When is the best time to harvest onions?

Green onion is a very common vegetable and a very important seasoning vegetable with extremely high economic value. It is currently cultivated in all parts of China. So when is the best time to harvest green onions? Let’s learn more about it below.

When is the best time to harvest onions?

The best time to harvest green onions depends on several factors, including climatic conditions, the growth stage of the green onions, and market demand. Specifically:

1. Climate conditions: Green onions are suitable for harvesting when the temperature drops to 8-12℃ and the growth of the aboveground part of the plant obviously stops. Usually between the Beginning of Winter and the Light Snow, the nutrient accumulation of green onions reaches its highest point during this period, and the taste and texture are also at their best after harvest.

2. Growth stage: The harvest time of green onions is also related to their growth stage. When the leaves and pseudostems of green onions are edible at the same time and the growth of the tubular leaves reaches its peak, it is usually the period of highest green onion yield and the appropriate time for harvesting.

3. Market demand: Green onions can be harvested and put on the market at any time according to market demand. For fresh onions, those planted early in autumn are mainly harvested in September and October; for onions planted in spring, fresh onions are generally harvested and put on the market in early October.

Green onion harvesting method and storage tips

1. Harvesting method

When harvesting green onions, you can use a long pickaxe or a large fork to dig down from one side of the onion ridge to the fibrous roots at the base of the white part of the onion, split the soil to the outside, gently pull out the green onions with your hands, shake off the soil, and spread them flat on the ground. When harvesting, avoid pulling or pulling violently to avoid damaging the pseudostem, breaking the stem disk or breaking the roots.

2. Storage Tips

(1) Shelf Hiding Method

In the open air, in a shed or indoors, storage racks are built with wooden poles or steel. Bundle the dried green onions into bundles and stack them on the racks one by one

(2) Frozen storage method

After the green onions are harvested, they are dried in the field for several days. When the leaves wilt, they are tied into small bundles and placed in an empty room or in a cool, dry place outdoors. No insulation facilities are added and they are allowed to freeze naturally. The green onions will thaw naturally when the weather warms up.

(3) Buried storage

Choose a shady corner or a cool room and spread a layer of wet soil on the bottom. Cover the green onions with wet soil all the way up to the leaves, making sure the green onions are in a moist but not waterlogged environment.

(4) Trench hiding method

Dig a trench about 30 cm deep in a shady and ventilated place, plant the green onions in bundles into the trench, and cover the white part of the green onions with soil. Before the severe cold arrives, cover it lightly with straw mats or straw and it can be stored until March of the following year.

In general, the best time to harvest green onions depends on many factors, but the general standard is to harvest them when the white part of the green onion becomes full. In addition, pay attention to the harvesting method and subsequent storage techniques to avoid affecting the quality and yield of the green onions.