It is not possible to determine an exact harvest time for onions. The ripeness of the onion depends on the variety and the cultivation method. Generally, onions take about four months to mature.
When is the right time to harvest onions?
Onions should be harvested when the foliage is wilted and brown, which usually occurs four months after sowing or between June and September depending on the growing method. Wilted leaves indicate that the bulb has passed on its nutrients to the bulb and is therefore ripe.
The right harvest time for the different cultivation methods
Onion sets that are put into the ground in spring are ripe in the months of July to September, depending on which variety is chosen.
Onion sets that are put into the ground in autumn are ripe in the Winter time to develop well and are ready for harvest in June of the following year. Seed onions require 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 grows steadily until the summer months. When the heat is greatest, it begins to prepare for the cold season and therefore passes on the nutrients from the foliage to the onion bulb. As a result, the foliage is less nourished, turns brown and ultimately dies. Now is the time to take the onions out of the bed and store them in the cellar for the winter. Damaged onions are not stored but consumed as soon as possible.
Accelerate ripening by trampling the onion greens?
Some gardeners are still of the opinion that trampling the onion leaves promotes ripeness. However, this is a misconception. If the leaves are trampled over, the onions will experience “emergency ripeness”. This means that the onions are ripe, but have not yet reached their optimal size and quality. This affects the storage quality of the onion and promotes early sprouting or the appearance of rot.
Harvest instructions step by step
- If the onion leaves have withered, carefully pull the onions out of the ground.
- Remove the loose soil with your hands. This also removes the loose parts of the shell.
- For better storage, the onions must ripen and dry out well. To do this, always tie a few onions together in a bunch. If you like, you can also braid the dry leaves into decorative braids.
- The tied onions are hung in an airy and dry place for one to two weeks. Avoid direct sunlight as this will cause the shell to burst.
- If there is no way to hang the bulbs, they can also be stored in wooden boxes.
- If the onions have dried well, you can remove the loose peels, cut off the dry roots and shorten the leaves to around 5 cm.