An exact harvest time for onions cannot be determined exactly. The ripeness of the onion depends on the variety on the one hand and the cultivation method on the other. In general, onions take about four months to mature.

When the leaf wilts, the onion is ready to be harvested

The right harvest time for the different cultivation methods

Onion sets that are planted in spring are ripe from July to September, depending on the variety selected.
Onion sets that are already planted in autumn have time to develop well in winter and are ready for harvest in June of the following year.
Seed onions take less time to ripen. They can even be harvested four to six weeks before the onion sets.

When is an onion ripe?

Determining when an onion is ripe is relatively easy. After sowing in spring, the onion continues to grow until the summer months. When the heat is at its greatest, it begins to prepare for the cold season and therefore passes the nutrients from the foliage to the onion bulb. As a result, the foliage is less cared for, turns brown and eventually dies. Now is the time to get the bulbs out of the bed and store them in the cellar for the winter.
Damaged onions are not stored, but eaten as soon as possible.

Accelerate ripening by stepping over the onion greens?

Some gardeners are still of the opinion that stepping over the leaves of the onion promotes ripening. However, this is a misconception. If the leaves are kicked over, the onions will become “emergency ripe”. This means that the onions are getting ripe, but have not yet reached their optimal size and quality. This affects the storage quality of the onion and promotes premature sprouting or the occurrence of rot.

Harvest instructions step by step

  1. When the onion leaves have withered, carefully pull the onions out of the ground.
  2. Remove the loose soil with your hands. This also removes the loose parts of the shell.
  3. For better storage, the onions must ripen and dry out well. Always tie a few onions together in a bunch. If you like, you can also braid the dry leaves into decorative braids.
  4. The tied onions are hung in an airy and dry place for one to two weeks. Avoid blazing sun as this will cause the shell to burst.
  5. If there is no way to hang up the onions, they can also be stored in wooden boxes.
  6. When the bulbs are well dried, you can remove the loose skins, cut off the dry roots and shorten the foliage to about 5 cm.

Category:

Vegetable garden