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Post by PatrickW on Aug 1, 2009 15:14:07 GMT -5
It's not necessary to separate them, in fact I would leave the clusters alone unless you need to separate them for shipping or whatever. I suspect they will stay fresher that way.
And yes, just let them dry thoroughly before packing and sending them.
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Post by robertb on Aug 4, 2009 10:46:31 GMT -5
I send them out in clusters, and there's never been a problem. For that matter, I started out with a couple of clusters.
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Post by Jim on Sept 9, 2009 19:11:05 GMT -5
should I plant this fall?  ? |
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Post by PatrickW on Sept 10, 2009 3:07:35 GMT -5
I have a much milder climate than you, but from what I've seen it doesn't matter much when you plant them. In the past I've planted them together with my garlic in the fall, because seed companies always seem to sell the two together. While this always worked fine, I think spring planting works fine too.
If you wait until spring, you take the risk the bulbils won't last through the winter. This probably depends on if you have a good place to store them (not too dry, protected from temperature extremes, etc.).
Do you have some windowsill space? They also grow fine in pots, and you could grow a couple through the winter. Then if all else fails, you at least have these to put in your garden in the spring...
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Post by lottiedolly on Mar 18, 2010 10:07:08 GMT -5
I have planted my catawissa onions at the end of Feb and they are sprouting up already. I cannot wait for them to grow properly. I think that they will be the talk of the allotment ;D
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Post by robertb on Mar 18, 2010 12:12:31 GMT -5
If you don't want to bother peeling the topsets, use them green, cooked into whatever you're doing.
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Post by stratcat on Mar 18, 2010 13:29:08 GMT -5
I often plant some Catawissas for fun in January or February when we get a thaw; whenever the ground isn't frozen. Here's a pic from 2008. Come on Spring!  |
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Post by ottawagardener on Mar 18, 2010 15:38:17 GMT -5
Nice picture. I Love the way they look and really like the way they taste.
I would pot them up if they have sprouted when you get them if you can't plant them out. They do fine on a windowsill as said.
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Post by stratcat on Mar 18, 2010 15:45:12 GMT -5
Thanks. At the end of the year, one of my friends pots some up and gives them as gifts for her friends to grow for green onions.
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Post by stevil on May 17, 2010 9:28:06 GMT -5
Ive got 3 or 4 dozen I could trade... anyone let me know. I am only now looking into the garlic and onion aspect of my garden so Im not EXACTLY sure what I want. One thing I can say is this is a HARDY plant, to survive my winter in this heavy clay. With no additional water, and end up nice a healthy the next yea, as healthy as the ones in good soil..... But it did not prove hardy in rich loam soil in Wisconsin. Even with mulch protection in the winter, finally lost them all. That was after having them for 5 or 6 years. Martin I planted the I'itoi's Silverseeds kindly sent me in my cold greenhouse. I think that all the soil in the greenhouse froze solid down to the bedrock for over 2 months (there is no sun in winter here so the temperature doesn't rise much in the day). The minimum temperature went down to about -24C. There was of course no protective snow cover in the greenhouse and I didn't water either (I couldn't as the door was frozen solid). I'itoi survived this as did Griselle and winter shallot Jermor. The dry conditions would have helped. However, they haven't started dividing yet, whilst Griselle has divided into 3 or so. It looks quite like Griselle which is I understand is Allium oschaninii, so perhaps I'itoi is also this species. My winter peas Winterkefer didn't survive this year (they germinated in December as usual but the cold got the better of them). Similarly, I tried for the first time fall sown Broad Beans in the greenhouse, but they also failed - I had to pick the most extreme winter for 30 years to try...  I thought all my garlic was dead (fall planted outside) when they still hadn't emerged 4 weeks after normal, but almost all have now emerged, but they don't look as vigorous as normal. The delay was probably because I plant garlic quite deep and the frost penetrated deep and took a long time to thaw deeper down. |
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Post by Penny on May 18, 2010 5:39:49 GMT -5
Nice pic Strat........i grew some a couple years ago, lots of comments on them, and how cool they looked.
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Post by fulenn on May 23, 2010 22:08:55 GMT -5
I lost most of my catawissa's during the blistering hot summer we had last year. I only count 3 that came back up this year. Fortunately, they have topsets and will replant themselves.
Stratcat, that picture you posted is beautiful!
Fulenn
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Post by stratcat on May 23, 2010 23:20:05 GMT -5
Thanks Penny and Fulenn.  I do have fun! john |
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Post by galina on May 31, 2010 7:24:12 GMT -5
Martin, please explain. Is the difference between bulbil and topset a convention of language? Or are they actually different?
My Babbingtons Leek produces bulbils instead of (alongside unfertile) flowers and quite often produces a second tier too. Is that different to the second tier of my Walking onions as far as botany goes?
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Post by paquebot on May 31, 2010 23:25:47 GMT -5
Martin, please explain. Is the difference between bulbil and topset a convention of language? Or are they actually different? Very simple. Garlic has bulbils, onions have topsets. Bulbils will not normally develop into a mature plant in a single season. Topsets will develop into a mature plant in a single season. Martin |
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