Mine arent bulbing yet but didnt get em bedded til later.
Ordered my Onion Plants!!
jomoncon
you deserve to brag. Great onions. well done !
When did you transplant them?
Mine look like stephanietx too.
Ok, Jo,
You KNOW this means you will be leading the next ONION GROWING TUTORIAL, huh? So, just get ready for all the questions!!!
THOSE LOOK ABSOLUTELY GREAT!
You and Eweed are the ONION King & Queen, so I'll be looking for you two on the Bacchus float, ok, LOL?
I am only 6 months behind here. Stay tuned for my results.
And,
CountryGardens will be the Grand Marshall!
I am goin to be comin to dinner. yup. they look GOOD!
Linda, my onions were planted in the raised bed on 01/13, and in 2 earthboxes a few days after that. The EB ones are not doing as well - I think because the soilless mix is so soft, the wind keeps blowing them down. I think onions in EBs are a fail for me. Well, it was nothing but a try!
Stephanie, my onions looked like your about 2 weeks ago, so I'm sure you'll be catching up pretty soon.
Before planting, I tilled the bed and worked my a lot of compost/chicken manure into the it, along with a big helping of Azomite and some mycorrhizae that I happened to have. The only thing special I did was the initial fertilizing with organic fertilizer - I think it was the epsoma for veggies. Then blood meal at the rate Dixondale recommends, every 2 weeks. Kept them well watered. easy to do with all the rain we've had, and tried to get as many weeds out as I could.
I can't wait to pull that largest one and make some beer-battered onion rings!!
Jo-Ann
I planted my onion plants on Jan. 17th, they are not nearly as far along, they are not showing any signs of bulbing. I was thinking it would be Aug. before onions would be ready, now you have me hoping for them much sooner. This is my first time growing them, so I really don't know what to expect.
120 days seedfork. Mine arent bulbing yet too. I figure there are a few things not ggetting done on cue, but lack of sun the worst enemy
In they go.
5 rows, 2 boxes. Only 6 boxes to go.
They look so very tiny in that big field!
My onions are bulbing. YES!
Congratulations, Kitt!
Hey Linda? how do you find seeds on an onion? Will those scapes turn into living mini onions or develop tiny black seeds I need to my eyes on to see?
My Texas Legends are really bulbing nicely.
Very nice, stephanietix. My onions seem to have grown all they're going to grow (??) but they are only ping-pong ball sized. I think I can tell by all the layers around the stalk on yours that yours are quite a bit larger. Good going!
No idea, Kitt!
I'm still learning onion culture, myself. I've never saved onion seeds.
Maybe someone else can chime in and help us both, because I have that same seed pod on my onion plant, too.
Linda
I always thot those were mini onions and would grow another onion, but I know there are little seeds they make also...ah, well, I know where to go read, thanx Linda
Kitt/Linda,
For onions, there are two different kinds of scapes. One is a normal flower head and WILL produce seeds (but if your plant is a hybrid onion, then they won't reproduce true to type). The other type produces tiny plants (maybe the seeds are produced, then germinate on the scape?). Walking onions and Egyptian onions are types that produce the scape as a baby plant. I don't grow either now, but we had walking onions when I was younger. We used them for green onions.
David
Ok, now it sounds like I will need to dissassmble one. chuckle...
This is my second year growing onions.
Texas Legend are the biggest right now.
I have started to harvest a few of them already for my daily cooking.
But I forgot when they are ready to harvest ... huumm?
When the top leaves turn brown ... or I am confusing with garlic?
120 days. Think they do same as garlic and tops die back yes
My understanding is that you can harvest the onions once the tops break/fall over. They will also start to brown. At that point the bulb has stopped growing. For the onions to store best they need to be cured after harvesting. Here's an excerpt from the Dixondale onion website:
http://www.dixondalefarms.com/onionguide
Harvesting
When the tops of the onions turn brown or yellow and fall over, it's time to harvest. Ideally, the plant will have about 13 leaves at this point. Pull the onions early in the morning on a sunny day. Dry the onions in the sun for two days. To prevent sunscald, lay the tops of one row over the bulbs of another.
Curing
How long your onions will keep depends on how you treat them after harvest. They must be dried thoroughly to avoid problems with rot. If left outside when the weather is dry, this will take two or three days. The entire neck (where the leaves meet the bulb) should be dry, all the way to the surface of the onion, and shouldn't "slide" when you pinch it. The skin will take on a uniform texture and color. If rain is expected, you'll need to dry your onions indoors. Spread them out in a well-ventilated area with room to breathe. Drying indoors may take longer than outdoors.
Once the onions are thoroughly dry, clip the roots and cut back the tops to one inch. Now they are ready to eat.
Storing
Store onions in a cool, dry, well-ventilated location, such as a garage or cellar. Place them in mesh bags or netting to permit airflow. Periodically check for any soft onions, and remove them to avoid deterioration of the others. As a general rule, sweeter onions don't store as long as more pungent ones, so use the sweeter onions first.
"When the tops of the onions turn brown or yellow and fall over, it's time to harvest."
Some of my YELLOW GRANEX's top are bent down but they are not completely brown. http://www.dixondalefarms.com/product/yellow_granex/short_day_onions
Does it mean that they are ready?
To eat, yes, to store dry, not yet
The dryer the tops are when harvested, the better- the moisture is still too high to keep them from rotting faster. If you are going to get a week of rain, and the tops have browned, you might harvest before the rain, leave the dirt on and spread to dry indoors, since they can rot with rains after the growth/ moisture has pulled back into the bulb.
Many of my onions have tops knocked over by the high winds in the spring. As long as the leaves don't start turning brown, I leave them and let them continue growing.
Dug through my inbox. This is from the last Dixondale newsletter:
"One of the most common questions we get is, "How will I know my onions are ready to harvest?"
One way is by keeping track of the number of leaves on your onion plants. While 13 is the ideal number of onion leaves, some onion varieties may mature with fewer leaves than that. When your plants reach at least seven leaves, start watching them carefully. There will be three key physical signs that your onions are mature and should be harvested.
1. Soft Neck
When the area right above the neck (the place where the leaves meet the bulb) starts feeling soft, the transfer of carbohydrates from the leaves to the rings has finished, and the final cell division within the rings has occurred. At this stage, you should water less frequently, to prevent sour skin and black mold occurring in wet soils.
2. Tops Falling Over
When some of the tops fall over, this reflects 100% soft neck, even though not all the tops are down. If you are planning to consume the onions right away, this is the earliest stage they can be harvested
and the tops cut off. There is good skin development at this stage, and adequate green tops to prevent sunscald during drying.
When all the tops are down, the onion is finished pulling sugars out of the top and moisture out of its roots. But skin development will continue to occur. If growing for storage, a light last watering should take place, to allow onions to respire some moisture before harvest. For sweeter onions, give them a moderate final watering.
3. Last Leaf
Examine all the leaves, particularly the most recent one to appear (last leaf). The leaf sheaths mature and dry from the oldest to the youngest leaf. If you pull the onions from the soil before the last leaf is dry, rot could occur during storage. The neck cavity or top of the onion should not be sunken or soft before lifting the onions out of the soil.
It's best to remove your onions in the morning, before the worst of the heat and direct sunlight occur.
After Lifting Your Onions
Now that your plants are out of the soil, you'll want them to last as long as possible. This requires thorough drying and curing."
Now that you brought it up, when is garlic ready for harvesting?
When the bottom 2 sets of leaves turn brown is when I harvest.
Or when it's time for spaghetti or pizza, whichever comes first. ;)