Bunching Onions

[hangin'witthepeeps]

I was inspired by digitS' post on Bunching Onions and finally have a bed of them. The problem is, I have too many. Other than pulling some and drying them, can they be pulled and replanted like onion sets?

http://www.theeasygarden.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=29478

I have burpee's Onion, (Scallion) Evergreen Long White Bunching - Long, slender, tasty stalks in clusters with spring green ends. They are beautiful but tiny because they are too close together.

Old picture.

They have now taken over the bed. What do I do with the red shallots I got from Hoody, which are the neighbors to my onions. I wanted to plant them out in my beds as bug deterrents and for them to grow bigger.

 

[digitS']

Oh Boy . . . some responsibility here . . .

Well, onions do transplant. They may have been in the ground quite awhile there in Georgia. I have certainly transplanted bunching onions when they were nearly the size of pencils and suspect that they can be moved right up to large size.

Bunching onions do not go to seed in my garden. They are not left to over-winter and won't flower the first year. I suspect that they are like other onions in that daylight hours make a difference in their stages of growth and cold-stress does also. So, I wouldn't have to worry about moving them and having them bolt to seed.

Shallots may well be another story . . . do you think you can move them without disturbing their roots, Hangin'? I'm not too careful about onion roots when transplanting - difficult to be careful when they are growing real close together. Maybe the same with shallots but I can see the little things just *stopping* in their growth.

Shallot leaves drop over like their big bulb cousins very early, mid-summer here. Just when you think they might want to grow like crazy - they are all finished, the tops die back and you may as well pull up the bulbs. I am NOT talking about shallots from seeds here. Shallots from seed will grow over a much longer season.

Since yours are from sets, I think you'd better be cautious when moving them. Give them plenty of water and some fertile ground and maybe those bulbs will just keep bulking up for several more months.

Steve

 

[hangin'witthepeeps]

They were both from seeds. They are tiny little things, though very tall. They are the diameter of pencil lead, some are a little thicker. They taste really good. I just wanted to give them more growing room, but won't disturb them if they will fail. I can buy other onions to put out with the tomatoes.

 

[digitS']

They should be really good to move, Hangin'.

Just give them water.



Steve

 

[hangin'witthepeeps]

Updated picture of onions and shallots. Of course there are carrots, beets and lettuce on the other side.

 

[digitS']

I'll try to get a picture of my onion beds today.

First, there are more dahlias to plant :/ but then . . .

I need to get out to where the onions are to give them some water. They are just little wispy things yet but it turns out, we won't get any rain for them this week.

Steve