Bulb onions are divided into groups
depending on how they response to day length. There are short-day, medium-day and
long-day types. Long-day varieties do
not do well in Hawai`i. It is best to
plant only short and medium-day varieties. The time of planting is also very
important. Short-day varieties should
be seeded from September to March; medium-day from March to May. Summertime planting is not a good
idea. The short-day, mild-flavored
varieties include Yellow Granex, Tropic Ace, Early Texas Grano 502, Excel and
Yellow Bermuda. The pungent varieties
are Awahia and Red Creole. Medium-day
varieties include Early Harvest, Amber Express, Pronto-S and San Joaquin.
Onions are shallow rooted and
require consistent moisture. Under watering is more harmful than over
watering. However, excess moisture can
cause a soft rot to the bulb, irrigating should stop when the bulbs are large
enough to pick and the top growth begins to fall over.
Outside of Hawaii, check with your local University Extension Services to find the best time to plant bulb onions in your area.
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