making raised beds for onions...

[illinoisguy]

Onions are a flop in my garden. But, I have some old 2x8's and planned to raise the beds. I have some spagnum(sp) moss and sand. Would those additions help loosen the soil in a raised bed?

Of so, how much sand...little or a lot? I was not sure if the sand works its way to the top or does it pretty much stay consistent through the mix...thanks

[Alice In TX/MO]

If you are putting in raised beds, do not use your current bad soil in them. Build up with a "Lasagna Garden" layered bed. Here's the link.

http://organicgardening.about.com/od...agnagarden.htm

The quick explanation is layering compost, leaves, a bit of that sand, some of the moss, a THIN layer of whatever dirt you have, etc. and repeat till the bed is full. You will be MUCH happier than trying to amend bad soil.

[ldc]

IG, it depends what kind of "bad" soil you are starting with - if it is a clay pan, the sand will make it into cement! Traditionally, onions are grown in rich, loamy bottomland near rivers, or on old dry riverbeds. On the east coast, that soil is called "muck". In Texas, it's done differently...Do the best with what you have. I grow them in this humid climate; they aren't the most long-lasting as I can't dry them enough, but they're good enough! Good luck, ldc

[Callieslamb]

You might do better to add compost, chopped leaves, etc than the sand. Sand doesn't always help clay soil -depending on the situation. Onions need a lot of fertilizer - I fertilize heavily in the beginning of the season and use weekly liquid fertilzer applications. As they start to bulb up, I take my finger and run it around between the bulb and the soil to loosen it up a bit so the onion can spread out. Most of the onion bulb grows above the ground.

[ronbre]

have you considered building a hugelkulture bed? it would be much healthier for your garden than just a plain raised bed

you can either build it on top of the soil or dig some soil out first..or sod..and set it aside..

then you add logs, branches, wood, bark, woodchips, etc over the soil as thick as you can come up with materials for..up to several feet.

then you put in any amendments like compost if you have it..and turn sod upside down ..roots up..and then put any soil, sand, etc on top..and mulch over the top with whatever you have to mulch with..

this bed should grow just about anything you want to grow

for more information google hugelkulture or go to www.permies.com

[pancho]

I raise onions is raised beds. I started out planting in hay bales. When the bales rotted and settled I filled the bed with a potting and bedding mixture.
Onions grew great. I have some multiplying onions right now that are large and going to seed. Have been eating green onions all winter.

[motdaugrnds]

I'm planning on a similar bed for my root crops, onions included.

My top soil is about 12" deep and is sandy loam that has been mixed with chicken & goat bedding (plus cover crops) for years already; thus, I do not have the problem of compact earth as you seem to. However, I'm going to dig down past the top soil, till what is found, then line it with some fallen tree trunks/branches/leaves. Then will replace a little of the top soil and add compost and some baled wheat that has been left out in the weather the last few months because it was not needed this past winter. Then I'm throwing in a light layer of agricultural lime and some more layering of the same materials. (I'm planning my bed to be at least 2 ft high for convenience in harvesting.)

If I had your soil (not knowing what kind or what nutrition is lacking), I would have it tested first by the local ag agent's lab; then layer it. (I think sand would be fine if it were mixed first with something other than clay, though I would not put on a very thick layer of it at a time.)

[illinoisguy]

I kind of attributed it to tough soil...though my whole garden has been amended. Then again, I pushed my bulbs in to the soil around an inch. I am wondering if I should have the bottom of the bulb just barely under while most of it being above the surface....thoughts....

thanks

[FarmboyBill]

I dont have any look with onions OR carrots/beets. But I think its a lack of water thing here in NE OKLA. My onion bulbs get the size of dollars, and the ssets the size of a quarter. I put in way over a pickup load of rabbit manure, and a 1/4th of a bed of chicken manure. Tilled it up. Didnt help.

[geo in mi]

Originally Posted by illinoisguy

Onions are a flop in my garden. But, I have some old 2x8's and planned to raise the beds. I have some spagnum(sp) moss and sand. Would those additions help loosen the soil in a raised bed?

Of so, how much sand...little or a lot? I was not sure if the sand works its way to the top or does it pretty much stay consistent through the mix...thanks

They may be flopping in your garden by reason of something else besides the soil they are in. Until you know that, going to the bother of putting in a raised bed may just that, a bother, and you might not get any better results........

If you are using sets, they most likely are those from the store, Stuttgarter, or Ebenezer. Their finished size is only about three inches diameter, max., so that may be one reason for the disappointment. Another may be that they don't get planted early enough to develop all the rings they can before the day length signals them to bulb up. Planting time is usually two to three weeks before the last expected frost--some will say freeze--but in either way, that's really early(if you plant them in late May or early June, you've lost maybe two months of potential ring growing time.). Another reason could be nutrients. Onions really like the phosphorus at planting time, then lots of nitrogen during the growing time. Another reason could be not enough water. They really need lots of water. Another reason could be that unbeknownst to you their roots like to spread out in the shallow soil at first, then downward, and you may be cutting those feeders off as you hoe weeds. The roots of onions are very fragile, so any foot traffic they get will damage them and cut off the supply of moisture and nutrients.

Your planting depth sounds okay to me--an inch--to inch and a half deep is usual for sets. One other factor to keep in mind is the size on the sets--the little ones make the best ones...the big ones will shed off that bulk at the first planting anyway, and they will more likely bolt to seed. So if you can choose, get the ones smaller than a dime, in diameter.

Planting them in a raised bed may get you some benefit--IF you have good nutrients, and if you have soil that will anchor them and keep them from falling over and breaking the roots---I'm thinking the spaghnum moss would be pretty loose. If you consider the root spread, I would say you can get three rows into a three foot bed, spaced at four to five inches on the lengthways. I would recommend a depth of at least twelve inches, and eighteen inches would be even better. You could hand weed, and apply lots of water, too.

I would also suggest you give some transplants a try. You can get bigger ones that way. Garden centers and stores will likely have Sweet Spanish transplants--really worth your effort if you want bigger ones....

geo

[Wanda]

If you are wanting large onions you need to start with plants instead of bulbs. Also they can not compete with grass and weeds.

I raise them in raised beds and have had ''candy'' plants produce bulbs bigger than softballs. The bulbs will be grown mostly above ground level.

[Paquebot]

Go with 10% peat and 15% sand. That's to help the soil structure. Then 10% compost or manure for nutrients. If those 2 aren't available, use any commercial fertilizer with a 1-1-1 ratio. Peat or compost will only be effective for about 2 years and then have to be replaced.

Martin

[am1too]

Originally Posted by ronbre

have you considered building a hugelkulture bed? it would be much healthier for your garden than just a plain raised bed

you can either build it on top of the soil or dig some soil out first..or sod..and set it aside..

then you add logs, branches, wood, bark, woodchips, etc over the soil as thick as you can come up with materials for..up to several feet.

then you put in any amendments like compost if you have it..and turn sod upside down ..roots up..and then put any soil, sand, etc on top..and mulch over the top with whatever you have to mulch with..

this bed should grow just about anything you want to grow

for more information google hugelkulture or go to www.permies.com

I'm curious why would you turn the sod upside down?

[pancho]

Originally Posted by ronbre

have you considered building a hugelkulture bed? it would be much healthier for your garden than just a plain raised bed

you can either build it on top of the soil or dig some soil out first..or sod..and set it aside..

then you add logs, branches, wood, bark, woodchips, etc over the soil as thick as you can come up with materials for..up to several feet.

then you put in any amendments like compost if you have it..and turn sod upside down ..roots up..and then put any soil, sand, etc on top..and mulch over the top with whatever you have to mulch with..

this bed should grow just about anything you want to grow

for more information google hugelkulture or go to www.permies.com

I have several raised beds made that way.
They don't produce any better or worse than the beds filled with bedding mix.
Cheaper to fill as the logs, branches, and wood can be picked up for nothing.

[DayBird]

Originally Posted by am1too

I'm curious why would you turn the sod upside down?

So that it will die. Burying it underneath a layer of compost and mulch will help it decompose.

[Paquebot]

Before you make that bed for the onions, dig the existing soil as deep as you shovel or tiller can go and work in some of that peat and sand. Then add your peat-sand-soil mix on top of that. Onion roots will go down 3' but are not able to handle compacted soil very well.

Martin