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Post by fulenn on Apr 21, 2009 23:23:10 GMT -5
I planted some topset bulbs last July in my garden that someone gave me. They have grown and are setting on top now. Some of them have begun to fall over, but I thought that they would not do that until mid-summer. We had 2 days of heavy rain here last week: could that cause something like this to happen? Or do I need to post a picture of what they look like?
Just not sure if I need to harvest some of those topsets now or not. Honestly, they don't seem large enough. Perhaps they get larger each year?
Fulenn
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Post by canadamike on Apr 22, 2009 0:23:02 GMT -5
Just wait they will bulk. You eat them when you want. Some strains have bulblets that make stems and other bublets. They fall when gravity asks for it, it is not related to anything else as far as I know...
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Post by paquebot on Apr 22, 2009 0:31:56 GMT -5
I planted some topset bulbs last July in my garden that someone gave me. They have grown and are setting on top now. Some of them have begun to fall over, but I thought that they would not do that until mid-summer. We had 2 days of heavy rain here last week: could that cause something like this to happen? Or do I need to post a picture of what they look like? Just not sure if I need to harvest some of those topsets now or not. Honestly, they don't seem large enough. Perhaps they get larger each year? Fulenn They are doing what they are supposed to do when they are done producing topsets. The fact that you planted them in July, they've had plenty of time to sufficiently mature. Lack of real winter has probably confused them. Once they have flopped, you may as well collect and dry them. If not, they will begin to root and you'll soon have a jungle. Walking onion beds should be torn out and refreshed every 3 or 4 years as the bulbs also divide and create a lot more plants. Size depends upon the variety. Heritage Sweets never get bigger than a small marble. Red Egyptians won't be much larger than a marble. "True" Egyptians will often be larger around than a quarter. Catawissas will have a cluster of large sets and then send up a second stem with smaller sets. I grow all 4 of those mentioned varieties. Just today I cleaned out my leftovers and sent out topsets for both Egyptian and Red Egyptian to a gardener in Kansas. Martin |
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Post by mnjrutherford on Apr 22, 2009 7:16:42 GMT -5
Are these sort of like garlic then? Not flavor of course, but are they sorta "clove" like?
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Post by ottawagardener on Apr 22, 2009 7:55:59 GMT -5
At the top, they kinda look like garlic but the cloves are smaller and more separated. These are a great early green onion!
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Post by bluelacedredhead on Apr 22, 2009 8:26:16 GMT -5
Early being the operative word.
I find that once the weather warms up, they become tough and strong tasting. I took them with me to 3 houses over the past 25 years. I didn't do that this time.
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Post by fulenn on Apr 22, 2009 16:55:02 GMT -5
I guess I had better get out and collect some topsets this evening. Thanks for the advice and information everyone.  Fulenn |
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Post by fulenn on Apr 22, 2009 20:06:37 GMT -5
It is looking like I may not have true EWO's. Maybe Catawissa? Here is a picture of what I just brought in. I can see the original stalk with the topsets on it, then I see that the topsets produced stalks and two of those have a tiny bulb on them. It looks like I didn't get the two tiny bulbs in the picture. What do you think?  Fulenn |
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Post by paquebot on Apr 22, 2009 23:03:14 GMT -5
Yes, you've got Catawissa. That's a further development of Red Egyptian. Both will display a Medusa effect with leaves sprouting around the topsets. They were really important when they were developed. Neither are my favorite as that belongs to what I call True Egyptian. The growth is faster and has a nice blue-green color instead of the yellow-green base of the Cats and Reds. It also has the largest topsets which aren't such a pain to peel for pickling. But that also means that there aren't nearly as many topsets to propagate as the others. The origin is unknown other than having been found growing on an old abandoned homestead in Canada.
Martin
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Post by canadamike on Apr 22, 2009 23:12:07 GMT -5
Martin, I once was gien one by my priest, a gardener, that had up to 3 stages of bulbils giing bulbils. Which one was it?
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Post by paquebot on Apr 23, 2009 10:42:15 GMT -5
Martin, I once was gien one by my priest, a gardener, that had up to 3 stages of bulbils giing bulbils. Which one was it? That would be Catawissa. Normally they only have 2 sets of topsets but may produce a third. Also only garlic produces bulbils and cloves. Onions produce topsets and bulbs. Martin |
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Post by canadamike on Apr 23, 2009 13:15:43 GMT -5
Oups, thanks my friend, error noted. Topsets it is. Thanks for telling me.
»And hey, people, when I make language mistake like that I love it when people help me out like Martin did, don't be shy.
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Post by macmex on Apr 23, 2009 16:11:52 GMT -5
Michel, I missed the error. Guess you mixed in some French. But it was intelligible and I just skimmed over it.
George
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Post by paquebot on Apr 25, 2009 0:13:31 GMT -5
Michel, I missed the error. Guess you mixed in some French. But it was intelligible and I just skimmed over it. George My comment wasn't directed just to Mike but anyone else who misidentifies certain parts of garlic and onions. Number one that gets me is when someone calls a garlic bulb a head. Sometimes I wonder if only a handful of people know anything about garlic. Recently saw a report of a person buying several cloves of garlic and dividing them for planting.  Second is when someone calls onion topsets bulbils. Walking onions belong to a class called topsetting multipliers, not bulbiling multipliers. Third are those who can't differentiate between onion sets and onion plants. And the list is much longer than that! Martin |
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Post by canadamike on Apr 25, 2009 0:35:30 GMT -5
Martin [/quote] Recently saw a report of a person buying several cloves of garlic and dividing them for planting. [/quote] Ah! Martin, Martin,Martin ! We have to explain everything to you  The guy lives the fast life in the city and he needs to rush things. Simple...he is planting spaghetti sauce  As for the ''head'' of garlic, it might be some french influence. In french we use the expression ''tête'' ( head in english ) for garlic. Probably because garlic and onion are all over in french cuisine, the term bulb goes with the onion and head for the garlic, as to mark a difference, but that is kitchen talk. In the garden, the garlic reverts most of the time to being a bulb  |
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