when are walla walla onions in season

“It’s just another option. If it's not yet warm enough to plant outdoors, transplant the seedlings to larger plastic or peat pots indoors and continue care. For more information, visit the Onions page in our How to Grow section. Sweet Onions Each harvest season begins in mid-June and continues until mid-August. The East Oregonian and Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, First Congregational Church Seasonal Offerings. You have permission to edit this article. The Walla Walla Sweet Onion story began nearly a century ago on the Island of Corsica, off the west coast of Italy. Harvest runs through the middle or end of August. Storage: Store cured, dried, full-size bulb onions in a cool place. Now the onions have all matured into the behemoth beauties recognized worldwide. Walla Walla sweet onions are protected by a federal marketing order designating the legal production area. The cool, wet weather the area experienced in May can lead to gray mold or white rot. An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Harvesting Sweet Walla Walla Onions that are around 90-95 days mature. Average yield is roughly 650 50-pound units per acre. This gives the plants plenty of time to grow large and healthy enough to survive their eventual transplanting to the garden. Sales are handled by … Start seeds 5-8 weeks before the last frost and plant out when the threat of frost is gone. He’s been developing it for 10 years, he said, picking off-pigment onions during harvest and planting and raising the reddest ones. 4.2 out of 5 stars 16. Marlene Castoldi sells this year’s first harvest of Walla Walla Sweet Onions, grown on her family’s Newtown Road farm, at Saturday’s Downtown Farmers Market. Sorry, no promotional deals were found matching that code. Sign up to this list to receive updates on breaking stories such as emergency road closures, major local news, local weather alerts and the like. Plant flowering bulbs, biennial and perennial flowers, and vegetables that bear crops below ground during the dark, or waning, of the Moon. June 25, 2020 Washington State’s 2020 Walla Walla Sweet Onion season kicked off Thursday, June 18, at Walla Walla River Packing, as Locati Farms/Pacific Agra Farms started harvest. Locati is introducing a red Walla Walla sweet onion in “very limited production,” less than 5 percent of the yellow Walla Walla sweet crop. The "days to maturity" of a crop and the length of your growing season also factor into whether you start seeds early indoors or directly sow seeds into the ground outside. Welcome! I learned this interviewing a couple of onion farmers from the Walla Walla … The crop first came to Walla Walla in the late 1800’s and is a staple part of the community. By the middle of this month, the whole crop will be harvested and once they’re gone, they’re gone. Plant them in the fall through late spring. Walla Walla Sweet Onions harvest in mid-June and are available through August. Their five-pound bags were selling quickly while folks milled about under the cover of shelter at the transfer station during Saturday’s cold showers. However, the challenge is getting your crops harvested before the winter frosts begin. This year’s harvest of one of Walla Walla’s most famous products is now underway. Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. The onion is a bulb onion bred for use as a diced or sliced product rather than for use fresh as a green onion or as a small bulb for pickling. Learn more about Planting and Gardening by the Moon. In the spring, starting seeds indoors (in seed trays or starter pots) gives your crops a head start on the growing season, which is especially important in regions with a short growing season. This is one Bunch, about 60-80 plants, of Walla Walla Sweet Onion Plants. About 10 to 15 farmers raise the niche onion on 500 total acres in Walla Walla County and a small part of northeastern Oregon, according to Locati. Read more about starting seeds indoors here. In Zones 9 and 10, direct sow or transplant out your onion seeds. We hope that you continue to enjoy our free content. Planting in late summer for a fall harvest has many benefits (soil is already warm, temperatures are cooler, fewer pests). The Season for onion plants is normally from March to May. [5] Get more tips for transplanting seedlings. “Profitability, the margins are getting slimmer with the way labor costs have gone up, especially in Washington State.”. It’s off to the races for Walla Walla Sweet Onions! Walla Walla Sweet Onions, like these photographed last week along Last Chance Road, matured under a warmer-than-usual May sky. Walla Walla sweet onions are in the peak of harvest season, a long tradition in the city. Plant the seeds 1/2" deep in a flat 2-3 months before the last frost date; keep the soil moist and at room temperature. Full sun. Overwintering onions are susceptible to fungal disease. A short keeper so use fresh from the ground. In other words, plant from the day after the Moon is full until the day before it is new again. For the Almanac's fall and spring planting calendars, we've calculated the best time to start seeds indoors, when to transplant young plants outside, and when to direct seed into the ground. A fantastic and ever popular old French variety producing one of the sweetest onions available, ideal for salads. Onion sizes are trending toward jumbo size, about 3 inches and up in diameter, he said. Find the best dates for planting and … Spring Walla Walla onions can either be the result of purposeful crop planting or the product of a farmer thinning an onion field that is destined for a fall harvest. This is important to know since growing onions that are not well-suited in your area will yield inferior bulbs. Onions are commonly harvested in the summer or early fall of the year. When you think of a red, you think of a hot onion. For most crops, you should start seeds indoors about 6-8 weeks before your last spring frost date. Walla Walla Sweets are seasonal, so if you can’t find them in your market, other sweet onions like the Vidalia will work just fine. This planting calendar is a guide that tells you the best time to start planting your garden, based on frost dates. They're one of many of "America's Sweets" and are very sweet. The earlier dates are more applicable to southwest Washington and the later dates for more northerly or colder areas. Walla Walla resident Gillian Gray picks out a 5-pound bag of Walla Walla Sweet Onions at Saturday’s Downtown Farmers Market. If outdoor conditions allow, start hardening off your seedlings approximately one week before your last frost date, then transplant them into the garden. Indoors, you can control these elements to maximize your plants' early growth and give them the best shot at thriving when they are eventually transplanted outdoors. Please note: To plan your garden more accurately in the future, keep a record of your garden's conditions each year, including frost dates and seed-starting dates! The Walla Walla sweet onion is named for Walla Walla County, Washington, where it is grown. They will sit dormant during the cool season, but will be primed and ready to grow … Kinda unexpected, no? [3] [4] Its development began around 1900 when Peter Pieri , a French soldier who settled in the area, brought a sweet onion seed from the island of Corsica with him to the Walla Walla Valley. Walla Walla sweet onion farmers started harvesting this weekend, the leader of the crop’s marketing committee says. On display in the foreground are this year’s first harvest of Walla Walla Sweet Onions, grown on her family’s Newtown Road farm. The tasty Walla Walla sweet onion is the official Washington state vegetable — a fact some potato fans have trouble accepting. Walla Walla spring onions are available in the spring and fall months. Planting by the Moon (also called "Gardening by the Moon") is a traditional way to plant your above- and below-ground crops, especially at the start of the season. “The price right now is a good starting price,” Locati said. Sweet onions—including Maui Sweets, Vidalia Sweets, Texas Sweet, and Walla Walla Sweets—lack the sulfuric punch of regular onions. (Steve Ringman/The Seattle Times) Custom programming and server maintenance by, Read more about starting seeds indoors here, Get more tips for transplanting seedlings, We tend to direct-sow leafy greens such as, Note that garlic is not included in our planting chart. Onions are a cool season crop in Zones 9 and 10. The large bulbs are mild and crunchy with pure white flesh. On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. When seedlings have grown too large for their seed trays or starter pots, it's time to transplant. Space plants 4 to 6 inches apart in rows that are 12 to 18 inches apart. June through September is the season for Walla Walla onions, those sweet jumbo onions that make you look forward to summer. Thank you for signing in! € Locati said more about planting and raising the reddest ones the large bulbs are and. Out your onion seeds bags an order of fresh vegetables at Saturday’s Downtown market. And the later dates for more information, visit the onions page in our How grow. Juicy onions store best in the South during the light, or a. Plants 4 to 6 inches apart in rows that are 12 to 18 inches apart receive! 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