GardenDC Podcast Episode 252: Onion Gardening Tips

In this episode of GardenDC: The Podcast about Mid-Atlantic Gardening, we talk with returning guest Barbara Melera, president of Harvesting-History.com, all about growing onions. The plant profile is on Shrubby Cinquefoil and we share what's going on in the garden as well as some upcoming local gardening events in the What's New segment. We close out with the Last Word on Overwintering Peppers by Christy Page of GreenPrints.

If you liked this episode, you may also enjoy listening to:

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 153: An American Garden Story 

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2023/06/gardendc-podcast-episode-153-american.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 45: Seed Starting Tips

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2021/02/gardendc-podcast-episode-45-seed.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 16: Garlic

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2020/06/gardendc-podcast-episode-16-garlic.html

BTW, YOU can become a listener supporter/subscriber at: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/gardendc/subscribe

Visit https://shop.kathyjentz.com/ to browse our new online store!

This episode is archived at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7dn5j6Hc5esF8uXdmqsaaz?si=n1olC3F-T06pkuGPPcsi4Q

Show Notes will be posted after 8-19-2025.

The GardenDC podcast is also available on -

• Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gardendc/id1502631179
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5AsWArNpQo8OlzHoMDMSI8?si=3ebaddb186214fc6
• RadioPublic: https://radiopublic.com/gardendc-G2ql5V
• iHeartRADIO: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-gardendc-73615877/
  
• aCast: https://play.acast.com/s/gardendc
  
• Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/776561ca-75d6-4c63-833b-7dafedf57a72/GardenDC
• Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/GardenDC-Podcast/B08JJNZBMX
• Breaker: https://www.breaker.audio/gardendc
  
• Bullhorn https://www.bullhorn.fm/gardendc
• Chartable: https://link.chtbl.com/GardenDC
• Castbox: https://castbox.fm/channel/GardenDC-id2691161?country=us
• Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/us/show/5587897
• GoodPods: https://goodpods.app.link/u3gtlpybILb
• Headliner: https://play.headliner.app/podcast/37086
• Himalaya: https://www.himalaya.com/courses/gardendc-1747568
• Ivy: https://ivy.fm/podcast/gardendc-940013
• Listen Notes: https://lnns.co/VIfcBjWRnw6
• Pandora: https://www.pandora.com/podcast/gardendc/
• PocketCasts: https://pca.st/9phvd8bk
• Podcast Addict: https://podcastaddict.com/podcast/2629285
• Podfollow: https://podfollow.com/GardenDC
• Podlink: https://pod.link/GardenDC
• Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/gardendc-1137444
• Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1502631179/gardendc
  
• Reason: https://reason.fm/podcast/gardendc
• TuneIn: http://tun.in/pj7Sb
• Vurbl: https://vurbl.com/station/gardendc/
• YouTube: https://youtube.com/washingtongardenermagazine

We welcome your questions and comments! You can leave a voice mail message for us at: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gardendc/message Note that we may use these messages on a future episode.

And be sure to leave us a 5-star review on your favorite podcast platform plus share us on social media with #GardenDC, so other gardeners can find us too!

Episode Credits:
Host and Producer: Kathy Jentz

Interview Edit & Show Notes: Ian Ferris

Music: Let the Sunshine by James Mulvany

Fenton Friday: Accidental Onion Harvest

 

FINALLY we had a bit of rain after another HOT and dry and windy week. It isn't much to combat our prolonged drought, but at least I got to skipping the daily watering of seedlings in the plot and that saved me some time to work on other things today.

While weeding earlier this week, I accidentally pulled out some of the white onions we planted from seed "sets" in April. They actually look pretty decent (see image above), though I plan to leave in the rest at least until our next harvest for the hungry collection. I'm not a big onion fan myself and had only planted them for the growing experience and to donate afterward. I had heard from a local food pantry and soup kitchen chef that they are always short on onions.

A volunteer Tomato plant turned out to be a Sun Gold-type with small yellow cherry fruits. We picked and ate the first few off of it this week. I had assumed this volunteer plant was a Red Currant, as those are the ones that are the most prolific self-seeders in my plot previously.

It may be time soon to harvest the Potatoes we planted in a big grow bag. The tops of the plants have yellowed and died back indicating that it is about time to dig them. I hope to enter some of them into the county fair, so will leave them buried for another week or so before we dig and cure them.

Three tiny Zucchini seedlings have emerged and the rest of the plot is growing at pace.

In the pollinator/herb garden I planted some short sunflowers to fill in a few empty spots and another plot gardener donated Bachelor's Button seeds to do the same.

What are you growing in your edible garden this week?

About Fenton Friday: Every Friday during the growing season, I'll be giving you an update on my community garden plot at the Fenton Street Community Garden just across the street from my house in zone 7 Mid-Atlantic MD/DC border. I'm plot #16. It is a 10 ft x 20 ft space and this is our 13th year in the garden. (It opened in May 2011.) See past posts about our edible garden by putting "Fenton" into the Search box above (at the top, left on this blog).