Sweet onions ... storing till ready to plant?

[Shiloh Acres]

Hi all,

I have acquired a bundle of sweet yellow onion babies. (Sorry, I don't know if these are technically slips, sets, or what? Little bulbs with the green tops, just taken from the dirt it looks like, all tied in a bundle.)

They are supposed to grow big yellow Texas sweet onions.

We had some warm days (almost and even over 70), and I was starting to hope I *might* get away with planting. I guess I'm used to weather from much further south than this though. They are saying we might get snow in a few days, and the high that day will be only 28 and the low 16. We are going to have bad weather all week, and not sure after that. It DID snow here last March 21, which I think is unusual for this area.

They are drying out a bit. Any idea what I can do with them to save them until I can plant? I think if I plant them with such bad weather coming, they may die. Should I put them in dirt (the bulb part) and keep them in the garage? That's my best guess? Or do something else?

The tops are green, but drying now a bit. I think they are older, they were not very fresh new green tender growth when I got them, but I could be wrong.

I am in zone 8A.

Thanks for any info!!!

 

[dickiebird]

I bought bundles of onions like that last Feb while I was in Fla. I kept them in damp paper towels for the 3 weeks I had left there. I brought them home to MO, put them in a clay pot with potting soil, as a bunch, until I had my garden ready to plant in April.

When you take them out of the pot their roots will have grown together, I separated them by soaking in water and gently working the roots apart.

Worked for me, should work for you.

THANX RICH

 

[hoodat]

The amount of abuse young onion plants will take and still grow is amazing. The main thing is to keep the roots from drying out. Damp peat moss works pretty well for that.

 

[vfem]

Looking at your zone, I say plant them now. I planted my sets in October, and they won't be ready until June.

They do not like heat, and the need a long growing period, preferrably days under 70 degrees.

I tried to tell my neighbor that last year, and he planted end of march. He ended up losing the whole crop.

 

[lesa]

I agree with vfem- get them planted now. If you have cold days they'll just hang out, until it gets warmer. You could cover them with straw, in the garden if you thought the cold was going to be long- lasting...Lucky you- digging in the dirt!!!