Onions

The image on the masthead was taken a few years ago.  Right now it looks the same except that there are brown patches of gravel road peeking through.  The forecast today calls for a snow/rain mix.  Hence I'll be outside covering a wood pile and cleaning up things I don't want covered with ice..

In previous years I've planted my onion sets at or around the third week in March.  Right now that seems almost impossible.  Onions are responsive to the amount of available daylight.  That means they form nice round globes when there's more than 12 hours of sunlight. The usual instructions for planting sets is to get them in the ground as early as the soil can be worked.  In our part of the state I've had onions peeking out of the ground after a late spring snowfall.  Last average frost is May 10th which means that we'll have a frost more oft than not after that date.  My onions are hardy lot.

My target date of the third week in March allows that by June I'll have nice sturdy onion stalks which go to work setting bulbs in the time up to the solstice.  By July 2nd, which is the date on this picture, they'll be near harvest. After pulling them, laying them out for a day to dry out any clinging soil, nipping the tops and sorting by kind to dry on screens under a covered canopy, I'll have a year's supply ready by Labor Day to store in a covered, cool space in our summer kitchen.