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Now’s a good time to begin planting onions, garlic in Virginia
By Bobbie Whitehead
With a few cloves of hard-neck garlic, Art Whitener plants the pieces pointed upward.
“Planting the flat side to the row keeps the leaves from growing all into your row,” Whitener said.
Whitener, who farms on Old Myrtle Road in Suffolk, is among a few Southeastern Virginia farmers who grow garlic to sell at area markets or to companies servicing restaurants.
Most of the garlic and onions sold at large grocery chains tends to be the varieties grown on commercial acreage in states like California, known for its garlic; Georgia, known for its Vidalia onions; New York, which produces cooking onions, and Texas and Washington State, producers of sweet, jumbo onions.
With a few cloves of hard-neck garlic, Art Whitener plants the pieces pointed upward.
“Planting the flat side to the row keeps the leaves from growing all into your row,” Whitener said.
Whitener, who farms on Old Myrtle Road in Suffolk, is among a few Southeastern Virginia farmers who grow garlic to sell at area markets or to companies servicing restaurants.
Most of the garlic and onions sold at large grocery chains tends to be the varieties grown on commercial acreage in states like California, known for its garlic; Georgia, known for its Vidalia onions; New York, which produces cooking onions, and Texas and Washington State, producers of sweet, jumbo onions.
Art Whitener of Suffolk grows green onions and garlic on his farm. Whitener says now is a good time to plant garlic and onions.
Still, Virginians do find garlic and onion can grow nicely here, and now’s a good time to plant garlic and onions.
“I read somewhere that you plant onions and garlic on the shortest day of the year and harvest them on the longest day, but I think that’s an old tale,” Whitener said.
Whitener grows green onions and plants the bulbs, which he says are about the size of a marble.
Though the bulbs aren’t available yet, Whitener said some growers can plant the onion seeds now, and he suggests planting the seeds flat on the row without any cover.
“When they get a good size, you can eat the onions,” said Whitener, who uses raised hills in his rows to make harvesting the onions easier.
Onions can grow well in a moist and warm soil, he said, as long as the soil isn’t waterlogged. If the onions are planted in October, they’ll be ready to harvest in April, he said.
Whitener plants his onions twice a year – once in March and then in October.
Though bulb onions, or stew and sweet onions, don’t typically grow well in this area, if the soil is somewhat sandy, Whitener said growers can get the bulb onions to grow.
“The looser soil will allow the bulb to grow or expand in size, plus the looser soil allows for better drainage,” he said. “If the soil gets real cloddy and hard, the root crops tend not to do well.”
Whitener has also been planting onion seeds to start the plants, but he said he’s not having as much luck with the seed plants.
The Virginia Cooperative Extension Service, too, suggests growing onions, as Whitener suggested, in soil that offers adequate drainage.
When planting seeds or transplants, growers can plant the onions close and thin them as they grow.
American onions tend to be the smaller-sized onions with a stronger flavor, but European onions have a milder flavor and tend not to store as well as American onions, according to the Extension Service.
For growers or gardeners wanting to plant bulb onions, the Extension Service suggests spacing them one to two inches apart and two inches deep. “Thin to four inches apart and eat the thinned plants as green onions,” the Extension Service suggests.
Whitener grows the elephant garlic, a hard-neck variety that has a stiff, stem around which the cloves form.
For growers interested in growing garlic, Whitener said to plant one clove of the garlic into the row, planting each clove about three or four inches apart with the pointy portion of the clove upward. The Extension Service also suggests using a one-foot wide row.
Just like onions, the Extension Service notes that garlic grows well in well-drained soil such as loam, and garlic can grow well in most of Virginia and in home gardens.
If the soil isn’t properly drained, though, the garlic and onions bulbs will rot, and both can face problems with thrips and root maggots, according to the state Extension Service.
Onions and garlic can be good crops to sell at farmers markets to cross-merchandise with other produce as well as other foods.
“I read somewhere that you plant onions and garlic on the shortest day of the year and harvest them on the longest day, but I think that’s an old tale,” Whitener said.
Whitener grows green onions and plants the bulbs, which he says are about the size of a marble.
Though the bulbs aren’t available yet, Whitener said some growers can plant the onion seeds now, and he suggests planting the seeds flat on the row without any cover.
“When they get a good size, you can eat the onions,” said Whitener, who uses raised hills in his rows to make harvesting the onions easier.
Onions can grow well in a moist and warm soil, he said, as long as the soil isn’t waterlogged. If the onions are planted in October, they’ll be ready to harvest in April, he said.
Whitener plants his onions twice a year – once in March and then in October.
Though bulb onions, or stew and sweet onions, don’t typically grow well in this area, if the soil is somewhat sandy, Whitener said growers can get the bulb onions to grow.
“The looser soil will allow the bulb to grow or expand in size, plus the looser soil allows for better drainage,” he said. “If the soil gets real cloddy and hard, the root crops tend not to do well.”
Whitener has also been planting onion seeds to start the plants, but he said he’s not having as much luck with the seed plants.
The Virginia Cooperative Extension Service, too, suggests growing onions, as Whitener suggested, in soil that offers adequate drainage.
When planting seeds or transplants, growers can plant the onions close and thin them as they grow.
American onions tend to be the smaller-sized onions with a stronger flavor, but European onions have a milder flavor and tend not to store as well as American onions, according to the Extension Service.
For growers or gardeners wanting to plant bulb onions, the Extension Service suggests spacing them one to two inches apart and two inches deep. “Thin to four inches apart and eat the thinned plants as green onions,” the Extension Service suggests.
Whitener grows the elephant garlic, a hard-neck variety that has a stiff, stem around which the cloves form.
For growers interested in growing garlic, Whitener said to plant one clove of the garlic into the row, planting each clove about three or four inches apart with the pointy portion of the clove upward. The Extension Service also suggests using a one-foot wide row.
Just like onions, the Extension Service notes that garlic grows well in well-drained soil such as loam, and garlic can grow well in most of Virginia and in home gardens.
If the soil isn’t properly drained, though, the garlic and onions bulbs will rot, and both can face problems with thrips and root maggots, according to the state Extension Service.
Onions and garlic can be good crops to sell at farmers markets to cross-merchandise with other produce as well as other foods.
