whats going on with my onions?

[Belmont]

Hey all, I have a problem with my onions. This is my first time growing onions and I had to do so in a pot, because i live in town and my yard isnt large enough for any kind of garden. Anyway, they've been dying. I dont know whats causing it but I dont want to lose all of my onions if at all possible. Theyve been dying one at a time.
Pictures are of the most recent one, any help is much appreciated.

 

[marlingardener]

Looks to me as if they are maturing, and ready to be pulled. When the tops start to turn brown and flop over, it's a sign that the bulb is ready to be harvested.
When did you plant these onions? I'm not familiar with the temps in zone 4a, but we always harvest onions twice a year--once just before the first hard frost, and again in June.
After you harvest your onions, let them dry for two-three weeks out of direct sunlight and in a place with good air circulation. We hang ours in the barn, but have also dried them on a screen.
For being grown in a pot, those onions look pretty darned nice!

 

[Belmont]

Ill start harvesting them as they start to go brown. How do you get seeds from them? I was hoping to somehow collect seeds from the biggest one. I know they dont go to seed until the second year, but how do you keep it alive that long?

 

[marlingardener]

In you zone I think that sets or starts would be the better alternative to seeds.
Keeping onions alive to the second year when they may set seeds is just a matter of leaving them in the ground. Here in Texas some people plant onion seeds, but I've never done it, so I can't advise.

 

[Belmont]

I dont think they would survive in the ground, its not uncommon for winters to reach -40.

Its certainly easier to just get sets, but Id still like to try and plant seeds from one of my onions just to try it

 

[zigs]

Just had to translate that to celcius, and it's the same

Onions are pretty hardy but i'm not sure they're that hardy.

What Marlingardener is saying is that they won't set seed unless they've overwintered.

 

[headfullofbees]

I dont think they would survive in the ground, its not uncommon for winters to reach -40.

Its certainly easier to just get sets, but Id still like to try and plant seeds from one of my onions just to try it

Take them indoors and plant them, put them out when you'd normally plant out your onions and they'll run to seed.
I grow all my onions from seeds; this year six varieties = more than in the supermarkets. Not one bolted.
Some do have to be used early, some will store well into next year, but that's the cultivars I chose and I knew it prior to sowing.

 

[Belmont]

Just had to translate that to celcius, and it's the same

Yeah, it's convenient that it gets down to -40 cause that's the magic number where Celsius = Fahrenheit.

Take them indoors and plant them, put them out when you'd normally plant out your onions and they'll run to seed.
I grow all my onions from seeds; this year six varieties = more than in the supermarkets. Not one bolted.
Some do have to be used early, some will store well into next year, but that's the cultivars I chose and I knew it prior to sowing.

I'll try that and see what happens.

I appreciate everyone's advice!

 

[zigs]

It's bloomin cold no matter what it's measured in

I asked on another forum too, general consensus was the same, bring them in or stick them in a freezer for a week and then plant out

 

[Belmont]

If I bring them in, do I stop watering them? I noticed some of the bulbs that I was tardy to harvesting were rotten.

 

[headfullofbees]

Cure them as you would normally, cut off the roots, and sit them on some barely damp growing material, root end down.

 

[Belmont]

Alright. Thank you so much!