Home-grown Onions

Onions (Allium cepa)

Saved from Death.  Last spring I was nonchalantly strolling at Home Depot when I saw bundles of onion seedlings at the clearance shelf.  The seedlings were almost dry with a tiny hint of green at the inner leaves.  I touched them and between my fingers I felt the presence of life.  So for $1.50 per bundle I purchased my right to grant those poor plants a chance to live.  To revive those dry roots I soaked the seedlings in a bucket of water overnight prior to planting.   Since there was no space in my kitchen garden available at that time, I planted them in pots with good friable soil.

Even these onions are interesting to a ten-year old kid.

Raising a Gardener. My little daughter likes helping in the kitchen garden but her attention span is very short when it comes to garden work.   She would be watering the plants in pots that don't get watered automatically and suddenly she'd be gone trying to catch dragonflies.  I'd ask her to weed and before I know she'd be collecting earthworms and naming all of them.   Harvesting these onions in pots appears interesting to her that she remained till she finished harvesting them all.  She complained only once when I asked her to hold the onions for picture taking.  :)  Then she left to go eat some cherry tomatoes on the other side of the garden.

Sweet onions:  Ready for the kitchen

Future Plans.  I have planted onions many times in the past using sets.  This is the first time that I ever used seedlings (almost dead seedlings).  The result is very satisfactory that I intend to start my own seedlings next year.  Starting from seeds is much more economical than buying onion sets.   I will have to remind myself to start germinating them indoors early enough. 

Onions grown in pots.

Try something new in the garden.  It is likely that there is a lesson waiting to be learned.