[radiohead]

Mine look ready to lift...(autumn planted banana type)....whats the best way to dry them?....most advise seems to be too leave them on the ground,but given the never ending monsoon this doesnt seem ideal...they are more likely to rot.

[arugula]

Air dry them for a few days, maybe a week. Somewhere like open shelving is ideal, in a shed.. Then you can plait them like this:

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=72908.msg904619#msg904619

[Salmo]

That is just pure showing off Argillie

Make sure they are 110% dry before you plait them or they will go mouldy. As with onions, when you think they are dry then dry them again. A week is very optomistic indeed.

If a few dry days are ever forecast leave them on the ground for a day or two to loose some of their moisture and then bring inside and keep spread out.

[aelf]

I peg mine onto a rope strung up inside my greehouse and leave them there for a good while till the stems are good n crispy 

[arugula]

That is just pure showing off Argillie

 

[arugula]

A week is very optomistic indeed.

I don't agree with you. These were the instruction I found and followed the first time I wanted to do this and they have worked fine for me. Anybody with a modicum of sense would check they are thoroughly dry before processing further.

If a few dry days are ever forecast leave them on the ground for a day or two to loose some of their moisture and then bring inside and keep spread out.

I also don't agree with this. The air movement is the most important aspect of the drying process!

[Trillium]

With all the rain this year, the soil will still be heavy with water so leaving them a few days longer will not help at all. Nor will leaving them on the ground this year. In other years, yes, but not this year.

I too would do as argyllie does and lift them onto open shelves or onto raised screening in a sheltered area so they won't get damp or wet again.

[Goosegirl]

Lift when ready, get as much soil off the roots as you can, cut off the roots, hang upside down or on their sides on a slatted bench and get as much dry air flow as you can. Greenhouses are fine, but watch in case of strong sunshine (huh?) in which case, bring them outside, then put back at night. Check for mould and discard those, cut off leaves - not too close to bulb (same time as roots??), take off loose skins, swhen completely dry string up or put in a net basket / veg rack.

[grinling]

Let the leaves die off as the onion drys so you can plait. I dried mine on greenhouse open staging. Like the idea of pegging, so will try that in the potting shed.
keep a few for planting next year.

[kippers garden]

Good advice given..I'm going to hang mine up in the polytunnel as it's the only dry place on my whole allotment 

[radiohead]

Good advise....thanks all. I have some wire mesh shelves....and I might be able to blag a bit of greenhouse space
 .........job for tomorrow methinks

[radiohead]

Lifted today and well pleased with the crop .......a friend has loaned me a mini greenhouse with wire shelves and the shallots are now spread out and drying....(hopefully)

[arugula]

That looks like a decent haul.