Can We Talk About Onions?

[digitS']

One seed, one onion with those, So Lucky. Seed packets at the store are often skimpy things. Yeah, you should get, at least a dozen .

I'm not sure I should even suggest a keeper. I can get even the short-term sweets, like Walla Walla, to 4 months. It is just by virtue of my basement conditions.

Early April planting and leaving them till mid-late summer sounds about right. You will know when to pull them. Then, "cure" as best you can. Do we take the short day-long day factors into consideration? I wonder if you need to bother with that there in southeast MO . . .

Steve

 

[digitS']

Hey, So Lucky!

Think you might want to try leeks? They have a nice mild flavor- unbeatable in soups!

You could probably pile leaves around them and just harvest them right thru the winter.

Steve

 

[baymule]

@canesisters sent me some of those cool Egyptian Walking onions and I planted them in the fall, they are growing good and I can't wait for them to start "walking" or maybe dancing. I tried onions from seed and got itty bitty pearl onions, was not impressed. Mostly I buy the little bundles of sets at the store and we eat them green. I really need to keep trying for those big round globes that I haven't quite mastered yet.

 

[buckabucka]

Onions from seed are easy, they just take a long time. I'm starting mine now, and there's at least 3 feet of snow on the ground. I put mine out as soon as the ground can be worked, - which happens to be mid-late April here (zone3/4).

I don't know why I never thought of freezing some chopped onions. I do freeze some of the leeks.

 

[so lucky]

Well, I ordered some onion seeds from Baker Creek, but I am thinking it is too late to start them to try to get big storage onions, so I will save them for next year.
While in town yesterday, I stopped at the garden center to look for some bone meal that wasn't mixed with nitrogen. (found it)
They had onion plants for half price, as they were getting a little dry, so I took a couple bunches of Candy onions. So I am wondering if the plants can stand 27 degrees or so, if I go ahead and put them out today. Would covering them with straw be sufficient to protect them from freezing? There are only a couple of nights below freezing predicted for the next week. I think the onions need to be planted ASAP. Suggestions?

 

[Ridgerunner]

I don't worry about them freezing. I've started them in the fall when I start garlic and they come through the winter with no problem. Just cover them with a little dirt. You'll be fine.

 

[catjac1975]

What's the rush? They could just sit in the soil and rot.I cannot imagine them growing when its so cold. Onions planted in the fall, which I could never do, have the time to grow roots. I would wait.

 

[digitS']

The only thing that might happen with real cold is that it may prompt them to bolt to seed. I have seen Dixondale Farms' advise on that and I think they are right and have wondered if there were times when I set plants out too early. It should just be stress and allowing them to dry out might be stress that causes that sort of thing, too.

I don't think 27° is too much stress for onions with just a little protection. I'd be more concerned about the plants not staying healthy because they've been out of the ground too long.

Find the best place for that seed for the long time they won't be growing, So Lucky. Onion seed has about the lowest rating for viability and often listed as only 1 year. I have had no problem with seed of that age but the arid conditions here probably are of real help down there on the basement shelves.

Steve

 

[Ridgerunner]

I don't worry about them freezing. I've started them in the fall when I start garlic and they come through the winter with no problem. Just cover them with a little dirt. You'll be fine.

I'm talking about sets here, not seeds.

 

[so lucky]

I'm talking about sets here, not seeds.

Yes, I think I have slid this discussion from plants to seeds to sets to plants to seeds. I don't know how anyone can expect to follow it.