How to Trim Onion Plants
Onion plants are one of the easier crops to grow and you can enjoy your own homegrown vegetables. If you choose to produce onions from seeds, you can trim the stems before they go outside to better your chances for a higher yield. Further, when the onions are harvested, if you know how to cut these plants correctly, you can ensure that this vegetable is accurately prepared before you consume it. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Trim onion seedling stems with scissors when they are growing indoors. Gently grasp the stems and cut all the way across so that this plant part only measures 3 to 4 inches high. Trimming allows the stems to increase their hardiness so that they are better prepared when transplanted outside. Continue to maintain this height only while the onions are indoors during the typical February to May time frame.
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Watch for the telltale signs that let you know that the onion is ready to be pulled from the ground and dried. Mature onions typically grow stems with yellowish, brown tops and about half of this length falls over. Remove the onion from the ground in the morning and place it in a dry, shady spot in your garden during the afternoon. Follow by placing onions on an elevated screen indoors to allow the air circulation that continues the drying cycle and prevents rot. Allow the onions to remain on the screen for two to three weeks.
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Trim the stems between 1 and 2 inches long and cut away the roots after the drying cycle. Your onions are ready to eat at this time, or you can opt to store them in a dry, cool area so that they keep until you are ready to consume them. Each variety has a recommended storing time in which the onions stays fresh until consumption, so check with the garden center that you purchased your onions from, or refer to the seed packet to know this information in advance.
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