[sunshineband]

I took up all the onions yesterday, as at last we had a dry day.

In the past I have dried them off on a wire mesh rack over a week or two before making onion ropes and hanging them up.

Because it is so wet I have put them on a tarp on the floor of the shed (out of the sun - I remember John's comment about fried onions  )

Will they be Ok like this for a week or two , as they are at school and I am not  ?

Advice would be welcome please, as I don't want the children to be disappointed on their return.

[Parsnip]

I took all mine up yesterday too..

Chuffed to bits with my first crop, both red and white ones.. I've got mine on the wire mesh in the greenhouse to dry off. The old boy next to me at the lottie said you have to let all the green stuff to dry off and die back and then he said he'll string his together.

But  I did get a tip from somewhere about  putting them in the wire type hanging baskets and someone on here mentioned old tights aswell. I haven't got any of those though. I don't wear 'em.

[sunshineband]

Must have been onion day  We have red and white as well 

Just a note of caution Snippy -- don't let them get cooked in the greenhouse will you? John made a comment about fired onions on the mag page.

I was shown how to make a rope some years ago and I love the look of them all strung up like that. Makes you feel proud 

[Yorkie]

I don't think they'll dry off that well if they are directly on something impermeable such as tarp.  The point about wire or other racks is that air can circulate underneath.

[sunshineband]

That's what I was worried about and so I thought I'd ask. 

I might have to go and make a wire hammock for them then

[DD.]

You spoil your onions.

[Yorkie]

Sunny do you have any cake cooling racks - they would do, save you having to make anything

[sunshineband]

I do... but I have about 30lb of onions

[DavidT]

Why not do it the tried and tested way, and pull them and leave them on the ground, turning from time to time. It`s worked for generations. Putting them on wire mesh can create problems,as the acidity of the onions reacts with the metal. Putting them in a shed on tarp` can cause the onions to sweat, again causing problems.

[DD.]

That's fine - but not in this weather - we need they to dry out!

Anyway, I'm not going to keep turning 200 onions!!!

[DavidT]

Well obviously the more knowledgeable gardener doesn`t pull them while the weather is wet, he leaves them grow a little more until the sun shines.

[DD.]

Mine have made up their own mind to stop growing and decided to lie down on the job!

[sunshineband]

Yes, that's why I haven't left them outside as I reckoned they would never dry out   : this year.

From what you've all said, I think I shall rethin the tarp next week. I don't have 200, but still too many to keep going to school to turn them.

[DavidT]

You know onions have stopped growing when the tops start turning brown, not when they`ve fallen over. If they are still green, they are still growing.

[Parsnip]

That's fine - but not in this weather - we need they to dry out!

Anyway, I'm not going to keep turning 200 onions!!!

That's why I pulled mine and brought them home..is too damn wet

I haven't got 200 though...but I was saying to himself today, I hadn't  grown enough circa the amount we use...extra's going in next year