By Clint Thompson
Normal harvest time for Georgia’s Vidalia onions is usually the beginning of April. That timeframe may be expedited a few days if the current growth of the crop is any indication.
According to Chris Tyson, University of Georgia Extension Area Onion Agent at the Vidalia Onion & Vegetable Research Center in Lyons, Georgia, the progression of this year’s crop is further along than previous years, about a week to 10 days.
“We’re ahead of the curve right now. We’re above average,” said Tyson. “In general, our plants are bigger and have progressed a little bit faster than definitely last season, which was below average. This year we’re actually above average as far as the size of the crop and the progression of the crop.
“Where we’ll end up, we don’t really know yet. It looks like we may be a little bit earlier. But as long as we take care of the crop, that’s our main concern.”
Part of growers’ crop management will be to protect it from disease following the sub-freezing temperatures on Jan. 30. Temperatures dropped as low as 21 degrees Fahrenheit in the area, though they did not linger for an extended period of time. Still, there was some damage that could be problematic the rest of the growing season.
“We had some foliage, necrotic tissue that was damaged by the freezing temperatures. That in itself, we don’t think it’s too much of an issue right now. We just want folks to know that can invite disease to come in,” Tyson said. “We want them to be proactive on spraying for everything to keep it at bay.”
