Onions from Seed

[thistlebloom]

Those are pretty Steve! The only reason I have onions this year is because a neighbor bought too many bundles of Walla Wallas and donated some to me.
They're doing pretty good. I pulled some early to put in a potato salad last weekend.

 

[catjac1975]

Put this in POW!!!!
I have been buying plants which are expensive. I realized it kind of defeats my organic gardening as they must be doused in herbicides to be able to produce the plants. Duh! I am thinking of starting them in Sept and growing them all winter in my greenhouse. I don't know what varieties to get.

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

pesticide might not be needed with onions since not much bother them. fungicide might be needed since some alliums are prone to pink root and fusarium fungus.

 

[digitS']

Bunching onions take a little longer to reach scallion size fer sum reason. The bulbing-type are in a hurry .

I planted stutgardener (sp?) One year from seed. They actually made small onions before the heat scorched them. Usually I set out bundles of onion sets in fall for green onions all winter.

Stuttgarter is one of the varieties that is grown for sets. My guess it's a top choice because the tiny onions can survive winter storage well - just like their big brothers and sisters.

The 1st question I have is, when do they plant the seed so the sets don't bloom in their second season? Next question is, do you suppose they are day-neutral so that the Stuttgarter can form bulbs if the seed is sown outside of usual onion season? I guess I only need the answer to the 1st question ...

S ttteve

 

[jasonvivier]

Tree onion a.k.a. Egyptian walking onion sometimes sets seed.

The walking onion grows its onions on the top, then falls over, then grows again. It is perennial.

They require no real work to care for, require no fertilizer and can be planted at any time of the year when there is no frost. Mine went in at the end of fall last year in Zone 5 New Hampshire.

 

[jasonvivier]

Another perennial onion option is the Welsh onion, though mine aren't large enough to post a picture of. They are basically a perennial leek that you harvest 90% of and leave a small amount of root in the ground. It then grows back.

 

[catjac1975]

I want to grow giant onions!

 

[digitS']

I will be curious to see the Welsh onion, Jason'.

"Welch" is a word with an interesting origin. Germanic language speakers used it to mean "foreign," as best as I understand. I don't know what the people think of it but that onion is foreign to me .

The biggest onions I've grown have been from Texas plants and it ain't fair. The plants show up so much bigger than what I can have by April. Fortunately, my plants are only a little behind by harvest.

Steve

 

[jasonvivier]

The Welsh onion looks just like a leek.

On the topic of large onions - I wouldn't have the space in my urban food forest so I go for easy to grow, easy to harvest and easy on the soil i.e. doesn't require more inputs than I can generate onsite or for free.

I will be curious to see the Welsh onion, Jason'.

"Welch" is a word with an interesting origin. Germanic language speakers used it to mean "foreign," as best as I understand. I don't know what the people think of it but that onion is foreign to me .

The biggest onions I've grown have been from Texas plants and it ain't fair. The plants show up so much bigger than what I can have by April. Fortunately, my plants are only a little behind by harvest.

Steve

 

[jasonvivier]

I want to grow giant onions!

That sounds expensive. lol