2011-13 Onion Trial

[12540dumont]

I'm working on an onion trial this fall, which OMG needs to be started in flats in 2 weeks. Anyone spare onion seeds? I need 40 for them to get into the trial. I will be happy to trade for seeds, or pay your postage, or send you a set of seeds from the trial at the conclusion.


A. Cepa (bulbing)
A. Fist (bunching)
A. Ampelo (leeks)

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[12540dumont]

So, here's what I have planted for the 2011-12 Onion Trial.

Belgium Breeder’s Leek (WIld Garden Seed) F7 population, a wondrous blend of leek colors, leaf widths, shaft lengths and diameters. Looking Great still in field (5/8/2012)

Blue de Solaise - Solstice 110 days. A 19th century heirloom from France with 15 to 20-inch stalks and a medium-long shaft.
This short-season variety is sweet in flavor but extremely hardy, overwintering easily with just a light covering of
mulch. The blue-green leaves turn a beautiful deep violet as the weather turns cold. (Looks Great, will harvest 5/11/2012).

#8 Borettana - cipollinii (SOI) Light yellow very flat cipolla type onion. Not as dark a skin as Piatta of Bergamo. Good fresh or cooked. 2 inches in diameter. Long day type. 20-8-0 (Number planted, number germinated, number harvested) .

#66Bulb Onions Grex (Long Island Seed) Seeds from our bank of onion cultivars; many colors, sizes, hard and soft kinds, the emphasis on varieties suited for polar of 35° latitude although some day neutral types are here 51-22-6 Only 2 of these did not go to bolt

[#3b]Cipollin[/b]i - Bountiful 105-125 days to maturity, golden flat, 51-21-16 only 2 non bolt

#22Di Genova - cipollini (SOI) Also called bassano. Mild red cipollo type, flatter than Savona. Will grow 2 inches across, but can be picked younger. Like most Italian onions, this is a 'long day' onion and will not develop large heads if grown south of 36 degrees latitude. 51-34-18 All 18 bolted by 4/24/12

Giant de Inverno Leek (SOI) Giant Winter Leek. Large storage type leek. Big plant, blue/green tops, white bottoms with a bit of a bulb at the end. 120 days or so. Cold resistant. (Still going strong. Will harvest 5/12/12

Grandma Pfeifer’s Walking (Scott Santeler)
These look great, they are getting close to making new bulbils 5/8/12.

Jaune du Poitou - SolsticeJaune du poitou. Another 19th century heirloom from France, this time from the Poitou region. A long, slender, pale yellow-green leek of great tenderness and delicacy of flavor. Not specifically a winter variety (Will harvest 5/12 Looking very strong.

Mill Creek - Bountiful Stockton Red type.Days to Maturity: 65-120 This is one of the best onions in the trial 88-88-62

#7 New Zealand Torpedo (Cesarz)
Great torpedo 51-25-9 (preferred by gopher!)

#31 PI 264310 Very Early Globe Purple
Short storage, NE Spain 1960
Sangre de Buey 30-30-17

#23 PI 264312 Medium, Purple, France, Long Store, Sub Globe, 1960
Colorada de Conservar 30-14-1

#15 PI 264314 Very Early Globe Purple & Yellow, Flattened Bulb
Short storage, Barcelona, Spain 1960
Campeny 30-16-2

#69 PI 264316 Late, pale purple with copper globe, Stores well,
Cataluna, Spain 1960
Colrado de Conservar 30-21-2

#10 PI 264324 Medium, Straw yellow, flat, poor keeper, Spain 1960
Amarilla Achatada 30-18-1

#9 PI 264325 Early, pale purple inside, Globe, Long Storage, Spain 1960
Colorado de Amposta 30-20-9

#1 PI 264311 Early, red, pear shaped bulb, medium storage, North of Barcelona, Spain 1960
Viguetana
30-15-5

#2 PI 546118 - Cal Early Red Short Day Onion, non-bolting adapted to Central California, 1961. Thick flat bulb, Light Red, Not for storage 30-14-8

#5 PI 546119 - Eclipse Short Day Onion, 85 days, Early Crystal wax type, non-bolting. Thick flat bulb, White, Bermuda type. California 1961. 30-10-4

#75 Rossa Lunga di Firenze (SOI) Long of Florence. Long (4 inch) narrow red onion. Wider in middle than the ends. Mild, sweet taste. Beautiful. Medium/long day type. Mid season harvest. 63-51-33

#6Rossa Savonese (SOI) Mild reddish/pink, somewhat flat onion. Medium/long day type. Mid season. 51-48-44

Scotland - Solstice Scotland. 85–90 days. A very sturdy winter leek with fat, pure white shanks and deep green leaves. Outstanding
flavor and exceptional hardiness. Spaced generously, these can achieve remarkable size. (Still in the field will harvest 5/12/12)

Tokyo Long White Bunching (Stover) 65 days. Allium cepa. Plant produces good yields of Japanese type bunching onions. Onions have stiff shanks and are mostly single stems. A sweet and mild non-bulbing onion. Looks like a long slim leek. Suitable for summer and fall harvests. Plant Height: 30" tall. (did not do well here).

#33Tropea Rossa Tondo - Seeds of Italy (SOI) This is one of the most famous onions in Italy and is the central point of a food festival, the Onion Festival of Tropea in July. Medium long day type, mid season. Round, red/pink on outside, becomes white in the center. 51-47-26 10 of these bulbed up nicely

White Lisbon Bunching (Stover) 60 days. Allium cepa. Plant produces good quality bunching onions. This variety can be used in greenhouse. It has dark green foliage and long white stalks that hold up well after harvest. A heat and cold resistant variety, fall and winter planting. (Did not do well here)

#4Yellow Bulb Onion ( Joseph) Yellow with a touch of purple. Yellow long day with +/- 5% purple onion pollen. 51-51-11

Many thanks to the USDA and other onion donators.

[12540dumont]

1/2 the onion trial got planted.

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[12540dumont]

Still so many more go to. I'll post up the germination of the onions when I'm done. The days go by so fast. I barely get a few rows planted, and it's breakfast. A few more and it's lunch. And now it's almost 5 and we're starving and it's time to feed chickens and cats.

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[12540dumont]

I chose some small flowers known to feed the beneficial insects that feed on onion thrips. Now if we can just keep the vile voles out. They're already drilling test holes.

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[12540dumont]

After I carefully weeded the onion beds, Leo came through today and flamed the paths.

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[12540dumont]

Garlic is up and looking good. It's so dry, I'm having to irrigate. Look at these crazy beans. It's December and we've only had one frost.

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[mnjrutherford]

I kinda hate to say this cause some of y'all might come beat me up, but we STILL haven't planted our garlic. Regardless, the weather is not really cold here either. I will be real surprised if we get snow this year. We are getting little bits of rain here and there though.

[flowerpower]

Dec 6, 2011 6:10:40 GMT -5 mnjrutherford said:

I will be real surprised if we get snow this year. We are getting little bits of rain here and there though.

You want me to mail you some snow? lol I'm sure I will have plenty to spare this yr.

[12540dumont]

Could I have one small ball with Maple Syrup please?

[steev]

Isn't this the forum that had mention of maple syrup as an aid to nursing? That sounded like something else, though.

[flowerpower]

Dec 6, 2011 16:59:06 GMT -5 12540dumont said:

Could I have one small ball with Maple Syrup please?

Tasty, ain't it? If I tap the trees in Feb, I'll let you know.

[mnjrutherford]

Shucks, if you send me snow, you best come along with it! ;o)

Steev, I think you are right about the reference to maple syrup for nursing. I seem to recall reading that here myself, and not to long ago. Though I believe beer is supposedly better.

[steev]

I agree that in conjunction with mammaries, beer is good; so is patchouli.

[johno]

Please keep us informed on the trial! I'd love to find some good intermediate day types.