January is here and it is time to get excited about the vegetable garden.  Yesterday, I was able to plant 120 Texas 1015 onion slips and 60 leek slips.  Here is my process:

1. Start with really deep, loose soil full of lots of organic matter (compost)
2. Work rock phophate into top layers of soil
3. Apply worm castings (I use about 10 lbs per 100 square feet) to top layer of growing area
4. While doing the above, I soak the roots of the slips in Worm Wine (TM)
5. I plant the onions in alternating rows, about 2 inches apart (*more on this below*)
6. The slips should be planted 1 to1 1/2 inches deep
7. Water the area
8. Mulch with fall leaves where you can see bare soil

*As the onions grow and mature, I pull every other onion to use as a "green" or "spring" onion.  I leave the rest to mature into bulbing onions. 

Other things to consider are companion plants.  I will tuck another 60 onions in between my strawberry plants in my strawberry bed.  The onions act as an anti-fungal fighter for the berries.  I also will plant a row of carrots in between the onion slips I planted yesterday.  Here is a great website on companion planting:  www.ghorganics.com.

Leeks should be ready to harvest about the same time as new potatoes, and onions should mature about the time cucumbers and tomatoes start fruiting.  Hope you will have lots of potato-leek soup, salsa, guacamole, and pickled onions and cucumbers next summer!
Happy Gardening!