Onions that store well fetch better prices after harvest, when supply is high and prices drop.
In the field
Transplant healthy, pencil-thick seedlings and keep weeds out; onion has shallow roots and little shade. Feed nitrogen early, then stop; late nitrogen gives thick necks that rot in store.
Finishing the crop
When about half the tops fall over, stop irrigation. Lift on a dry day.
Curing
Cure in a shaded, ventilated place for 1–3 weeks until necks are tight and skins rustle. Remove soil but do not wash. Store in ventilated bags or crates, cool and dry.
Wet weather at harvest and thick necks are the two main reasons onions rot in storage.
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