Growing onions

[catjac1975]

oh! ok! now it makes sense to me.

i went and checked things out. this thread is a featured thread, but not picture of the week.

Oh, yea. Now I remember that I did not put it on picture of the week.

 

[Phaedra]

Have I ever shown you how I start my onions before?To have the best home grown onions I start my seed indoors in September-October or so. In the North you need long-day onions for best growth. These are way better than sets or store bought plants. The seed do not stay viable from one year to the next so I plant all that are sent. Several times over the winter I give them a hair cut. It makes the tops much stronger for spring. They are put out in spring when the weather cooperates. Keep them mulched and well weeded for giant onions. Indoor trimmings are mild but nice live food.View attachment 62514View attachment 62516

@catjac1975 I have a question, have you ever tried pruning garlic back? Just curious, if garlic will react the same? Thanks.

 

[catjac1975]

@catjac1975 I have a question, have you ever tried pruning garlic back? Just curious, if garlic will react the same? Thanks.

I would think so, they are so closely related. But my purpose is to keep the leaves from falling over. To make them sturdier.

 

[Zeedman]

I don't often grow onions from seed (only did it twice). Mine did OK started under lights in February, to be set out in late May / early June. The lights I use (6-bulb T8 hi-bay fixtures) were bright enough that I never needed to give them a 'hair cut'. The plants had already begun forming small bulbs by the time they were transplanted.

In 2022, I started potato onion seed obtained from the Experimental Farm Network. A lot of those seedlings died while I was out of town. The survivors were transplanted in June, and their bulbs stored over Winter. Last year those bulbs were Spring planted, and the best bulbs are over-wintering now. Hopefully some of those will multiply enough this year for me to begin choosing promising lines. I also intend to try getting those onions to flower, and crossing them with the 7 winter-hardy multiplier onions I obtained from SSE. I anticipate this project taking several years, with the end goal being a productive potato onion with more winter hardiness than the cultivars currently in circulation.

 

[ducks4you]

That is fascinating! I don't want to breed any plants.
I would Like to have plants that reproduce and drop their seeds to germinate the next year,
Lots less Work for me!