- Variety Info
- Sowing Info
- Growing Info
Variety Info
Days to Maturity: 106-110 days
Family: Alliaceae
Native: Exists only in cultivation
Hardiness: Biennial grown as an annual
Exposure: Full sun
Variety Info: Uniform, 3.5"-4" slightly flattened, round bulbs with dark red rings. "Monastrell"is an intermediate-day onion with a 4- to 6-month storage life.
Attributes: Intermediate Day
Sowing Info
When to Sow Outside: 4 to 6 weeks before your average last frost date, or as soon as soil can be worked; when soil temperature is at least 45°F.
When to Start Inside: RECOMMENDED. 10 to 12 weeks before your average last frost date. Transplant outdoors 4 to 6 weeks before your average last frost date. The earlier the start, the bigger the bulb. Ideal soil temperature is 60°-85°F.
Days to Emerge: 7 - 15 days
Seed Depth: 1/4"
Seed Spacing: A group of 2 seeds every 4"
Row Spacing: 12" - 16"
Thinning: When 2" tall, thin to 1 every 4"
Growing Info
Harvesting: When onion tops have fallen over and turned yellow or brown, they are ready for harvest. Harvest in the morning, lifting onions with a garden fork. Dry them in the garden in the sun for 2 to 3 days, lightly covering the bulbs with straw or the tops of other onions to prevent sunscald. Cure onions for 3 to 7 days in a dry area with good air circulation. Once dry, cut the roots to 1/4", and the greens to 1" to create a seal, preventing decay.
Special Care: Keep growing area weed-free. Onion size can decrease 4% per day if competing with weeds that's 50% in 2 weeks. If bulb pushes itself out of the ground, you may cover it lightly with straw, but not soil, as soil will prevent the onion bulb from forming properly.