Floppy Red Onions

I planted some red onion sets about six weeks ago. they have grown nicely so far, except the green shoots have tended to flop over. In a row next to the onions I planted garlic and the green shoots on the garlic are tall and straight. Any explanation for the floppy red onion shoots?

I had the extension service do a soil test before the planting with the following results:
Garden size = 400 sq.ft.
pH =7.5
Phosphorus was extremely high.
Potassium was medium
Magnesium and Calcium were high

They recommended 1.84 lbs fo Muriate of Potash and 4 cups of Ammonium Nitrate. I did as directed. Should I just ignore the limp green shoots on the onions?

I assume they are getting enough water? Other than that, I haven't a clue :( sorry

all my onions did that this year. The shoots were 2 foot long but average size of the bulbs were a little larger than a golf ball.

Did you plant sets or transplants?Sets are long day types that don't do well in the south .All you get when you plant long day types is lots of long leaves and tiny bulbs.Don't be fooled by packs of onion sets at Home Depot or Wal-Mart they won't grow in the south.I suggest planting Texas 1015 Super Sweet or White Burmuda transplants February.I did and mine were bigger than soft balls.

Cowpea..I'll double that what you said. Took me a long time to figure out why I couldn't grow a decent sized onion from sets. If you live in the South you need to plant or seed "Short Day" onions. Some garden catalogs list them as such and some don't. The only thing onion sets are good for is scallions.

Excuse me folks but I feel the need to correct something..

"Sets are long day types that don't do well in the south ". and
"The only thing onion sets are good for is scallions."

Not true but this is an issue that has been confusing to many folks, especially beginners to gardening.

A "set" is a small onion bulb that is planted out to grow a bigger onion. Sets can be of long day types as well as short day types as well as the newer day-neutral types (sometimes seen listed as intermediates). Keep in mind that sets can also be grown for "scallions", or green onions, by simply harvesting earlier, before the bulbing process really kicks in.

"Transplants" are just that, onion plants that are set out as you would other seedlings. Those, too, can be of any day-length type and include varieties that produce bulbs or of the non-bulbing types (scallion, bunching onions, etc)

rreznikoff, your "floppy onions" could be the result of a fertilizer issue, temperature, water, etc. Although I can't speak from experience regarding ammonium nitrate I can suggest that due to its immediate release of nitrogen into the soil you probably would've done better to apply half the recommended amount before setting out your onions and then the other half once the onions had become better established. Onions are heavy feeders but will better benefit from quick release-type fertilizers in several doses, not all at once. At this point in the game I'd let the tops just flop (or trim some and put them in your salads and soups!)

Lastly, what variety (name) of the onions did you plant. Varietal information would be helpful also.

Happy Gardening, Folks!
Shoe

Shoe I have never encountered a short day or intermediate day onion set. Where did you find them? All I have ever encountered are long day storage onions, in recent years imported from Europe. Cultivars include Ebenezer, Stuttgarter, White Snowball, Red Baron. Once upon a time we could get Yellow Danvers and Silverskin as sets, but I have not seen them in years.They have to keep in storage as a dry cured bulb from fall harvest to spring set. http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELPRDC5050311 Under proper conditions they will grow to decent size but not big. Otherwise, we are in agreement.

Howdy, F-dill...hope you aren't as cold down your way as we are here. Brrr...

Onion sets are sold here in the garden centers every fall. And yes I hear ya, varietal names are often simply shown as "yellow", "white", and on occasion "red". I'll check this week and ask a local grower/garden center their source, I have an idea it'll be Wyatt-Quarles though.

As you know, "sets" can be grown from any onion seed, including short day types. I used to grow them, starting in late Winter/early Spring, pulling them when the heat came on, and replanting in the fall of the year. The advantage of doing that was I could grow hundreds or thousands of potential onion sets/plants in a limited area; had I grow that many seeds thru-out the season up to bulbing/harvesting it would've taken up room that could otherwise be used for more requested/likable crops (hot weather crops like tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, etc). Nowadays I buy local sets for Fall planting, and then prefer to use plants (Yay, Dixondale Farms!) for late Winter/Spring setting out.

The sets I've purchased from garden centers (not Lowes/Home Depot) have done me justice, giving me both green onions and bulb onions. Perhaps it has to do with planting them in the fall rather than in the spring, as you mentioned eh? That would give them the head start they need, growing a root system, then top growth, moving from few daylight hours into longer daylight hours for bigger bulbing at harvest. Any input on that? Do you think that maybe growing thru shorter days to longer days might be what help them to bulb?

As for me, I don't remember putting out sets, ever, in the spring here, only transplants. When you were growing in Virginia I wonder if that made a difference for you.

I'll see what I can find out regarding the variety of sets available here.
As always, thanks for your input! Best!

Shoe

Under those conditions, spring planting , resetting in fall, you could have sets, but would not fit the USDA definition for sale tho as you have to have a fast turn around as they would not have sufficient storage capability. My main concern, is whether sets of anything other than long term storage onions are available commercially. By the way, ask if those sets are imported from Holland.

I have only used sets in the spring and it has been quite a few years. Just as an interim between potato onions and plants. In Virginia, they would make (Yellow Danvers) 2-3 inch bulbs. Very Pungent and great keepers. In those days cured onions were used solely for cooking. When I discovered plants, It was Sweet Spanish, Red Hamburger and the like until I came to Georgia.

"By the way, ask if those sets are imported from Holland."

Will do. Thanks for the tip.

By the way, Ebeneezer and Yellow Danvers are still popular here also. Do you know a source for Yellow Globe by any chance?

rreznikoff, sorry if we've taken the topic too far off track! Onions are a favorite of mine!

Thanks again, FarmerDill. I'll be back in touch!

Shoe

Early Yellow Globe - Ed Hume http://www.humeseeds.com/onioneyg.htm Harts Seed http://www.yankeegardener.com/seeds/hartseed7.html Seeds by Design is apparently the seed producer http://www.seedsbydesign.com/pl_onion.shtml

Brrrr...a chilly 25º here this morning.

Thanks for the links, F-dill.

Think I'll go work in the greenhouse today. Much warmer!

Shoe

You might check Dixondale Farms for onions: http://www.dixondalefarms.com/

-30 low couple days ago, lol

Those Wal-Mart sets won't make bulbs in the south.

Cowpea...again we agree...the one's sold in Walmart and alot of other places are "Stuttgarters" a long day storage onion, not suitable for growing from mid-south downward. You'll get scallions and a small bulb, but to get a good size onion down here you need short day onions, usually sold as plants or seed. I don't know of any sets offered that are short day onions. Dixondale Farms website will describe the differences.