Over the next few weeks, from mid/late July through to mid August, you may well be able to harvest your onion crop. This article explains how and gives some ideas for storing them too.
There’s something deeply satisfying about pulling up a crop of onions (or shallots/garlic) and leaving them out in the sun to dry, but it’s an important job to do too as getting it right will mean you can store your onions, shallots and garlic for longer.
When to Harvest Onions
When the leaves start to turn yellow, that’s a good sign that your onions, shallots and garlic are nearly ready to harvest. If you bend the stalk/leaves over at this point (as pictured above) they will ripen a little better. Leave them like this for a few days before harvesting.
Choose a nice dry, sunny day to pull them up if you can. Leave them lying in the sunshine for several days so that the skins dry out. If it’s not such great weather, you can always lay them out to dry in a sunny porch or greenhouse.
Once the skins have turned dry and papery, cut the stalk/leaves off.
How to Store Onions
You want the air to get around the bulbs when you store them, and the ideal way to do this now is to hang them up. Using a mesh bag or a net bag is the easiest way. If you can’t find a way to hang them up, you can pop them in a cardboard box with holes punched in, or a harvesting rack or similar. Store them in a cool, dark airy place and they will keep for a few months.