Harvesting and curing onions, extending marketing season

To achieve a better price for your onions, it is important to present properly cured bulbs of uniform size to the market, says Bill Kerr.

- Bill Kerr

Onion harvesting can commence when most of the onion tops have toppled over. The necks and leaves will still be green at this stage. It is important to allow the tops to dry off before trimming takes place, as nutrients are still being transported to the bulbs.

If the onions were grown on raised beds or flat ground, you can draw a blade under the onions, loosening them from the soil and severing the roots, so that they will begin to dry out.

If the onions are still upright, they can be left to dry out just as they are, provided the weather is dry. If the bulbs are pulled, they should be stacked in windrows or heaps in such a way that the leaves provide them with protection from sunlight, which may burn them. You can also use grass or straw to protect the bulbs until they are dry.

AIM FOR SMOOTH, SHINY SKIN