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Post by ottawagardener on Dec 13, 2012 8:09:54 GMT -5
Often my onions survive the winter and then predictably go to seed as they have vernalized and were a good size. However, I was on the real seeds website when I noticed they were growing some small onions through the winter (I assume for them it's grow through) to have larger sized onions to harvest rather like garlic. This got me thinking about whether or not the technique could be adapted to our frigid conditions. Anyone try anything like it? www.realseeds.co.uk/onionsoverwinter.html |
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Post by 12540dumont on Dec 13, 2012 11:28:34 GMT -5
I start lots of onions in August and let them overwinter. In October we set out onions that were starting to bolt. (They always do). It's interesting, we also just left some in the ground. They divided into onion sets. I want to replant them and see if they make seed. I think onions, garlic, potatoes are the most useful plants in the garden. One of my friends recently scoffed at me and said, "Those are the cheapest things you can buy at the market. Why would you waste your time?" To me, one of the saddest days of the year is when I run out of onions! Attachments:
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Post by 12540dumont on Dec 13, 2012 11:30:47 GMT -5
This year my leeks made offsets and we didn't get them set out until late October. Look at them go. I think Leeks are very hardy and I have friends in Maine who say they can survive the winter. Have any of you Canadians tried overwintering them? Eh? or is that "A"? Attachments:
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Post by bunkie on Dec 13, 2012 13:57:25 GMT -5
telsing, a few years ago we were told by a gardening friend of ours that we could have onions growing thru the winter months, like garlic does, if we planted transplants that were as big as our little finger in the fall. has worked for us very well in our frigid winters, even in the deep snow, just as our garlic does.
holly, haven't tried the leeks yet like this.
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Post by ottawagardener on Dec 13, 2012 15:05:03 GMT -5
My overwintered leeks of mostly LISP (but I believe also blue solaise) origin made lots of offsets this year too! Have you heard of the technique of making leek 'hair'? I bet they would be ready just in time for overwintering.
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Post by ferdzy on Dec 28, 2012 12:59:50 GMT -5
Holly, we overwinter leeks all the time. I've grown mostly Giant Musselbergh and Blue Solaise, but I have yet to have any leeks fail to make it through the winter, eh?
And when I first started gardening I didn't bother with onions, potatoes or carrots. Cheap! Boring! Oh, wait... no they're not!
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Post by jondear on Sept 22, 2016 19:43:13 GMT -5
I've been thinking about planting some (um er) "sets" that were grown from seed that happen to be still (forgotten) in a 1020 tray... Worst case scenario is some nice scallions for my fall salads... Best case is they overwinter and I get some early non bolters for early onions. I might even go all out and throw a low tunnel over them. 🤔
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Post by shoshannah on Sept 22, 2016 20:39:15 GMT -5
12540dumont, "I think onions, garlic, potatoes are the most useful plants in the garden. One of my friends recently scoffed at me and said, "Those are the cheapest things you can buy at the market. Why would you waste your time?" Your friend must not have eaten home grown potatoes. Such a taste treat.
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Post by richardw on Sept 23, 2016 0:46:03 GMT -5
Ive had that comment put to me as well. Why would i want to go and buy a potato that doesn't taste anywhere as nice and has been sprayed with at least 7 different chemicals... yuk.
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Post by shoshannah on Sept 23, 2016 11:27:18 GMT -5
I overwinter onions. I haven't saved seed from them because I love eating the seed stalks that grow up until they start to get woody.
I cut off greens from all my alliums over winter. They're loaded with antioxidants, much more than the bulbs.
"You can just go to a grocery store and if you were to buy green onions, they have 100 times more phytonutrients than other onions in the store. They're inexpensive, they're common and they're unheralded super foods. It's the green portions that are the best for you; when you're chopping them up, make sure you chop up all the green portions too. Kale; black, red and dark red grapes; artichokes; parsley; all of the herbs -- they're just like eating wild plants."
Quote from "Eating from the Wild Side" by Jo Robinson
I would like to try fall planted onion and leek seed.
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Post by 12540dumont on Sept 27, 2016 10:59:00 GMT -5
We tried something new this year. I direct seeded leeks in June, in our shadiest plot very closely together. Beginning in August, we moved them. I dug up clumps, shook out the dirt, and replanted them in rows. Now it's almost October, and I'm harvesting from the original bed. All the wee guys that were left behind are now thumb size. The good thing about this that we have noticed is that we were able to plant them deeper....more blanched bits! My brother was grilling them on the BBQ the other night. I was afraid our feral neighbors were going to come chew our arms off! Yes, they smelled that good!
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Post by richardw on Sept 28, 2016 17:28:40 GMT -5
We tried something new this year. I direct seeded leeks in June, in our shadiest plot very closely together. Beginning in August, we moved them. I dug up clumps, shook out the dirt, and replanted them in rows. Now it's almost October, and I'm harvesting from the original bed. All the wee guys that were left behind are now thumb size. The good thing about this that we have noticed is that we were able to plant them deeper....more blanched bits! My brother was grilling them on the BBQ the other night. I was afraid our feral neighbors were going to come chew our arms off! Yes, they smelled that good! And they didnt want to produce flower stems come spring? 12540dumont |
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Post by shoshannah on Oct 22, 2016 10:21:24 GMT -5
ottawagardener, Telsing can you tell us about the leek hair technique.
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Post by reed on Nov 3, 2016 3:37:35 GMT -5
I never paid good attention till this year but I know that onion sets planted in fall for green onions will often overwinter just fine. This year three different kinds that had overwintered made good onions this year. They all turned out to be poor keepers and mostly rotted weeks after harvest but out of maybe three dozen there were two or three that had multiplied rather than making a single large bulb and those did not rot. I replanted them and they are growing now.
It gave me the idea that onions are maybe a little bit genetically unruly and it might be fun to fall or even winter plant all I can get my hands on just let them sort it out. I'm thinking a self seeding and or perennial onion landrace is in order.
I'v seen onions from the store sometimes that when sliced have three or four individual ring patterns that look to me like if they had the chance they would divide into clumps. I'v even had them sprout into multiples if lost for a while in the storage box.
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Post by shoshannah on Nov 3, 2016 15:34:38 GMT -5
I thought splitting onions was an undesirable trait. I don't remember the reasons.
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