Bulbs
Flower Basics
Flower Beds & Specialty Gardens
Flower Garden
Garden Furniture
Garden Gnomes
Garden Seeds
Garden Sheds
Garden Statues
Garden Tools & Supplies
Gardening Basics
Green & Organic
Groundcovers & Vines
Growing Annuals
Growing Basil
Growing Beans
Growing Berries
Growing Blueberries
Growing Cactus
Growing Corn
Growing Cotton
Growing Edibles
Growing Flowers
Growing Garlic
Growing Grapes
Growing Grass
Growing Herbs
Growing Jasmine
Growing Mint
Growing Mushrooms
Orchids
Growing Peanuts
Growing Perennials
Growing Plants
Growing Rosemary
Growing Roses
Growing Strawberries
Growing Sunflowers
Growing Thyme
Growing Tomatoes
Growing Tulips
Growing Vegetables
Herb Basics
Herb Garden
Indoor Growing
Landscaping Basics
Landscaping Patios
Landscaping Plants
Landscaping Shrubs
Landscaping Trees
Landscaping Walks & Pathways
Lawn Basics
Lawn Maintenance
Lawn Mowers
Lawn Ornaments
Lawn Planting
Lawn Tools
Outdoor Growing
Overall Landscape Planning
Pests, Weeds & Problems
Plant Basics
Rock Garden
Rose Garden
Shrubs
Soil
Specialty Gardens
Trees
Vegetable Garden
Yard Maintenance
The Best Way to Prepare Garden Onions for Winter Storage
The Best Way to Prepare Garden Onions for Winter Storage. Onions are cool season vegetables and are grown throughout most of North America. Long a staple in American pantries, onions are a root vegetable that can be stored in cool, dry places into the late winter months. This hardiness makes the onion a reliable vegetable for homemakers to consider...
Onions are cool season vegetables and are grown throughout most of North America. Long a staple in American pantries, onions are a root vegetable that can be stored in cool, dry places into the late winter months. This hardiness makes the onion a reliable vegetable for homemakers to consider when they are devising winter menus. According to the University of Illinois Extension in the article "Watch Your Garden Grow," scallions and green onions cannot be stored for more than a few days and should not be put up for winter storage.
Things You'll Need
Onions
Window screen
Chairs or cinder blocks
String
Scissors
Mesh bags (optional)
Cup hooks or nails
Storage area
Harvest garden onions in late July and throughout early August when the tops are longer than 6 inches for the best results. Gently tug onions from the ground in the morning hours. Allow the onions to sit in the garden soil until afternoon in order to air dry.
Put a window screen on top of two chairs or cinder blocks to raise the screen above the ground. Place the window screen in a sheltered, well-ventilated outdoor area, garage or basement.
Put the onions on top of the screen. You may brush the soil from the onions, but avoid peeling away any onion layers. These layers serve as protection while the onions are being stored. According to the University of Illinois Extension, remove any onions with flowers sprouting from the onion tops. These onions should be used immediately instead of stored. Also, don't attempt to store damaged onions or onions featuring green necks. Allow the onions to dry for about three weeks.
Tie the onion tops together with string or braid the onion tops and then reinforce them with tied string. According to the University of Illinois Extension, onions can also be stored in mesh bags. Reuse the mesh bags used for produce from the grocery store.
Hang tied-together bunches of onions or mesh bags of onions from cup hooks or nails in rafters or walls in a cool, dry place. According to the University of Illinois Extension, aim for temperatures between 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit for optimal winter storage. Onions can typically be hung/stored until late winter, but should be regularly inspected; any onions showing rot should be separated from the others and discarded.
Use stored garden onions by cutting them from the string or braids or removing them from the mesh bag.
