Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: monkeymagic on April 04, 2011, 18:55
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our first year on the allotment last year and we grew onions that grew very well but our problem was that they didnt store very well. we dryed them as recommended.can anybody tell me which variaties can minimise this problem for both red and white.thanks:P
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Welcome to the site :D
Can you tell us how you dried them and then stored them?
I don't think overwintering onions store well but have no knowledge of how summer onions vary according to storage properties.
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If they have bolted they won't store well at all. If any do bolt use them up first to stop the rot spreading through your net of onions.
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When storing spring planted Onion sets, drying them out fully is vital.
In my first year I didn't dry them fully and even worst I cut off the foliage and root growth well before they were dry, which caused the excess water to go in to the onion and rot it after two months of storage.
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When you think they are dry then dry them some more.
Also, treat them gently so that they are not bruised.
Some varieties such as ailsa craig and bedforeshire champion do not store well. In general smaller onions keep best. Most modern varieties such as red baron, centurion and hercules are good storers.
Overwintered onions do not usually store beyond late Autumn. They want to start growing again.
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Sometimes when you think they have dried out - they just quite haven't and you need to wait a little longer before stringing up or storing - the first time I strung mine up they weren't quite dry and some went mouldy - I'd leave 'em as long as poss before storing 'em :)
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Agree with everything said about proper drying but I think where you subsequently store them is also important.
A shed is a traditional place but although mine is rain-tight it is neither damp-proof, frost-proof, nor well ventilated, none of which is helpful for long term storage. My onions and shallots keep better in a under-stair storage cupboard (outside access and unheated but probably frost-free, dark, and drier than the shed.)
(Shallots can be troublesome in my experience as some of the "individual" bulbs are sometimes siamese twins with a skin between them and are almost impossible to dry thoroughly; these need using first!)
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An old 'gardener's' tale/practise I heard was to point the root plate at the sun when drying out. :wacko: I do this and havn't had many onions sprouting or rotting. ::) Cheers, Tony.
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I have just used last of stored red baron and sturon grown from spring planted heat treated sets. Dry onions well but avoid over heating so dry in sun or in airy place BUT not in greenhouse (my early mistake), inspect often when in store and store above freezing but otherwise in cold airy place.
Sometimes overfeeding can be a problem as can nicks when weeding/hoeing and it is not easy to get everything just right -- keep trying
R
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i lay them on racking in my cold frames at the end of the growing season with the doors rolled up and it works really well, and when they are bone dry i use a tip i got from these forums buy a pack of cheap ladies tights :ohmy: extra large size it makes it easier and drop an onion or shallott down the leg and then tie a knot and then drop the next one down the leg etc etc etc and then i hang them from nails in the shed and when i want an onion etc i just cut below a knot and hey presto and i never had a single one go bad this year i have trebled the amount of shallots and onions cos i love em :blink:
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Freezing doesn't seem to affect them as I left mine in the shed this year throughout the sub zero spell and they were fine, better than keeping them too warm as they start sprouting early.
Oh, and don't forget to dry them well :)
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When storing spring planted Onion sets, drying them out fully is vital.
In my first year I didn't dry them fully and even worst I cut off the foliage and root growth well before they were dry, which caused the excess water to go in to the onion and rot it after two months of storage.
Ah - that's where I went wrong. Last year's were a dismal failure; other years I have had mixed results. I was told to cut the roots off after harvesting - why would this cause a problem? I dry them in the greenhouse which previous post here says not to do. I also cut off the foliage before properly dry. Also, many had thick necks too. How do I prevent this happening?
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thanks for all your tips folks.i will leave them to dry out a bit longer and thinking back one or two did bolt so i will use them first.cheers