You might try posting your question on the Allium Forum (growing onions, garlic, leeks, etc.) I never knew there was such a forum until a couple of months ago when I had a question about harvesting garlic.

Here is a link that might be useful: GW Allium Forum

The onions need some special requirements. Loose soil and and I add bone meal to my soil before the onions and garlic are planted. This year, I had huge white and purple onions and also really big garlic. I use a fertilizer from Dixondale farms, who sell many onion types. There are short day, intermediate, and long day types, so be sure to get the right ones for your planting zone which is long day. Just 3 months after planting the small mixed seed onions, I harvested most. I don't allow them to flower as that destroys the bulb. Music garlic is the best for our zones, and is hard neck, so it survives cold winters. Is planted right now, for early next summer harvesting.

Here is a link that might be useful: Dixondale

vschlaff, where are you in Michigan? I'm here in Michigan too, zone 5, about 40 miles inland from Lake Michigan and about 50 miles north of Grand Rapids.

Onions grow well here, but as Ken noted, there are different kinds of onions. Here in Michigan's short growing season we need to grow a long day onion. I second Dixondale's, they have a good product and great customer service.

Here the onions are often grown in the local "muck" fields. Mine didn't do worth a hoot, I think I had too many kids trampling down the tops, but I've managed to grow some monsters in past years.

Be sure to pay attention to variety too, some are for storage and some only keep a short time.

Annie

A local Agway store sold the Walla Walla type and these were grapefruit size. I just picked the last of my shallots. One bulb planted ends up with about 6 bulbs emerging. These are quite large like medium onions. I plan to freeze them after chopping. I also grow walking onions. The also multiply under ground as well as from stems with clusters of smaller onions that topple over and plan themselves. I harvested about 50 onions and about 300 bulbs off the tops. Far too many for my needs, so I give most to the Agawy people to sell or give to others. Sweet onions have a shorter storage life. Copra are the type that store well and are usualy sold in most supermarkets.

In addition to the previous good advice my experience is that onions hate to get dried out. They always thrive when planted somewhere in the garden that gets plenty of water and stays moist most of the time but never soggy.

Abhaya

Thanks for the great information everyone. I will try ferlilizing more next year. We used cow poo this year and I didn't put any more down because I was told that would be good for the season. I didn't want to over kill. We also use soaker hoses. we are going to add more hoses this summer. we are also moving in november, so we will have a garden area and we are allowed to make it larger. I will try dixondale's and see what happens.

Ksrogers!! is november to late to start garlic?

No, its fine, but if you live in Z4-7 grow hard neck types, for Z8-10 softneck. Store bought garlic is mostly softneck as it has no stiff center stalk (scape). Once cloves are removed you can see it. Soft neck will rot in the north, so dont even attempt elephant garlic. In my Z6, there are usually several frosts, but the soil isn't hard enough to dig a 4 inch deep trench yet. Be sure to add bone meal to the trench before you put the separated cloves in it spaced 6-8 inches apart. I used to try several types, but have decided that the Music (or Musik) variety has the biggest single layer cloves and is very hardy around here. Get it NOW, as most places sell out by November. I got mine two weeks ago, from Peaceful Valley in CA, and it was placed in the fridge until two days ago, when I planted it. Your welcomed to try several types, but keep in mind that its a waste of money to get soft neck types that have more than one layer of cloves and no stiff center stalk. They are just not as cold hardy. I watch for the scapes that emerge in the middle of the leaves in early summer. These are cut off before the light green pods expand. If the stiff stalks (scapes) are left on, the cloves will be very small. I cut up the foot long curved scpaes and pickle them with vinegar and dill. Once I dig mine up in early summer, its after most of the green leaves are dying. They get the roots and tops cut off and placed on a big open screen with a fan blowing air from underneath for about 2 weeks. This dries them enough that the dirt will usually rub off. If you see the cloves seperating when you harvest, its harvested too late, as they will start to break apart naturally if left in the ground too long. Get that Onion fertilizer soon too, as I put the frust treatment down in late February early March. Using fresh manure can kill plants!! It should be composted at least 6 months so it can 'aged'. I don't use manure here, as it just as too many weed seeds and odd looking stuff in it.