Onions

[S0NWO]

Onions are a big deal. Most people have no idea how many onions they eat, and it's likely more than they think.
They are also a pain in the ass to grow. At least the baseball sized ones we typically find at the supermarket.
They take a long time to grow, and need a lot of water. Some regions are great for growing them, but most places are not. And they are susceptible to insect damage and fungal infections.

A supermarket onion has as many as 15 different pesticide and fungicide chemicals applied to them. Many of them are systemic, which means they are absorbed into the actual onion.

Onion skin contains a lot of nutrients and flavor, but because of the heavy chemical use, the skins should be thrown away.

Onions from the supermarket are grown from seed, and collecting onion seed is a time consuming and not so easy process.

But they are not the only type of onion. So I thought I would start this thread to talk about what types of onion are best suited for the post solar kill shot world, and how best to handle them.

 

[S0NWO]

I have been growing multiplier / potato onions for a few years as a potential survival crop, but they have some major disadvantages that I did not find a solution for until a year ago. Now these onions are my go-to for onions.

Here is an intro to potato onions:

They multiply via division like garlic and shallots, so they are great for survival gardens where fooling around for months with tiny seedlings is a nightmare.

Nothing seems to eat them and they don't typically get mold issues.

They have extremely tight skins, which means their shelf life in cool storage is 9-12 months!

The big deal breaker is twofold. Because the skins are so tight, they are a nightmare to peel. And the actual bulbs are small. Around golf ball sized. Those 2 things combined make them really annoying in the kitchen.

But then I realized that the skins are excellent nutrition and flavoring. And that the onions can be dropped whole with the skin on into a food processor, and the finely chopped bits can be easily dehydrated.

The subsequent dried mat of onion can then be powdered and stored in sealed jars. It's super easy, is shelf stable, and is better than bought onion powder.

 

[S0NWO]

Egyptian Walking Onions are another variety I grow. I don't actually use them much, but if anything can survive a nuclear apocalypse, it's Egyptian Walking Onion.

You can abuse them, neglect them, forget them, and come back years later and they will likely still be there. Nothing eats them. They don't need watering.

They aren't really grown for bulbs, because they don't really have much of them. But their green tops and bulbils are used in the kitchen.

 

[RockyMountainHeathen]

the onions I've got growing right now are just regular ole white onions. They've flowered now and are going to seed. I'll be saving the seed for sure. I love egyptian walking onions! I need to get some of those started.

 

[Cindy C]

I've always thought onions were one of the easiest things to grow but I buy onion plants and put them in the ground. I rather overdid it this year, I have bags and bags of onions. I have never planted onions from seed.

I've never had a problem with pests on onions, I don't do anything other than plant them in well fortified (composted goat manure/hay) and they grow really well where I live. Our main problem here are squash vine borers and squash bugs. I fight to grow zucchini, yellow squash, winter squash, pumpkins, etc.

There are a couple of old ladies I watch on youtube - they have what they call a 'hard times garden' - onions, potatoes, and carrots - a good base for many meals. Gathering Basket Homestead. They grow a lot of other stuff but those are basic items that are easy to grow in my area.