finally, I move the onions to my root cellar. I find the drier the onions, the better they store. I hang them from the ceiling so they will get good air circulation around them.

Protect Stored Onions from Pests and Diseases

Thrips are tiny insects that feed on onion leaves and cause white, blotchy areas. The plants weaken, and the yield is reduced.

The onion maggot is the offspring of a small fly that lays her eggs near the base of the plant, or on the bulb itself late in the season. The maggots kill the plant by burrowing into the stem and the bulb. Pull up and destroy any plants with maggots before they mature into flies.

Neck rot is probably the most common onion disease. It often hits just after the harvest or while the bulbs are in storage. All onion varieties can develop neck rot, but the mild-flavored, Bermuda-type onions are especially susceptible. Drying the onions at warm temperatures with good ventilation and then storing them in a cool, airy spot can help prevent this disease.

If you want to braid onion tops, harvest the crop while the drying tops are still flexible. Braid in twine to strengthen the tops, and hang the braids in a warm, well- ventilated, shady spot to cure. Then store them in a cool, dark place and bring out one braid at a time to hang in the kitchen.

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