Hi ,

Just love your website.

I was wondering the proper way to planting vadalia onions. Could you help me out?

Thank you,

Bren

-- Anonymous, April 16, 2001

Answers

Hello Bren,

A lot depends on where you are located. To be actually marketed as a Vidalia onion, the bulb must be grown within the 17-county region centered around Vidalia, Georgia.

These sweet onions (Yellow Granex-type) can be grown in areas where other short day onions varieties thrive as long as three key conditions are met - correct variety, correct soil and stress. The pungency is caused by sulfur containing compounds. Grow onions on soils which are low in sulfur. Allow the onions to be stressed for water or nutrients during the growing season.

Typically they are harvested in the Spring / Early Summer and are planted in the Fall. You might also try starting the seeds indoors, indoors 3 to 4 months before your last spring frost date, for a summer harvest. Set out at 3 to 4 inch spacing a month before the last frost. I have heard different stories about this working well. Perhaps someone else will give us their success story.

Keep well weeded and water during dry periods, especially when young. Also, when the plants are yound, feed with fish fertilizer or compost tea. The care given in the first few months will greatly influence the final bulb size.

Generally they are eaten fresh but under perfect conditions can store up to 7 months. This is typically not the case for home conditions.

For preparing for storage, wait until most of the tops have fallen over. Knock over any upright stalks with a rake. Wait 1 to 2 days and then pull the onions up. Leave them on the ground to dry. If it rains, dry them in shallow trays in a well-ventilated place. Always use ontions with thick, green stems immediately -- they will not store. When onions are thoroughly dry, braid the tops and hang in a cool, dry place or clip off the tops and store the bulbs in mesh bags or slat-sided boxes.

Hope that this helps.

Mike Dunton

-- Anonymous, April 16, 2001