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Spring onions growing well this winter for some area farmers
By Bobbie Whitehead
Down three long rows in a Suffolk field, Edmond Morris has watched his green onions, sometimes called scallions, germinate and grow well during the past few months.
Green onions, which add a mild onion flavor to greens and salads, often adorn farmers’ markets bins during the spring and summer months when customers buy the majority of their fresh and locally-grown vegetables.
Morris, who operates Clayhill Farms and sells from his market on Mineral Springs Road, both retail and wholesale, said he's pleased with the onions' growth, especially since this is his first time growing them. Having planted the seeds on about 2/10ths of an acre, Morris said he was told that if the onions germinated, he could
Down three long rows in a Suffolk field, Edmond Morris has watched his green onions, sometimes called scallions, germinate and grow well during the past few months.
Green onions, which add a mild onion flavor to greens and salads, often adorn farmers’ markets bins during the spring and summer months when customers buy the majority of their fresh and locally-grown vegetables.
Morris, who operates Clayhill Farms and sells from his market on Mineral Springs Road, both retail and wholesale, said he's pleased with the onions' growth, especially since this is his first time growing them. Having planted the seeds on about 2/10ths of an acre, Morris said he was told that if the onions germinated, he could
expect them to continue to grow and do well.
“Last year, I bought green onions to sell, and I decided to try growing them this year,” Morris said. “These are the onions sold in bunches with the tops on them.”
Ideally, Morris said the onion bulb itself shouldn’t get any larger than a person’s thumb.
“You wash them, chop them, and marinate them in vinegar and sugar,” Morris said. “Then, pour them over most Cole crop vegetables. It enhances their flavor.”
Many growers in the area who plant green onions usually purchase the bulbs and plant those in the fall. But Morris decided to try planting the seeds, instead, which can be more difficult, he said.
The major problem farmers and gardeners may have, he said, is getting the onions to sprout when planted from seeds. Most growers have no problem when they plant the bulbs.
“If there’s too much clay in the soil, they won’t grow,” he said.
Since Morris used to grow tobacco, which has a small seed similar to the onions, he said he applied what he knew about handling delicate tobacco seeds to his onions. Since significant amounts of clay prevent the onions from growing, Morris used some sand to help keep the soil from compacting, so the onions could grow, he said.
The green onions should be planted at a depth of ¼ of an inch, he said.
“Due to the fact that they’re planted so shallowly, you have to water them often, at least for the first 10 days,” he said.
Morris also used the drip tape, which is tubing with emitters that emit droplets of water slowly, to keep the onions watered.
So far, Morris said he’s pleased with his onions’ progress; his crop now stands about eight inches above the ground and will go into a dormancy phase through the rest of the winter. He’ll harvest them in the spring, he said.
Other growers in the area who have planted green onions using the bulbs say their onions will be ready for harvest in early spring. In Courtland, Neil Drake of Grayson and Emma’s Garden Spot has grown green onions for several years and said this year he has two long rows.
Drake said he can pick some of his onions now to go along with the greens he sells, but the bulk of his onions will be harvested in the spring.
“We’ve had really good luck with green onions,” Drake said. “People will start asking for them in the spring.”
“Last year, I bought green onions to sell, and I decided to try growing them this year,” Morris said. “These are the onions sold in bunches with the tops on them.”
Ideally, Morris said the onion bulb itself shouldn’t get any larger than a person’s thumb.
“You wash them, chop them, and marinate them in vinegar and sugar,” Morris said. “Then, pour them over most Cole crop vegetables. It enhances their flavor.”
Many growers in the area who plant green onions usually purchase the bulbs and plant those in the fall. But Morris decided to try planting the seeds, instead, which can be more difficult, he said.
The major problem farmers and gardeners may have, he said, is getting the onions to sprout when planted from seeds. Most growers have no problem when they plant the bulbs.
“If there’s too much clay in the soil, they won’t grow,” he said.
Since Morris used to grow tobacco, which has a small seed similar to the onions, he said he applied what he knew about handling delicate tobacco seeds to his onions. Since significant amounts of clay prevent the onions from growing, Morris used some sand to help keep the soil from compacting, so the onions could grow, he said.
The green onions should be planted at a depth of ¼ of an inch, he said.
“Due to the fact that they’re planted so shallowly, you have to water them often, at least for the first 10 days,” he said.
Morris also used the drip tape, which is tubing with emitters that emit droplets of water slowly, to keep the onions watered.
So far, Morris said he’s pleased with his onions’ progress; his crop now stands about eight inches above the ground and will go into a dormancy phase through the rest of the winter. He’ll harvest them in the spring, he said.
Other growers in the area who have planted green onions using the bulbs say their onions will be ready for harvest in early spring. In Courtland, Neil Drake of Grayson and Emma’s Garden Spot has grown green onions for several years and said this year he has two long rows.
Drake said he can pick some of his onions now to go along with the greens he sells, but the bulk of his onions will be harvested in the spring.
“We’ve had really good luck with green onions,” Drake said. “People will start asking for them in the spring.”
Edmond Morris of Clayhill Farms in Suffolk stands next to rows of spring onions.
