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Post by philagardener on Mar 5, 2017 7:25:49 GMT -5
For me, Fall planting does stimulate blooming; it also tends to divert energy from the bulbs so drops the yield in the following year. In 2014, I had Green Mountain, White Mountain and Shallots all bloom at once and I shared seed from the potato onion mothers with a bunch of folks including kazedwards (any update amid your busy move?). I also have seed from the shallot mother plants saved separately. Unfortunately, last year I had a prolonged wet spell in my garden just as all the onions were dying back and lost just about everything to rot. I just planted some more of this seed so will know in a few days how the viability is. I find onion seed does not last well. If anyone would like to try some, just drop me a PM and I'll get it out to you. |
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Post by kazedwards on Mar 5, 2017 19:11:55 GMT -5
As far as the potato onions no. I had 4-5 bulbs that got to be around 2 inches. I saved them a replanted them last year and they didn't really do anything. Didn't go to seed or get bigger. I still saved them to replant this spring but all but one didn't make it through winter storage.
The house is on its way. Foundation is curing and the basement floor has been poured. Next week they will start framing. Looking more like a September move in date. I'm the mean time we will be selling our current home this summer so we will be in an apartment for a few months which will really suck. We are both dreading it. I do have garlic planted at the new place but it's just enough to keep the strains going until next year.
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Post by steev on Mar 5, 2017 22:33:43 GMT -5
Temporary suckage leading to permanent excellence, no doubt. Mazeltov! Plantings on your future home are a faster way to make the future feel a reality than construction, which can feel interminable.
I also hope to begin construction of a home on the farm this year.
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Post by philagardener on Mar 6, 2017 18:58:16 GMT -5
Well, after you both figure out this construction stuff, I'll look forward to your hints, tips and leftovers! Good luck with all your projects!  |
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Post by reed on Mar 14, 2017 18:25:42 GMT -5
I can say for sure that when it comes to starting TPOS they are happier outside. The ones planted last fall and those planted in cold frame a few weeks ago are stronger and greener than the inside ones. The inside ones while having plenty of bright south sun are spindly by comparison. Also the inside ones being in little individual cells and with the wood stove going are hard to keep watered evenly. I'm afraid to just leave them out, not because of cold but for fear wind would dry them out while I'm gone.
The cold frame ones were taken out and just set in the garden and they look beautiful after a few nights in low 20s and high teens. They are in plastic window box flower pots with the bottoms of the pots buried in the ground.
I'm gonna transplant the inside ones to the ground as soon as possible so I don't have to mess with them anymore. **In the Dutch Red Shallot X Potato Onion I have three apparently albino plants. They came up white and I expected them to die, maybe they still will but so far they have turned a yellowish gold color and other wise are growing as good as the others.
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Post by reed on Mar 16, 2017 20:54:53 GMT -5
toomanyirons, I was inspecting all my onions today and realized something odd. There are not any of the bluish colored ones in the newly planted batches. I thought at first it was maybe cause they were from different seeds but some of them were saved back from the same ones I planted last fall. Maybe there is some genetic variation that takes an environmental factor to bring it out? Anybody's guess I suppose but there isn't a lot of the blue ones so gonna take extra good care of them.
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Post by ferdzy on Mar 17, 2017 6:59:02 GMT -5
There are not any of the bluish colored ones in the newly planted batches. , maybe they are just too young to be blue. When I've grown notably blue leeks, they don't look any different when they are seedlings. |
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Post by reed on Mar 17, 2017 11:59:13 GMT -5
Ah, never thought of that. I hope more show up cause the fall planted ones didn't die back and regrow like the green ones. Also I think they are pretty, it might be fun to try to select for and intensify that trait. The vegetable world is lacking in blue, I think.
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Post by reed on Mar 20, 2017 5:21:35 GMT -5
There are more differences between the green and blue versions of the Merlin TPOS. I couldn't get good enough focus with the camera and I didn't want to leave plants exposed to air too long so I drew a picture. I only examined one of each but expect they are all like this. The green had the most problems with frost heaving. There is also a hint of red at the base on the blue ones while the green are white at the base.  |
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Post by reed on Mar 24, 2017 5:27:17 GMT -5
One thing I have learned about starting onions in the house or cold frame is that I will never do it again! Transplanting those teeny tiny things into the ground is a royal pain. It would be one thing if it was necessary but it clearly isn't. The direct planted ones are fine, just need to be careful not to sow to thick so you don't have a lot of thinning to do either. From now on I'll carefully drop a couple seeds at a time and just eat any that need thinned like scallions.
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Post by galina on Apr 7, 2017 14:56:24 GMT -5
Your previous post is interesting, I am really curious to see how much diversity pops up in those TPOS. Not exactly the same, but growing Multiplier Onion Minogue (Perlzwiebel) from seed, I noticed just how different they are looking. Green, yellowish green and blueish green. They all made it through winter, but it was not a very cold winter here, but now that they are growing again, the differences are noticeable. |
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Post by reed on May 11, 2017 8:45:06 GMT -5
My TPOS plants are really getting some nice size both the fall and spring planted ones.
Except for the pretty blue ones I liked so much, they appear to have died. I marked where they were just in case. Maybe they went dormant and will come back in the fall. Probably too much to wish for but they looked best when it was cold so who knows.
Those store bought shallots never sprouted.
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Post by steev on Jun 2, 2017 22:30:53 GMT -5
All of that looks SO excellent; clearly, you have things well in hand.
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Post by steev on Jun 9, 2017 21:31:01 GMT -5
I can only aspire to such a well-ordered, weedless growing area.
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Post by farmermike on Jun 11, 2017 11:06:41 GMT -5
I weed an area, then I run into the house, get the camera, and take a quick photo of the area before they all come back. LOL Actually, after the first major spring germination of weeds are dealt with they are a manageable maintenance issue the rest of the season, as long as I keep on top of them. How do you do your weeding, toomanyirons? |
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