The Onion Family

The Onion family in the world of gardening is also known as the Allium family. All of the family members are known for their strong aromas. They include onions, garlic, leeks, shallots, regular onions, scallions, chives, and green aka bunching aka spring onions.

This week, let's dive into the world of gardening with plants that not only embellish your yard but also spice up your kitchen. Let’s talk about the Onion Family also known as the Allium family. These are not only essential ingredients in cuisines worldwide but are also beginner-friendly for gardeners like you. If you want to elevate your cooking with fresh, home-grown flavors, let's explore the world of onions and their family members. This marvelous family not only spices up your garden but also brings zest to your kitchen!

Alliums, or the onion family, encompass a variety of indispensable kitchen staples, from the sharp tang of garlic to the subtle sweetness of leeks. These plants are not just culinary heroes; they're also relatively easy to grow, making them perfect for beginner gardeners.

In this guide, we'll journey through the planting and care of seven key members of the allium family: regular onions, bunching onions, scallions, leeks, garlic, chives, and shallots. From seeding to harvesting, storing, and cooking, prepare to transform your garden and your kitchen!

Before we dig in, let's uncover why these plants matter. Imagine cooking without onions or garlic — sounds a bit bland, right? Planting your own means fresh, chemical-free flavors right from soil to skillet! Now, let's get your hands dirty (quite literally!) in the enchanting world of alliums.

There are a lot of veggies growing in the summer in the hoop houses. You can see our new land behind them.

The Onion Family - 5/13-5/19/2024

Monday, May 13, 2024

Well, good morning! Matt made stuffed French toast this morning at his house and brought it over for us to enjoy. I have never had it before. It was delicious! He stuffed it with cream cheese, cinnamon, and some brown sugar, very tasty...

Once again, for the fifth week, it is starting out as overcast. I need to get started on the orders. David has two priority orders that I need to do right away and send out with today's mail.

I got the priorities done and opened the store. I watered all of my plants in my plant area out back. I started working on orders and I cleaned out the pond and refilled it. Around 10:30am, the sky got very dark. The heavens opened and the rain poured down. The air got very windy and much cooler.

Then there was hail, not much bigger than peas here. The storm went on for about 90 minutes or so. After it was done, it stayed fairly cool. We later learned that in the town of Poteet, trees were uprooted and a tire business collapsed. There was quite a bit of damage throughout the town and most lost electricity. We did not.

No customers came by today but we did not expect any to come by after that awful storm.

The Onion Family

Red onions are sweet. We sell several red onion varieties.

Allium is a genus of flowering plants that includes many kitchen staples you probably use every day. This includes onions (both regular and bunching), scallions, leeks, garlic, chives, and shallots.

Regular onions are versatile and offer layers of flavor, literally! Then, there are bunching onions or spring onions that are perfect for those who lack space as they grow well in compact areas.

Scallions, similar to green onions but milder, are fantastic in salads or as garnishes. Leeks, with their milder, sweeter taste compared to regular onions, elevate soups and stews.

Garlic, your best bet for a health kick, is potent and packed with flavor and medicinal benefits. Chives add a mild punch to dishes and are as decorative as they are tasty. Lastly, shallots, with their subtle garlic-onion flavor, are perfect for dressings and sauces.

First things first: quality seeds from David's Garden Seeds®. Choosing high-grade seeds from reliable suppliers ensures strong plant growth and good yields. Each member of the onion family has its unique growth requirements, but generally, they all prefer a sunny spot in rich, well-drained soil.

Tuesday, May 14, 2024

These aloe plants were once brown because of too much sun. Now I have them on a covered deck and they are green again. Texas sun can be too much.

Good morning. It is almost 8am and some folks in Poteet still do not have electricity. It is crazy how some of the town including the school had the power restored last night but the other half still has no electricity and it will be 92° today.

David and I have doctor appointments in San Antonio this morning. Matt and the staff will be here. Come on by. I have a lot of eggs. We have some good looking snake plants and aloe vera plants up front for sale. We also have over 1,000 heirloom garden seeds for you to plant in your garden.

I made a delicious egg casserole with mushrooms, black forest ham, and Swiss cheese for breakfast. It is so good. No need for me to water my plants today.

So, we drove an hour to the doctor's office for our scheduled appointments. The receptionist was new and she told us the doctor would not be in all week long and that they called everyone and rescheduled. I told her that we were not called at all and that we had driven an hour. She told me again that the patients had been called and rescheduled. Again, I informed her that we had not received a call to reschedule. For the third time, she said the same thing. I told her we drove an hour to get here because no one called either one of us and now we have to drive an hour back. She said nothing. I told David out loud in front of her. I guess she is not going to reschedule us. She said nothing at this point either. I somehow get the feeling that they no longer want us there.

An interesting note: It is now 6:25pm and we still have not received a call to reschedule. I guess we will find a new doctor. I just don't understand...

After that, we decided to go visit a friend in the hospital. We had a good visit and then went to four other places, running errands for the business. We got home and had about 90 minutes left of the work day. I worked on orders until about 6:30pm, then went in and cleaned up the kitchen and heated up leftovers.

Tomorrow, David has another doctor appointment. Apparently, he wants to see David because the office called to confirm the appointment.

The Onion Family

Here are some Crystal White Wax Onions that we grew in our garden.

Initiate your allium adventure by selecting high-quality seeds from a reputable supplier. March through April is an ideal sowing time for most onion family members. Of course, if you are in Texas, you can plant them in early spring and again in late summer for a fall crop.

Plant the seeds in well-drained soil rich in organic matter. Insert the seeds about a quarter-inch deep in the soil, spacing them according to the species’ requirements — usually a few inches apart to give each plant enough room to mature.

After sowing, ensure consistent moisture without water logging the sprouting seeds. A light watering routine to keep the top inch of soil moist generally suffices. Maintain this vigilance; the first few weeks are crucial for establishing a healthy root system.

Wednesday, May 15, 2024

A fenced in yard for the goats is going up.

Good morning. I had a rough time falling back to sleep after awaking at 3am. I finally got up and went to the living room couch and fell asleep until just after 6am. The air outside feels so cool and nice right now and it is only 66°. David has a doctor appointment with our family doctor.

The sky was overcast and it was very hazy on the drive to Pleasanton.

David's doctor appointment went well. Then we had a few errands to run including finishing payment our property taxes, which we thought we had paid. Evidently, we have four separate accounts. We paid three but never received the fourth bill. Who knew? Why is it so complicated? Then we hit Tractor Supply for some things.

We had sandwiches at home for lunch and I started shipping out orders. The sky cleared up and we got to see blue.

We have a winner for order 25300! Congratulations, Donna of Poteet, TX. You have won The Old Farmer's Almanac Spring Planting Guide 2024! Our next prize will go to the person who orders #25400!

This evening, when I put away the animals, the air felt cool again.

The Onion Family

Here is an onion growing out in a raised garden bed on the farm. Hay is an insulator against the cold winter for onions and all roots.

Alliums love the sun! Make sure they get at least six hours of direct sunlight daily. Six hours of direct sunlight is minimal for healthy alliums. The soil should be well-drained with a slight acidity, a pH between 6.2 and 6.8, which you can adjust using soil amendments based on a simple soil test available at garden centers.

Applying a layer of organic mulch not only helps the soil retain moisture but also suppresses weeds and keeps soil temperatures stable. Keep an eye out for onion flies and thrips, two common pests that love alliums just as much as you do. Proactive monitoring and organic pest control methods can help protect your plants.

Thursday, May 16, 2024

Good morning. It is currently 7am and 75°. David made breakfast tacos for us. It is once again overcast.

This is the second time I have typed all of this...the first time disappeared and I am not happy but computers are like that sometimes.

I went out to open the Farm Store and feed the fish. I looked at some of my potato plants in buckets and saw that some vines were brown. I dug up a few potatoes from them, both red and yellow.

The vines died so I dug these small potatoes up to enjoy.

We got rain around 11am or so but not much. We left at 1:30pm to go into Devine for haircuts. David actually got the works, not just a haircut. We took the salon owner five dozen eggs as she had ordered. Little did we know that someone else who sells eggs in Devine was in the salon at the same time and heard our exchange about the eggs...While I was still sitting there waiting this person came out and paid for services she got and left. Oh well...

We got back to the farm and worked until about 6pm. The animals are all doing well. The goat fenced area is coming along but no one has any gates so David had to order some which won't come until next week.

The Onion Family

Garlic is a part of the onion family. Here it is growing in our raised beds in the back garden area.

While most alliums don’t require a lot of water, consistent moisture is key to healthy growth. A rule of thumb is to water deeply once a week, allowing the soil to dry out slightly between waterings. During hot or dry periods, adjust your watering schedule to meet your plants' needs.

Alliums need consistent moisture especially as they establish and during dry spells. However, over-watering can promote diseases. Water deeply and infrequently, aiming for about an inch of water per week, including rainfall, and adjust based on weather conditions.

Friday, May 17, 2024

As you drive up on 2504, this is the side of our Farm Store that you will see. Yes, it is green. Come in the gate and you will see the front with stairs, ramp, and door.

Good Friday morning! The air was cool but the sky was overcast as usual. We had one couple this morning who came by the Farm Store. I did a lot of orders.

The mail came and I got my first Atascosa County jury summons since we moved out here in 2019. Imagine how thrilled I am about that!

I filled and closed orders all day long and did four loads of laundry in between. It got up to 90° but there was a breeze so it did not feel too bad.

Come in through our beautiful gate and find a gardener's paradise! Over 1,000 heirloom seeds and a lot of raised garden beds to explore now!

The Onion Family

Leeks are a part of the onion family. Here is our leek harvest.

Harvesting times can vary among the onion family. Regular onions are ready when their tops begin to fall over and yellow. Pull them up, brush off the soil, and leave them to cure in a warm, dry place.

For garlic, watch for the lower leaves to start browning—usually around mid-summer. Harvest them by gently lifting the bulbs with a garden fork being careful not to bruise them.

Scallions and chives can be cut just above the ground level as soon as they are large enough to use. They’ll continue to grow and provide multiple harvests through the season.

Leeks and shallots take a bit longer and are typically ready by late summer or early fall. Their harvesting signals are similar to onions, with falling over tops indicating readiness.

Saturday, May 18, 2024

Kitty took Ethel's bed. She is 14 and Kitty is 13. This is the old folks wing of our home!

Good morning! It is a lovely 66° out there right now. I have already been out front as I had to feed the fish and collect the mouse to my computer which I accidentally left in Fulfillment yesterday. David made us some eggs. Now I have to go out back and take care of all of the animals.

The air felt good outside. I washed out all of the bunny water bottles and the chicken water holders. All of the animals are doing well.

It is now 1:30pm and 88°. It is sunny and hot. We have had just two customers. I have been filling orders.

Here is a new one. We get all sorts of ridiculous emails like people complaining about our edible sunflower and pumpkin seeds. (We don't have any; they mean to contact David's Seeds.)

This morning, David got a very important, urgent message from some guy who needs a squash coach to teach his kids how to play squash! LOL! We don't know how to play squash but we do know how to grow it. I am thinking it just has to be a joke but there is no "gotcha" follow up email.

David is supposed to either fry or smoke a turkey for dinner tonight so that will be exciting!

The turkey was fried and it came out delicious. We watched Svengoolie tonight and the movie was called Scream Blacula Scream. It was weird but interesting.

Matt went to Doe Re Mi Lavender Farm in Moore today for the first time. He purchased several lavender plants for me. The owner sent home four additional plants to me. She is so sweet. He saw some baby emus while he was there.

The Onion Family

A favorite member of the onion family here in Texas, I am holding a newly harvested Texas 1015Y onion, a delicious yellow onion that can be grown in spring, fall, and winter here in South Texas.

Most alliums store well under cool, dry conditions. Hang onions and garlic in mesh bags or braid their stems and hang. Store shallots and leeks in a cool, dry place in mesh bags or layered in boxes.

Post-harvest, most alliums need to be cured—dried in a warm, airy space for several weeks to prepare them for storage. Onions and garlic should be stored in a cool, dry place, ideally in mesh bags. Chives work best when used fresh but can be frozen or dried for long-term storage. Place them cleanly washed and dried in airtight containers and freeze or fully dry them in a cool, dark place, then store in airtight containers.

I took this photo of garlic in our garden today.

Here is an up close photo of garlic in our garden.

Sunday, May 19, 2024

Our beautiful zinnias this past fall before the ramp went in. Now a big portion of this garden bed for the zinnias is gone and still no one has used the ramp.

Good morning. I had a rough night, waking up almost every hour in the night and having a lot of bad dreams, mostly about the horrible church experiences we have recently been through, just hateful stuff like when we were in ministry. We did nothing wrong but somehow we got the blame and hate...Fun times. God will take care of it all. Glad we walked away.

I have a basket filled with tomatoes and another filled with peppers so I guess we can make some salsa today. It is now 7:50am. I have been baking an egg casserole that I put together and I have been cleaning up a sink filled with dirty dishes from last night because the dishwasher was already going when dinner was over. It is hard when you work six days a week. There just isn't much time to do anything in the house.

Speaking of which, if you have not been to David's Garden Seeds, you need to come for a visit. Everything is in bloom and looks great. We have some flower seeds that will be awesome in your yard, especially my Mrs. David's Garden Seeds Zinnia Mix from the 2023 zinnia flowerbeds in front of the Farm Store. Come by some soon. Quantities are limited.

I got everyone fed and watered my plants and trees out back. They all look good.

I put the meat birds in the old guinea shed. They are very comfortable.

The meat birds up close.

After church, we went to a hatchery in Lytle that we never knew existed until today. We decided to try a few meat chickens that will be ready for freezer camp in three weeks. I came home and fixed a pen up for them with fresh wood chips, feed, and water. They seem to be enjoying themselves so far.

Then I watered my plants up front by the business. I was completely drenched when I was finished. It is currently 94°!

The Onion Family

Chives are part of the onion family. Here are some chives growing in partial shade.

Now for the fun part: using your home-grown alliums in cooking! Onions and garlic form the backbone of countless dishes, providing depth and base flavors. Each allium has its unique flavor profile. Regular onions offer a balance of sweet and sharp, great for sautéing. Garlic adds a pungent kick to almost any dish. Scallions and bunching onions, also known as green onions, are perfect fresh in salads, while leeks contribute a mild oniony flavor ideal for creamy dishes.

Chives and scallions are fantastic for adding a fresh, herbal note to dishes. Use them as garnishes to add color and flavor to soups and salads.

Here are some scallions growing. We don't have scallion seeds but we have green or bunching onion seeds.

Leeks are much fatter than bunching onions.

Leeks, with their milder tones, are superb in creamy soups and potato dishes. Shallots, with their delicate flavor, make vinaigrettes and sauces shine.

Finally, remember, cooking with something you’ve grown yourself always adds an extra layer of satisfaction to any dish.

Whether it's for their health benefits or unbeatable flavors, incorporating the onion family into your garden and kitchen is a robust way to elevate your culinary and gardening skills. Happy gardening (and eating)!

By understanding how mild or how strong each vegetable is, you can tailor their use in your cooking. Freshly harvested alliums from your garden will elevate the taste of your dishes, providing flavors that store-bought ones seldom match.

There you have it, a complete beginner’s guide to growing and using the onion family of plants in your garden and kitchen. Remember, patience and care are key. Happy gardening and happy cooking!

Here is a cartoon drawing of a garden featuring leeks, a member of the onion family.

Return from The Onion Family to Brassicas

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