The harvest time for the onions depends on when they were planted. As with most vegetables, the main harvest takes place in autumn. A dry, sunny day in September is perfect for autumn harvest fun.
When should you harvest onions so as not to harvest them too early?
Onions should not be harvested too early as their storage life will be affected. Wait until the leaves are two-thirds dry and folded over before harvesting the onions on a dry day in September and leaving them on the bed to ripen.
Before the harvest
You should stop watering the onion beds in good time a few weeks before the harvest. Dry and warm soil at the time of onion formation and maturity helps the gardener produce a more storable crop. The lack of moisture also causes the leeks to dry out.
If you have grown the onions from onion sets, they will ripen a little earlier than with the sown onions. It is said that planted onions do not store as well as onions grown from seeds. To increase storage life, it is all the more important to let them ripen on the bed for as long as the weather permits until there are no more green leaves to be seen.
Harvest
If the onion leaves are two-thirds dry and folded over, the harvest can begin. To do this, the bulbs are pulled out of the ground on a dry day (you may want to help with a digging fork (€139.00 on Amazon) if the roots are too deep in the ground) and the bulbs are left on the beds to dry. The dried herb is left on and removed before storing the onions.
After the harvest
If the weather remains moderately sunny and dry, the entire onion harvest should ripen on the bed for one or two weeks. The onion peel hardens, which also contributes to better storage life. If it is raining or there is too much sunlight, it is better to dry the onions under a protective roof.
The dry leaves are used to tie several onions together and hang them under the roof of the shed or, with a little craftsmanship, to braid the onion braids. The bulbs can then be stored in nets or other air-permeable containers. The storage should be cool, dry and frost-free. A shed, a garage or an attic are ideal for this.
Tips & Tricks
Bring a touch of nostalgia to your pantry or kitchen by hanging some onion braids there. The dried onion herb is suitable for braiding.
