Onion Growing thread, 2019

[headfullofbees]

Sets started in the greenhouse can be prone to bolting.

 

[zigs]

Sets started in the greenhouse can be prone to bolting.

Didn't have that problem last year, but often did when I planted them straight in the ground.

 

[Meadowlark]

Short day onions may react differently than long days...but to keep short days from bolting I make sure to get them in the ground in November. Waiting later to plant especially Jan., Feb. will result in significant bolting, whereas Nov planting its very rare for any to bolt.

 

[vette-kid]

How do you determine when onions are ready? I've got several (too many actually) and some I thought night be ready only had about 1.5" onion. New to growing onions, so I get to ask newbie questions

 

[Meadowlark]

How do you determine when onions are ready? I've got several (too many actually) and some I thought night be ready only had about 1.5" onion. New to growing onions, so I get to ask newbie questions

Of course, green onions are ready whenever you are...but if you are raising for the large bulbs, the bulbs stop growing when the tops begin to fall over.
Around here, that starts in early May and continues through May. I harvest all of mine at that time and store them several months until we eat them all.

 

[headfullofbees]

The roots of onions die back, making the leaves go brown, and the necks go soft, so that they fall over, when they have finished their first year's growth and they are ready for us to harvest

 

[headfullofbees]

Didn't have that problem last year, but often did when I planted them straight in the ground.

Possibly starting too early?

 

[zigs]

Possibly starting too early?

I had been planting early, it was a struggle to get them ripe enough to enter the show in August. I'll be too busy to enter anything this year though.

 

[headfullofbees]

I had been planting early, it was a struggle to get them ripe enough to enter the show in August. I'll be too busy to enter anything this year though.

That's why showers grow from seed.

 

[vette-kid]

The roots of onions die back, making the leaves go brown, and the necks go soft, so that they fall over, when they have finished their first year's growth and they are ready for us to harvest

So nearly a full year!? Mine are almost all bent at half mast, I'll try and get pics later. I have them at various stages as some were seedlings purchased from the big box and some were sets (mini bulbs) from a different big box planted a bit later. I still have some in storage that I could plant if it's not too late to get a late harvest. My garden is a disorganized mess right now though. Need to plan out locations better so I don't end up with a little bit of this and that all over!

 

[Black_Thumb]

I live in southern California in the desert climate and I just planted some sweet Spanish yellow Utah jumbo onions in the little starter containers (21 little planters). It still gets cool in the evenings (in the 40s) and up to around 65-70 during the day but soon it'll be getting hot (usually well over 100 degrees every day). We just got a massive rainstorm (very rare here) and so all of the containers filled up with water and the potting soil is totally saturated. Will that kill the onions???

Forgive me but I'm very new to gardening and almost everything I try ends in death and destruction (hence my "black thumb" screen name). I get the impression that I should have planted these last fall but I just went by the information on the packet of seeds. Should I write these off and try again this fall or what?

Thanks.

Mike

 

[headfullofbees]

When you sow onions depends on your latitude, as they react to light and different types react to different day length, although there is some overlap. (I live in a climate which allows either)
California is a big state, but since you live in the south, it may be that you are better suited to over-wintered onions.

As to the rain? Well it depends. If they were seeds, they'd likely be OK. Seeds are DESIGNED for tough times. Small plants too, if it was an isolated incident, I'd expect to make through, otherwise onions would have gone extinct a long time ago.
Just to help them along, try to put them somewhere so that a repeat event is precluded, and give them time to drain and get over their ordeal.

 

[Black_Thumb]

Thanks, bees!! I guess the bigger part of the equation is whether or not the seeds got washed away. LOL I will definitely relocate them if there is more adverse weather forecast.

 

[Black_Thumb]

I planted seeds for 24 Sweet Spanish Yellow Utah Jumbo onions about three to four weeks ago and just yesterday three of them poked their heads out of the planting pots. I used some kind of plant helper soil I bought. Does that seem like way too long to wait for them to even start showing??? I have concluded that I am a dismal failure at gardening. I planted 24 bean plant seeds and only ONE has started to grow. I think the soil I have in my yard is very, very sandy and not conducive to gardening. I need to prep it somehow. I'm very discouraged.

 

[vette-kid]

Are you direct sowing into the ground? How deep? Maybe some pictures of your garden area or seed starting method would help us figure out whats going on.

I'm pretty much just sand here, so everything I do is in a raised bed with good soil or in containers.