I’ve put it off for too long and now the onion plants are starting to suffer. When the plants get about 6 to 8 inches tall we trim the onion plants to about half their length. This strengthens the plant and allows the bulb and top to grow larger/thicker for transplanting. If the plants are too small the wind will whip them and sometimes kill them. So to strengthen them we just cut off about half the plant. If you do this in a timely manner you can take the green onion in for dinner to use in your salads or just to cook up. They will store in your refrigerator for several days in a zip-lock bag and sure are tasty this time of year. Might even be your first garden harvest for the year.
Don’t worry about hurting the plants. They are just like grass and seem to appreciate getting rid of the extra greenery that pulls from their strength while they are in the trays. Like your lawn they will grow right back and you will need to trim them again in a few weeks before you plant them. The grandkids enjoy walking through the greenhouse and taking a bite. Nothing like farm-grown kids to appreciate fresh onion greens.
You will notice the red tray of Mars sweet onions in the picture below. The bulbs are almost a 1/4 inch wide. Wow, as soon as we have time we can start transplanting. Onions do not mind the cold weather. Actually they like it, so we are able to save room on the tables and just set them on the ground in the greenhouse. That’s all there is to it. Enjoy eating your fresh, green onion tops and watching the plants grow bigger and bigger.
Red Mars Onions with a fresh 'hair cut'
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