What Did You Do In The Garden?

[Beekissed]

I started my onions indoor in Sept or October. I will put them out in early May. I had the best onions ever last year. I still have a ton and they may last the whole winter for the first time.

WOW!!!! It takes that long for them to get big enough to plant out in the garden???? What kind do you plant? I was thinking I could start them next week and have them big enough to plant out in the garden by late March? I'm planting Candy onions. Am I being optimistic?

Do you soak your seed prior to planting?

 

[catjac1975]

WOW!!!! It takes that long for them to get big enough to plant out in the garden???? What kind do you plant? I was thinking I could start them next week and have them big enough to plant out in the garden by late March? I'm planting Candy onions. Am I being optimistic?

Do you soak your seed prior to planting?

I do not soak they are easy to germinate. They grow all winter indoors and are the size of a small pea when I put them out. The directions say 8 weeks before outdoor planting time but I had poor luck doing it that way. They were starting to fall over so I just gave them a haircut. That seemed to work out well for me last year, and you can eat the clippings in a salad or whatever you like. The new tops will come back stronger which will aid in transplanting planting.. You need to select your seed according to your zone. There are long day and short day varieties. I have forgotten the difference at the moment but in Massachusetts I think I need long day varieties. I got my seeds from Johnney's Selected seeds and just ordered the same as what I ordered last year. Starting now should be fine. I mulch immediately as I plant to bee sure the little things do not dry out.

 

[flowerbug]

@Beekissed it varies by what kind of onion you are planting.

normally for growing onion sets for next year i would have grown small bulbs from seeds the previous year.

i just read through this and it seems pretty "normal" to me. it describes what i do...

http://homeguides.sfgate.com/candy-onion-plants-53109.html

i'm not sure how many weeks to grow "starts" but seems to be in the 8-12 week
range.

 

[digitS']

I only started onion seed in January, once.

That was in the greenhouse. It was a bother trying to keep the flat from freezing! Then, the plants needed a haircut but turned somewhat yellow from fertilizer washing away before I could get them into the garden. February has been a better choice for me.

They are never quite as big as what I could get from Texas starts but they are okay.

Steve

 

[Beekissed]

Got my first seeds today, from R.H. Shumway... Sweet Candy onions 750 seeds, Napa cabbage 3 grams(whatever amount of seeds THAT is), and Parris White Cos Romaine 1000 seeds.

Will buy my fave potting mix tomorrow for planting my trays of onions this week. The first garden activity of the season!

 

[flowerbug]

...
They are never quite as big as what I could get from Texas starts but they are okay.
...

my FL garden friend complains that some onions grow too large. to me that is impossible... they say they don't need that much onion when they cook. i'm like, that's just odd, we can never have too many onions.

 

[digitS']

Napa cabbage

approx. 3,000 plants per oz/28 g

uummm

3000 / 28 = 107
107 x 3 = 321

Stokes Seed has most of that information in their catalog (Chinese Cabbage link). Most other catalogs don't bother with it. Of course, accuracy may not be too consistent.

Steve

 

[Beekissed]

Thanks, Dig! I would never have taken the time to figure that out, but that seems about the amount I would need to complete this year of growing. I hope to grow the lettuce and napa for winter harvest too.

 

[catjac1975]

my FL garden friend complains that some onions grow too large. to me that is impossible... they say they don't need that much onion when they cook. i'm like, that's just odd, we can never have too many onions.

The simple solution for them is to pick them when they are just the right size for them. An onion is always "ready."

 

[flowerbug]

The simple solution for them is to pick them when they are just the right size for them. An onion is always "ready."

that is actually what he does most of the time, plus he grows smaller red onions that grow ok for him in the south (red creole or something like that).