Let us introduce you to one of our favorites – the Southport Improved Bunching Onions variety! It’s one of our most popular varieties and it’s no surprise – it boasts beautiful straight shanks and perfect taste. A perfect addition to any farm or garden!
It’s so easy to grow it on your own – here are a few tips to help you along the way.
How to start?
The best way is to start indoors about 4-5 weeks before you can move the seedlings outdoors. In this way, your onions will be ready to harvest much sooner than if started outdoors. You can plant the seeds in a common pot to save space. Move the seedlings outdoors when there’s no threat of frost, and make sure to separate them properly – each into its own hole.
If you want to grow directly from seed, make sure your plots are grass-free, as this variety’s seedlings look a lot like grass. The seeds should be planted just beneath the surface of the soil. When the seedlings emerge, take good care of them – the roots are a bit shallow, so make sure you water the plants regularly to prevent them from drying out. Add fertilizer or compost to help balance the nutrients in the soil (see here for a guide!). Make sure you take out any weeds as soon as they appear in the plot as the onions will not compete well.
Harvesting
Harvesting bunching onions is also a no-brainer – you can harvest anytime, no matter if the plant has grown fully or not (it should be ready to eat). You can pull the whole plant out, or cut some of the leaves and leave the bulbs in the ground to form new ones. If you prefer to harvest the whole plants, make sure you have a stash of seeds to plant every 3-4 weeks so you have a constant supply of the fresh vegetable!
Southport Improved Bunching Onions
This is the most successful bunching onion on the market, coming from our successful onion breeding program. Southport Improved is a Long day variety with straight white shanks which are remarkably uniform in size – perfect for machine harvesting and a beauty to have in your garden! It is best suited for harvest in warmer weather, although it works well all throughout the year. It’s important to note that it does not form a bulb in warmer weather.
Let us know if you have any questions regarding any of our varieties!
Sources: Garden Fundamentals // SFGATE
