Greetings from the Onionman! It's already May, but with all the odd weather we've been having, some of you are just now planting your onions. Before you do that, you should do two things to give your onions a weed-free head start. First, apply a pre-emergent herbicide; second, give them a balanced fertilizer with micro-nutrients that help establish a healthy root system.

Herbicide Options. We recommend two herbicidal products that work very well. The first, corn gluten, is available in both our Dixondale Farms Weed and Feed and our Dixondale Farms All Natural Weed and Feed. Corn gluten acts as an enzyme that attacks and eats the emerging weed seed when it's activated by moisture. The second herbicidal product we recommend is Treflan Granules, which form a barrier that kills the weed seeds after they germinate and try to grow through it.

Both pre-emergent herbicides need to be incorporated into the top two inches of the soil, since that's where the majority of the weed seeds are. Just rake them in, plant your onions, and you'll enjoy 4-5 weeks of a weed-free onion patch. The healthy, large root system of the onion plants won't be affected by the herbicide. You can reapply this material every four weeks for weed control, but a higher nitrogen fertilizer will need to be added with it.

The Right Fertilizer. Along with the herbicides, a balanced fertilizer is essential for developing a healthy root system in onion plants during the first few weeks after planting. We recommend our 10-20-10 Dixondale Onion Special Fertilizer. Once established, the onions really need only a ready source of nitrogen, such as ammonium sulfate. You should feed them every three weeks with this product, at a rate of one cup per 20 feet of row. Always water the fertilizer in after applying.

From Onions to Cantaloupes. One other item I want to mention is that even though we'll stop shipping onion plants for the year on May 14, we'll continue to provide customer service, as well as any products you might need for growing, harvesting, and storing your onion crop. We grow 350 acres of cantaloupes once onion season is over, so please be patient if it takes us a little longer to respond to all your needs during this hectic cantaloupe season!

We'll be back later in the summer with advice on harvesting and storing your onions. In the meantime, please don't hesitate to call us at (877) 367-1015 or email us at customerservice@dixondalefarms.com if you have any questions.

Nowadays, onion prices are at an all-time high due to a worldwide shortage of onions -- so at only $17.95 per ten-pound box (delivered), these succulent onions are a good bit cheaper than similar ones you can buy in grocery stores. Every onion in one of these boxes is at least four inches in diameter, so get ready for a big slice on your next hamburger.

Bill Martin is more than a good friend: he's Jeanie's brother and Bruce's brother-in-law. As the cook in the family, he provides interesting meals every day. Bill is also the one who compiles the onion recipes we send out with every order. In addition to all that, Bill also helps with the onion harvest, and runs the cattle and ranching operation, too.

Bill says, "As a small child, I discovered I really enjoyed eating. This minor epiphany was brought on by the meals cooked by my mother and grandmother: simple, country fare, yet wholesome and delicious. As I became older and more aware of the ingredients involved in good cooking, I found one recurring common item -- onions! All the best tasting dishes had onions in them, in some form or fashion. Each of the recipes featured in this newsletter makes use of that essential ingredient, and I hope you enjoy cooking and eating them as much as we do."

You can find more great onion recipes on our Recipes page.

We love hearing from customers. Send us your favorite "onion photo" and we'll try to include it in a future newsletter. To email photos, send them to customerservice@dixondalefarms.com.

As the largest and oldest onion plant farm in the US, Dixondale Farms offers a wide selection of top-quality, disease-free, ready-to-plant onion plants. To see our complete product line, request a catalog, or for growing tips and cultural information, visit our web site by clicking here.

Whether you're planting one bunch or thousands of acres, we're committed to your success. If you have either questions or suggestions, we'd love to hear from you. You can reach us from 8AM to 5PM Central Time at 877-367-1015, or email us any time at customerservice@dixondalefarms.com.