Alliums

Onions

Onions are a cool season crop known for hardiness, but still require full sun. This crop is planted in the spring as soon as the soil is workable, and in regions with a mild winter, can also be planted in the fall 4 to 6 weeks before the first frost to harvest the next spring. Onions are planted from onion sets, which are small bulbs sold for gardening that grow into full onions in about 3.5 months. You can also simply buy starters from a local nursery. It's possible to grow onions from seed, but they grow slower and have a lower success rate. If you are growing from seed, sow them 1cm (½") deep 6 weeks before the last spring frost. Otherwise, plant onion sets as soon as the ground is workable and temperatures are reliably above -2°C (28°F). Place them 15cm (6") apart with the pointed end up and 2cm (1") below the surface of the ground. You'll want to check the day length and recommended latitude when choosing a cultivar. Short day onions will for bulbs when days reach 10 to 12 hours in length and are suitable only for southern regions. Long day onions require 13 to 16 hours of daylight and are used in the north. Onions make great companions to lettuce, carrots, beets, and parsnips by warding away pests, so plant them nearby. For best results, use a nitrogen rich fertilizer every few weeks and stop when the bulbs start to emerge from the soil. Working aged manure or compost into the soil before planting helps as well. The bulbs will begin to emerge from the soil as they grow; do not cover them with more soil. If any onions send up flower stalks, harvest them immediately. They won't store well but they can be used for cooking in the following days. You'll know your onions are maturing when the leaves start to yellow and fall off. Bend the leaves down and crush them under foot to speed up the ripening process, while loosening the soil around the onions to encourage drying. When the tops are brown and dead, pull up the onions, and clip back the roots. Make sure you harvest in dry conditions because wet onions will rot in storage. Let the onion dry for a few days, then hang them from their tops or in a mesh bag in a cool, dry, well ventilated area. Avoid storing them in the refrigerator, which is too moist. Check periodically for sprouted or rotting onions and remove them to prevent the others from being contaminated. Do not store onions with apples, pears, or potatoes.

Garlic

Choose softneck garlic in regions with a mild winter and hardneck garlic in regions with a severe Winter. Buy your garlic cloves (the sections within a bulb of garlic) from a seed catalogue or farm store rather than from the grocery store. Plant the cloves in the spring as soon as the ground can be worked pointed end up 2-5cm (1-2") beneath the surface and 10-15cm (4-6") away from other cloves. Loosen the dirt about 20cm (8") deep and do not remove the papery skin from the cloves. For best results, fertilize garlic beds in the spring with a nitrogen rich fertilizer like blood meal, chicken manure, or a commercial fertilizer. If you notice the leaves are yellowing early, add more fertilizer. Garlic can be planted in the spring for a fall crop or in the fall for a spring crop; the best method will depend of the climate zone, although over wintered garlic typically does better. For fall planting, plant 4 to 6 weeks before the first frost. Before the frost, cover with 10 to 15cm (4-6") of straw to be removed in the spring after frosts are over. Cut any flower stalks that emerge in the spring to encourage bulb growth. At the end of the season when the tops start to turn yellow, pull up the plant carefully using a trowel. Let the garlic dry for a few days, then hang them in a cool, dry, well ventilated area. We store our garlic in a shed. Avoid storing in the refrigerator, which is too moist. The curly green garlic shoots, also known as scapes, are also edible, and can be harvested for salads and stir fries. Garlic does well when planted with celery, brussel sprouts, beets, lettuce, potatoes, tomatoes, and strawberries.

Leeks

Like most vegetables, this cool season crop needs full sun and a soil pH between 6.0 and 7.0 to thrive. Leeks take from 90 to 150 days to mature, and can be planted either in the spring or fall, depending on the variety and climate zone. Summer leeks can be started indoors and then transplanted once the ground is workable and temperatures do not fall below 6°C (20°F). Sow the seeds 1cm (½") deep 10 weeks before the last frost and allow 8 to 16 days for germination. Once they are 20cm (8") tall harden them off by exposing them to outdoor conditions daily for increasing amounts of time and transplant them into narrow holes about 2cm (1") in diameter and fill the holes with water instead of refilling with dirt. Space the plants by about 10-15cm (4-6"), in rows 45cm (18") apart. You can also direct sow your seeds when temperatures are between 13°C and 25°C (55-77°F). Winter leeks are left in the ground over the winter and harvested throughout the winter and spring. Leeks that have overwintered will bolt (send up flower stalks) come spring. Make sure to dig up and harvest leeks before the flower, otherwise they will taste bitter. If you want to collect seeds, allow the flowers to mature and harvest the seeds once dry. Leeks grow well with carrots, celery, and onions, and will deter carrot flies.

Chives

Chives are perennial plants that grow best in full sun but can also tolerate partial shade. Sow seeds 6mm (¼") deep 4 to 6 weeks before the last spring frost. Keep the soil moist. Once the threat of frost has passed, transplant to the garden in clumps of 4 or 5 plants, spaced 20-30cm (8-12") apart. For a fall harvest, plant in late summer. You can also transplant chives into a pot to bring indoors over the winter, or simply buy starts from the nursery. Chives do not like to compete with weeds, so mulch well. Once chives are established, fertilize every spring. Chives benefit from regular harvesting by preventing the leaves from becoming tough. They also keep well when frozen. Allow the flowers to grow, as they are also edible.