We just harvested our Dakota Tears onions! They're curing for winter storage as we speak!
The end of August is the magical time when onion plants show signs that they're ready for harvest. At full maturity, the onion plants begin to go dormant. This means no more new blades, and the hollow-centered necks get weak, causing the tops to flop over. This process is often called "tipping."
Dakota Tears onions drying down and "tipping". Ready for harvest!
Once you see this start happening, it’s crucial not to water the onions anymore. This will allow them to go fully dormant and will help ensure they store well into the winter. Harvest when 85-90% of the onions have tipped.
How to Harvest Onions
Pick a dry spell, ideally when most of the onion tops have "tipped", the leaves have started to dry down, and the bulbs have developed their skins. Gently pull the onions out of the ground. You might need a trowel, but be careful to stay far enough from the onion to avoid damage.
Set them in a warm, dry, well-ventilated spot away from direct sun, heat, and rain to cure. Curing directly under the hot summer sun can bleach and soften the onions, making them more susceptible to disease—especially for the juicy, sweet varieties.
Movable onion rack for drying and curing
We use a handy rack with triple-stacked screens on wheels, this allows easy handling and movement when needed. We keep them in a shaded location, wheeling the rack into the garage to keep them dry. Always bring your onions undercover or inside overnight if there are heavy overnight dews, before it rains, or if there’s a chance of freezing temperatures.
Freshly harvested onions laid out to cure on our rolling onion rack!
Proper Storage Techniques
Onions take about three to four weeks to cure before they’re ready for storage. By October, they’re pretty much dried and ready for storage prep. Once dried, remove the dry foliage, dried roots at the base, and any dirt from the skins.
Onions fully cured and ready to be preppred for storage.
As you’re prepping onions, inspect them thoroughly. Cull any that show signs of rot and set aside smaller ones to be eaten first since they won’t store well. Carefully remove the dried tops, roots, and any dirt, leaving the protective skin intact.
Keep an eye out for any onions that feel soft or show moisture because they need to be consumed immediately. Onions that didn’t dry down well or have thicker necks should be used first-- 'cuz they won’t store well either.
Keep the protective skins as intact as possible. Dakota Tears onions are perfect for long-term storage, with their firm, dry bulbs, and tight necks.
Our Storage Solution
Store your onions in a cool, dry space with good air circulation. Traditional onion bags, shallow boxes, or bins lined with newspaper all work great.
We store our onions in the farmhouse basement, insulated to keep the room a steady temperature. Our onion bins are made from pine boards with plywood bases, fluted for easy access, and lined with newspaper.
Onion bins for longterm winter storage
The basement stays at a steady 50 degrees, dropping to about 45 during the dead of winter—perfect conditions for storing onions. Air circulation is key, so avoid stacking the onions too high; a couple layers deep is ideal.
And there you have it—a simple guide to harvesting and storing onions! Got any cool tips for storing your winter onion stash? Let me know! 😊
Your garden coach,
Theresa