Onions can grow at home or in commercial farms. Apart from the flavor, onions are grown for  their health benefits to human beings.

How to grow onions at home and their benefits to human health

Onions can grow at home or in commercial farms. Apart from the flavor, onions are grown for  their health benefits to human beings. Onions are cold seasonal vegetables that are grown mainly for the flavor that they add to other foods. Onions growing can be started from either seed, sets, or transplant.

Onions are part of the vegetable and herbs family. Onions vary in size, shape, color, and flavors. The most common types are red, white, and yellow onions. Flavors can vary from juicy with a mild flavor to sharp, spicy, and pungent often depending on the seasons in which they are grown and consumed 

It is estimated that 105 billons pounds of onions are produced worldwide yearly. 

Growing onions from seed

Growing onions from seed will give you bigger and better early onions.

Onions can grow at home or in commercial farms. Apart from the flavor, onions are grown for  their health benefits to human beings.

Step 1: Planting of the seed

Growing bigger and healthy onion starts with the soil, a well-prepared garden soil with compost and river sand will make the soil fertile and looser which will be good for the onions. Moisten the soil thoroughly with warm water but not heavily. Let the soil absorb water and mix well using hands. Get a container for germination and make sure it is clean, drainage is not needed for starting seed. Fill your container 4/5 full then lightly compress the soil with your hands making sure it is even. Evenly spread the seed onto the soil then completely cover the seed with dry soil because you can easily spread it, now press the topsoil lightly and water gently and thoroughly 

Step 2: Germination of seed 

Cover your container lightly with a plastic bag and place it in a warm room. Germination is about 5days for onions with or without sunlight but makes sure they get light as soon as they begin to germinate or the shout pop through the soil. When half or all have germinated take the plastic off. Keep them under the light and water when the soil gets dry. 

Step 3: Transplanting 

When your onions are 5 inches high and about toothpick thick, they are ready for transplanting. Onions can be planted in a kitchen garden at home or in the field for commercial farming.     

Health benefits of onions to human being

Onions are widely used in many recipes to enhance the taste, it is a good source of vitamin B6 as well as Magnesium, Iron, Calcium, Selenium, and chromium. It also contains a good amount of sulfur and quercetin. Due to all these medicinal properties onions are believed to have the following benefits in our bodies

1: Heart health

Onions encourage a healthy heart by lowering blood pressure and lowering heart attack risks. The quercetin in onion also helps in preventing plaque build-up in the arteries, which reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke.

2: Balances mental health

Onions contain vitamin B9 which is also called Folic Acid and thus it makes you feel good, selenium which is produced in the intestine prevents the storage of homocysteine which blocks the function of happiness hormones.

3: Bone density in older women

Consumption of onions improves bone density in women who are going through or have finished menopause. Women who eat onions frequently have a 20% lower risk of hip fracture than those who never eat onions.

Onion is rich in quercetin, quercetin has been established to be essential in helping to prevent or cure the following troublesome health condition 

  • Blood clots
  • Bronchitis
  • High fever
  • Diabetes 
  • Asthma

Article by Jane Wambura