What did you do in the garden today?

[Sally PB]

Stupid question...I've never planted these before but did this time and they are already a foot tall! But does it produce one onion per plant? Or more per plant? Above ground or below ground...like I said stupid question.

No, not stupid at all!

Yes, 1 onion per plant. Onions from seed can take a long time to grow, so planting an onion set (a "baby" onion, really) means they can grow and make a decent sized bulb in less time. An onion is actually made up of specialized leaves below ground.

Usually you don't use a lot of nitrogen fertilizer on root crops, but because the "root" is really modified leaves, that rule doesn't apply with onions.

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

No, not stupid at all!

Yes, 1 onion per plant. Onions from seed can take a long time to grow, so planting an onion set (a "baby" onion, really) means they can grow and make a decent sized bulb in less time. An onion is actually made up of specialized leaves below ground.

Usually you don't use a lot of nitrogen fertilizer on root crops, but because the "root" is really modified leaves, that rule doesn't apply with onions.

Gotcha....so I need to stop trying to give a way all thr rest of my onion sets and go plant those things! I don't have nearly as many as I think I will be using!
How do you store yours when you have planted so many?

 

[Elyrian1]

Got bad weather on the way, praying no hail, but it's on the radar so... wish us luck. Battened down the hatches and hunkering down.

Guess I won't need to water this evening, lol.

 

[638858]

Gotcha....so I need to stop trying to give a way all thr rest of my onion sets and go plant those things! I don't have nearly as many as I think I will be using!
How do you store yours when you have planted so many?

Also, if you plant onion sets really close together (1-2-3 inches apart) in a raised row, by the time they are big around as your finger, start thinning every other one as “spring onions” or “table onions” keep in a glass of water in fridge to eat with supper, and the others get bigger. They will get almost touching in no time, then thin them again and have a bunch of nicer sized bulb onions (golfball sized) leave the last of the onions 5-6 inches apart and expose the tops of the bulbs slowly over a week or two, eventually leaving nothing but the bottoms/roots touching the ground and they will grow to grapefruit sized by summer.. that’s your slicer onions.. to store slicers, harvest and tie greens together with garden twine in groups of 3-4 and hang in a warm breezy dry place to dry, the greens with dry up and the outer skins will turn to paper (just like store bought) they last a long time hanging (depending on how many you plant and harvest) but as temps drop you can remove dried greens, trim roots and store in an open laundry type or similar basket (for air flow) in a cellar/cool dry room.. monitor weekly like taters for soft spots and remove any bad ones.. that’s why you plant a bunch of onion sets.. lol

 

[638858]

Got bad weather on the way, praying no hail, but it's on the radar so... wish us luck. Battened down the hatches and hunkering down.

Guess I won't need to water this evening, lol.

Us too.. all the best !!

 

[DParker75089]

Corn is up.

Okra too.

Also beans and squash.

 

[WthrLady]

Gotcha....so I need to stop trying to give a way all thr rest of my onion sets and go plant those things! I don't have nearly as many as I think I will be using!
How do you store yours when you have planted so many?

I dice and dehydrate mine. I've never had luck here storing onions.
I feed mine 3x a week with half strength liquid fertilizer.

 

[638858]

The only stupid question is the one not asked.. ask plenty of questions, that’s how we all learn, remember you may get a couple very different answers.. no one answer is right or wrong, take the info given research and try them side by side or whichever one you are more comfortable with or fits your style or ability use it to see which is more successful for you.. it’s often times difficult to ask an open question and get an answer that you can immediately relate to, your specific location, climate, elevation and soil type also play a huge role too.. all the best growing to everyone,.
Flint

 

[Sally PB]

How do you store yours when you have planted so many?

I dig them up when the top turns brown and falls over. When I dig them up, I lay them on a screen until the top dries out totally. Then I trim that and the roots on the bottom off. I store them in a cardboard box in the basement, covered to keep them from light, so they don't sprout.

I use a lot of onions, so I'm opening that box 1-2 times a week. If anything is sprouting or going soft, those get used first or tossed. I have onions from last season that are still fine down in the basement now.

I've read that you want the neck of the onion to dry totally, so that the onion doesn't start to rot.

I've never tried hanging them, because I'd have onions hanging everywhere.

 

[SheaLoner]

Had to repair the heavy duty mailbox . Farm equipment clipped it . Snowplow clipped it during the winter . Ugh about ready to rent a PO box .

There are quite a few snowplow "proof" mailbox designs out there that do work. There is a pivot design where the arm is attached to the post with a swivel, you can have a high post and hang the box from chains. And the one I've seen the most up in the Adirondacks is a type of fulcrum/counterweight design. Where the box is in the air with a rope to pull down so mail can be deposited.