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Onion Seed Supplies
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January 2009
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Dear Fellow Gardener,
Greetings, and welcome to 2009!
It seems that every year, we have to address
problems and concerns about the supply of onion
seed. This year is no exception. Some of the
problems we can see coming, and can do things
about; other shortages don't leave us enough
time to
produce our own seed, or to find another source.
This year's good news is that we have exclusive
availability of 1015Y, Super Star, Red Candy Apple, Big Daddy, and Sterling. We've had to do
away with a very
popular variety, Red Burgermaster, since the
seed
company could no longer produce the seed with an
acceptable germination rate.
Seed companies generally require a
germination rate
of 85% before they can offer any onion seed
for sale.
Since we're the nation's largest onion plant
grower,
we can sometimes get our hands on seed that
falls
below this legal standard. Because we can just
increase the seed rate when we plant this
lower-germinating seed, we can compensate for
the
quality.
This year's Walla Walla seed, for
example,
germinated only 40%, so we had to plant it
almost
twice as thick as normal. The result is that
there won't
be any seed available for people who
direct-seed their
onions -- but there will be plants
available, if
only from
Dixondale Farms.
So please order early in order to get what
you want,
since there's been an exceptional demand this
year.
We look forward to hearing from you!
Happy planting,

Bruce "Onionman" Frasier
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Onion of the Month
First Edition Storage Onions
Storage onions tend to be on the longer side of
long-days, which means they need 15-16 hours
of day-length before they start the bulbing
process. An
exception to this is the First Edition, which
needs only
14 hours of day-length to start bulbing.
This is important in the southern regions
of the
long-day areas and the northern regions of the
intermediate-day areas; it means that these
regions
now have an onion plant that will make an
onion, and
not just tops! (If you plant an onion in an
area that
doesn't meet the day-length requirement, the
onion
just keeps making tops and never makes a bulb.)
First Edition is a medium-sized globe-shaped
onion
that matures in 110 days. It's the most widely
adaptable long-day storage onion, since it
matures
earlier than any other storage type. This
means you
can plant as far south as the 36th parallel and
produce onions that will store for up to 10
months.
Learn More
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From Our Friends
Here are M. Mumford and his son, R. Mumford,
of Ivor,
Virginia, with their Super Star onions draped
around
them!
We love hearing from our customers. Send us
your
favorite "onion photo" and we'll try to
include it in a
future newsletter, our next catalog or our
upcoming
online Photo Album. Click
here for details on how to
submit your photos.
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Around the Farm
Our Linear Pivot System
This past year, Dixondale Farms installed two new
linear pivot systems, representing the newest
technology in irrigation efficiency. The linear pivots run
up and down the fields in a straight line, which lets us
irrigate the crops by drop hoses that don't get the
foliage wet, while allowing us to provide just the right
amount of water, nutrients, and protection for the
plants. We have 870 acres under this type of system;
about half the onion crop is being irrigated this way.
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From Jeanie's Kitchen
Onion Cheese Soup
- 2 cups of chopped sweet onions
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- 3 tablespoons of flour
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- A dash of pepper
- 4 cups of milk
- 2 cups of sharp American cheese, shredded
Melt the butter in a soup pot and sauté the onions
until they're tender. Blend in the flour, salt and pepper.
Add the milk slowly, stirring constantly. Continue to stir
and heat the soup until it reaches the boiling point.
Remove the soup from the heat, and immediately
stir in the shredded cheese.
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Q&A. Organic Onions
Q. Why doesn't Dixondale Farms offer organic
onion plants?
A. We're often asked to provide organic onion
plants, so we want to address why we don't. We would
very much like to do so, but to be honest, it's a matter
of economics. The costs of growing organic onions
have so far been prohibitive.
The main problem is in weed control. I tried to
have an organic grower produce plants for me here in
Carrizo Springs, and he spent over $3,000 an acre
just on weeding the crop! That extra cost translates to
high customer prices. I recently went online and found
a company offering organic onion plants for $28 per
bunch! I don't know how many I could sell at that price,
but I suspect not many.
We use a crop rotation that permits us to use as few
chemicals as possible. We also put a fertilizer down
when we plant, and spray all the onions with an
herbicide to control weeds and grass.
We use organic pesticides and fungicides to
control
insects and diseases when required; however, in the
event of severe pest or disease pressure, we'll use
non-organic authorized chemicals to save our
investment. With over $8,000 an acre invested, we
have to save our crops by any means possible when
confronted with a catastrophe.
We're always looking for new organic growing
methods -- but the fact is, we've been growing onion
plants for over 95 years without any issues regarding
the safety of our product.
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Fun Onion Facts
You can make onions milder by slicing them and
soaking them in milk, or by pouring boiling water over
the slices. If you choose the latter option, let the hot
water stand for a while before pouring it off, then rinse
the slices with cool water.
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Send Us Your Product Reviews!
In addition to sending us photos of your
onions, we encourage you to give us
feedback on our products via the Product
Review options on the Web site. You'll find
a "write your own review" link on every
product page. Don't be shy -- we need
your opinions!
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About Dixondale Farms
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 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Central
Time at 877-367-1015, or
e-mail us any time
at
customerservice@dixondalefarms.com.
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