In this issue...
Featured Products
From Our Friends
Around the Farm
Cooking with Onions
Onion Q&A: Shipping Dates
Fun Onion Facts
All Your Questions Answered
About Dixondale Farms
Join Us on Facebook!
Affiliations
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Warm Enough to Plant?

April 2014
frasiers3

 

Greetings!  

 

Have you started your spring planting yet? The extreme weather conditions of these past few months have upset planting schedules in many parts of the country. If that includes you, then you may need to delay planting your onions. Here are some suggestions for what to do.

 

Check your shipping date  

To see when we're shipping onions to your area (if we haven't already), check our shipping chart. We have our usual crop of healthy onion plants, and are shipping according to our normal schedule unless requested otherwise. If it's been too wet, snowy, or cold lately, especially if you still expect temperatures below 20 degrees Fahrenheit, you may need to plant your onions a little later than normal.

 

If you need to delay shipping

If the shipping week is too soon for your area, you can delay the shipping date if you give us two weeks notice. For example, if your shipping date is April 28, we'll need to hear from you by April 14. Just send us a customer service request here, or call us on our toll free number, 1-877-367-1015.

 

If you can't plant right away

If you won't be able to plant your onions as soon as they arrive, take them out of the box and remove the rubber bands from the bunches. Keep them in a cool, dry, dark area and, if you have the room, spread them out so air can circulate around them.   
 
DO NOT put the bulbs in either water or soil. The plants can live for up to two more weeks off their bulbs.
 
The annual outlook
The weather has seriously affected crops throughout the country. So far, the supply of onions grown this year is down, and it looks like it will stay that way. Therefore, onion prices will surely rise. This should be good news for all of you, commercial and home growers alike.
  
So take extra care of your onion plants this year, paying special attention to feeding and fungicide applications. Soon, you'll be enjoying your homegrown gold, while others will be paying high grocery store prices for lesser quality onions!

 

Happy growing,

signature

Bruce "Onionman" Frasier

Featured Products 

Jumbo Sweet Onions

 

We're offering up something really special: a ten-pound box of our very best Texas jumbo sweet onions. We hand select only the largest, sweetest onions available, and include our favorite onion recipes along with them. Not only are these onions great for your own table, they make an awesome culinary gift. You can't beat the price of just $24.95 for one box; and if you order two or more, you can get them for just $22.95 each.

 

These onions may be ordered now, but will ship only in May. Reserve yours today!

 

Calipers for Measuring

We know you're a master onion farmer, but now you can prove it! With this onion caliper tool you can accurately determine whether your onions are Super Colossal, Colossal, Jumbo, Medium, Prepack or Boiler. It's a snap to use and accurate to boot, and now you can brag that your onions truly are colossal -- by definition as well as in fact!

From Our Friends 

Wisconsin Onions

  

Jason S. of Merrillan, WI tells us about this photo,

 

"This is Leah, our three-year-old. We bought 30 bunches for our CSA, and we are about to order 90 bunches for this year! We have been growing onions for years, and your onions are amazing. We will keep buying them only from you guys. The size was awesome. Living in Northwestern Wisconsin, it's hard to get onions this big. We're very happy farmers and CSA members. This variety is the Sterling onion."

 

Thanks for your testimonial, folks!

  
Got some onion-related photos to share? Click here for submission tips. You just might see your photo in a future newsletter!
Around the Farm   
The Busy Time of the Year

 

It's April as usual around the farm. Despite the rough weather conditions, we're busy filling orders. This month, let's take a quick walk around the farm to see how onions get from us to you.

 

We start in the fields with our pullers (above and left), who literally pull the onions from the ground by the handful and snip off the tops before putting them in containers, color-coded according to variety. When the onions are trucked in from the farm, our workers carefully process them at the packing shed (right).  

 

We're currently shipping through UPS, FedEx, and the U.S. Postal Service. It's a demanding process, but our workers are up to the task and perform it with verve and skill until the end of onion season. Then it's time to start seriously thinking about cantaloupes, our fast-growing summer crop!

Cooking with Onions
Glazed Baby Onions
  • 1 tbs balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tbs wholegrain mustard
  • � cup of honey
  • 1 pound of baby onions, halved

Combine vinegar, mustard, and honey in small saucepan; bring to a boil. Simmer, uncovered, about five minutes or until glaze thickens. Cook onions in heated, oiled large frying pan, brushing constantly with glaze, stirring until browned and cooked as desired.

 

Recipe courtesy of Dixondale Farms. If you have a recipe you'd like us to print, email it to [email protected].

Q&A: Bolting

 

Q. My onions are growing flower stalks. Why are they doing this, and what should I do about it?

 

A. This process is known as "bolting," and it means that the onion bulb won't get any larger. You should immediately harvest it; otherwise, the continued growth of the flower stalk will make the bulb inedible.

 

So why is the plant bolting? It's been convinced by the weather that it's time to go to seed. Onions grow out a bulb the first season, and go to seed the second. We harvest and eat most onions before they start the second growth stage.

 

But cold weather, alternating with warmer weather, causes them to flower early -- especially if it rains more than normal. These conditions have prevailed over much of the country this year, so keep a close eye open for bolting. You may be able to enjoy bolted plants as green or salad onions if you harvest quickly enough.

Fun Onion Facts

 

Did you know that a significant percentage of the famous sweet Vidalia onions are grown from onion plants provided by Dixondale Farms? The basic stock for Vidalia onions is the yellow Granex, developed in several varieties by Texas A&M University and grown in abundance by us.

 

"Vidalia" is a term used only for the sweet onions grown in 20 counties in the vicinity of Vidalia, Georgia; no other onions are allowed the name, no matter how sweet. What makes Vidalia onions taste so good? That's still something of a mystery, but it's probably because the soil in the Vidalia region is so low in sulfur. Sulfur is what makes onions hot and pungent. Originally, it was expected that the yellow onions planted in the area would indeed be hot, so imagine the farmer's surprise when they proved to be mild and sweet!

 

Apparently a combination of the sandiness of the soil, which allows any sulfur to wash down through it to the clay below, and the short days and mild winters of the Vidalia region is what makes a sweet onion a Vidalia.

All Your Questions Answered 

 

We have answers to your frequently asked questions! Just click the link for information on when to order your onions and how to find your frost and freeze dates, as well as for tips on planting, caring, feeding, harvesting, and storing them.  

 

You can also print our electronic Planting Guide, or download a PDF version for easy reference.

 

And be sure to review our short videos, on topics ranging from bolting and fertilizing to how onion plants are harvested and how they deal with cold weather. 

About Dixondale Farms


As the largest and oldest onion plant farm in the U.S., 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.

 

Whether you're planting one bunch or thousands of acres, we're committed to your success. We've posted answers to frequently asked questions about growing onions on our FAQ page. You can also go to the Learn section of our Web site for growing guides. And of course, we're also available from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM CT at 877-367-1015, or e-mail us any time at [email protected].

Facebook Icon Join Us on Facebook!

 

Join the community of friends and growers on our Facebook page! You can connect with us and fellow growers to share stories, photos, recipes, and even weather information and other tips.

 

Check out how customers are faring with the unusual weather. There may be some helpful tips here for you!

e-mail:
phone: 877-367-1015