Organic Morada De Amposta Onion - Allium cepa

Soil preparation: Onions thrive and grow in all types of soils, preferably light and well-drained. The soil should not have received manure for at least a year. Onions fear excess nitrogen, so avoid planting them after green manure or vegetables from the Fabaceae family (beans, peas, fava beans). Rotate approximately every 5 years before growing onions again.

Spring sowing: Coloured onions (yellow, pink and red) and some early varieties of white onions are sown from February to April, directly in place (or in autumn if the climate is mild). Mark the sowing rows by stretching a string, spacing the rows 20 cm (8in) apart. Dig a furrow 2 cm (1in) deep and sow thinly. Close the furrow by lightly tamping with a rake. Moisten the soil immediately after. Germination takes about 18 days. When the plants reach 5 cm (2in) (about 2 months after sowing), thin out, leaving one plant every 10 cm (4in). Harvesting can then be done throughout the summer.

Autumn sowing: White onions are sown at the end of summer (August-September) in crates or trays. They will be transplanted into the ground either a month later in mild climates or at the end of winter around February. Allow 20 cm (8in) between rows and 10 cm (4in) within the row. White onions are then harvested in spring.

Regular tasks: Regularly hoe, especially at the beginning. No mulching to prevent rotting. Onions dislike moisture, so watering should be kept to a minimum, mainly during sowing and transplanting.

It is also possible to produce bulblets oneself: sow in March, then keep one plant every 2 cm (1in), harvest bulblets with a diameter of less than 2 cm (1in) in July, store them dry during winter, and plant them in the following spring.