5. Good Organic Gardening - September-October 2016 AvxHome.in

Spring onion | TIME TO PLANT
It’s mainly the white part
that’s used in cooking
deep, lay the seedlings along the trough, then
gently backfill with soil to cover their roots.
Water them in well.
Keep spring onions growing strongly with
organic liquid feeding every seven to 10 days.
Also keep them weed free by regular hoeing
and hand weeding along the row.
Little goes wrong with spring onions
grown in well-drained soil, although they may
become infested with aphids. Aphids can be
wiped or hosed off the leaves or treated with
a registered organic insecticide.
Harvesting and
storing
Spring onions are ready to harvest when they
are pencil- or finger-thick and around 30cm
high. They take around eight to 12 weeks to
reach maturity, depending on the variety and
growing conditions.
To harvest, simply pull as needed from the
soil. Wash well and use immediately or store for
several weeks wrapped in plastic in the fridge.
Spring onions are used fresh mainly as
a garnish for salads but also added to hot
dishes such as stews or soups. They team
very well with eggs.
As with onions there
are red varieties
Spring onion
label
Common name: Spring onion, shallot
Botanical name: Allium cepa var.
Aggregatum
Family: Alliaceae
Aspect and soil: Sun; deep,
well-drained soil
Best climate: All
Habit: Annual vegetable
Propagation: Seed, seedling
Difficulty: Easy
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