What's the truth about bending onion tops?

Forcibly bending onions over their tops is a bad practice. It breaks the neck tissue and cuts off the flow of food materials to the ripening bulbs. An onion is healthy enough when it should not break over until the necessary transfer of carbohydrates from the stalk to the bulb has been made. The incisions made, in most cases, offer avenues of entry to decay-producing organisms. Never bend silk off to hasten maturing.

Natural collapse means ready to harvest. The bottom leaves turn uniformly yellow first. The tops bend at the neck, but do not break. And the bulbs feel firm when squeezed. I bent my first harvest of tops and ruined them. Now I watch for these signs.

Invasive pathogens, Bending bruises admit decay. Botrytis squamosa, the onion fungus, enters through cracked stems within hours, and in a matter of days, bacterial soft rot can turn bulbs to mush. "Once started, you find it adrift in nearby onions," says one grower, adding that the only way to extend their life is to "completely resist turning tops, or even touching them."

Regular use of "roll tests" to monitor neck flexibility, and cutting when the necks are thin/papery, will help you maintain Quality in the harvested bulbs and have the added benefit of curing the bulbs at a temperature ranging from 70 - 80°F, in a well-ventilated area. Therefore, you ensure a continued, intact protective barrier against disease.

Share with all your gardening friends how this myth affects your crop, because Natural collapse creates superior storage onions. Show your friends the neck roll technique. By conducting an apples-to-apples comparison of the two methods, I was able to change the minds of the gardeners in my community garden group, and their onion quality improved significantly as a result.

Read the full article: When to Harvest Onions: Ultimate Guide