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Post by Alan on Jun 20, 2011 23:23:42 GMT -5
Anybody got some they'd like to share. Have had a lot of requests for them at market and would love to build up stock and get them out there!
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Post by mnjrutherford on Jun 22, 2011 9:19:03 GMT -5
Not yet. That's something I'm working on as well.
P.S. I THINK, don't quote me, that "torpedo" refers to the shape rather than the variety. Mike is of the opinion that the flats are sweeter than the torpedo. I also think that a lot of folks associate "torpedo" with being a red or purple onion.
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Post by paquebot on Jun 22, 2011 22:07:49 GMT -5
Torpedo and bottle are usually descriptions for the same onion. Most are noted as being great cooking onions. I grow a yellow one and working on developing a white one. Just planted seed for both last Saturday. Maybe 3,000 of yellow and 1,000 of white. Right now is the time to plant seed for set onions. They are planted in the longest days and then grow just 2 months and go dormant.
What I have is an Amish bottle onion which is not the same as has been listed in the SSE Yearbook over the years. That one is red while mine came from a different Amish source and is yellow. I only like to distribute them to long-day zones as they are very day-length sensitive and will invariably bolt in short-day zones.
If I can locate Alan's address, I'll send a few thousand seeds since the window is open for planting.
Martin
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Post by grunt on Jun 23, 2011 0:59:36 GMT -5
I have some red Amish bottle if you would like, Alan.
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Post by mnjrutherford on Jun 23, 2011 5:01:21 GMT -5
Really Martin? This is JUST what I was hoping to learn!! So, plant the seed now, harvest late August, can I plant the sets THIS October/November or would I need to hold them for the 2012 planting?
When harvesting the sets, are they "tender" like garlic and onions and should I set them in a cool dry place or warm dry?
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Post by paquebot on Jun 23, 2011 20:53:14 GMT -5
The red one is an interesting thing. It was listed by an Amish man in PA as a white onion in the SSE Yearbooks. However, description was "reddish brown skin". He was also the source of the red ones offered recently by a commercial company. My source was Amish in MN and the original bulbs and sets were yellow. (It was a "kit" of a a dozen or so bulbs, 50-60 sets, and several hundred seeds.) The seeds produced mostly yellow sets with a few white. Only yellow bulbs were saved for the main seed production but several of the white ones were grown in isolation for seed production. Finally got a chance to plant some of the white seeds this year to see if they come back 100% true to their parents. The original white bulbs were identical to the yellow ones other than the color. Really Martin? This is JUST what I was hoping to learn!! So, plant the seed now, harvest late August, can I plant the sets THIS October/November or would I need to hold them for the 2012 planting? When harvesting the sets, are they "tender" like garlic and onions and should I set them in a cool dry place or warm dry? Not like the way you'd like it. These are set types just like those red, white, and yellow set onions you saw sold in bulk this spring. Only difference is the shape as growing conditions are the same. Those sets were started as seeds probably about this time last year. They went dormant with the shorter days and stored until this spring. Whatever conditions would apply for set onions in your area would probably apply to these onions. We know for certain that spring planting of seed in the intermediate zone results in going from seed to seed in one season as it was done by a friend in California. Seeds planted on 6 June one time resulted in sets which were too large and nearly all bolted when planted back the next year. To test germination one time, I planted seed in early May and at least 50% bolted and half of the remainder divided into unusable bulbs. The results would be no better in the short day zone. Of over 200 sets planted this spring, only one has failed to grow as desired. That one may have been just a little bigger than it should have been and immediately divided and then bolted. Some of the earliest ones are showing at least an inch bulb width at the surface and growing fast. None of those sets were bigger around than a pencil and some may have been smaller. I expect some bulbs to weigh close to 8 ounces if all goes well. So far, there's been very little information about how to grow them other than certain forums and I've never seen anyone give any detailed instructions. I was once challenged on that when someone pointed out that someone else did on another forum. That "someone else" was me! Martin
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Post by cortona on Jun 26, 2011 6:19:53 GMT -5
alan i can find seeds for next crop if you like the idea, here in italy we have some torpedo variety especialy from south regions, (tropea onions are renowed for its sweetness) and florence onions are good too. pm me if you are interested
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