Ready, set, go!

So !

We have already reached the time of the first sowings. And it's the onions that I start first. This year, it will be on February 21st that I will sow my seeds by broadcasting them, in 10 non-compartmentalized boxes. Saint-Didace red onion.

So, on Friday, February 21, I will scatter a hundred seeds on the surface of a seedbed Then, I will cover them of a centimeter of the same potting soil, then I will seal and water using a watering can with an inverted spout . I will then place the boxes on my seeding table facing east, which allows the seedlings to benefit from the morning light.

After about a week, a bulge will form on the surface of the potting soil, which will indicate an upcoming levy. This will be the time to install the accent lighting . I have recently been using LED lights a little expensive, but how effective.

Why February 21?

Well because it's a leaf day at lunar calendar .

Although one might think that the onion is a root vegetable, this is not the case. The onion is actually a bulb which is a swelling of the stem; it is therefore an aerial organ, therefore a leaf vegetable.

As we do not replant onions , we must keep them in the same box until transplanting. Supplementary fertilization may therefore be necessary in April. 10 ml of fish hydrolyzate is then used. and 10 ml of liquid algae per liter of irrigation water. Fertilize with this solution once a week. Also, once the stems have reached 18 cm , we fold them down using scissors 14 cm .

Do you have your onion seeds?

Unfortunately, all Saint-Didace Red Onion seeds are already sold. If we cannot offer you seeds of this cultivar, Semences du Portage offers you the cultivar New York Early which produces a perfect yellow onion for cooking as well as the cultivar Rossa di Milano which develops a very attractive red onion which, although suitable for cooking, is very good eaten raw, cut into slices, in a sandwich or a salad. Both are storage onions.

In mid-March, it will be time to sow leeks, artichokes, parsley and the first lettuces. For the leek, proceed in the same way as for the onion. For the artichoke, At the stage of the first true leaves, transplant the plants into 8 cm pots. For parsley and lettuce, this is the usual procedure: sow in germination soil and transplant into growth soil.

To improve your knowledge about onion cultivation you can read The onion... A venerable bulb . And to know about it any further on indoor seedlings, you can consult the article Indoor seedlings .