Onion question

Armleywhite · « **on:** July 22, 2013, 14:16 »

My onions I planted in March are now nearly ready with a few falling over. Won't be long before I can harvest the lot. My question is, how long will they keep?

Trillium · « **Reply #1 on:** July 22, 2013, 14:45 »

It mostly depends on your storage conditions. Shop onions are stored in specific temperature coolers. Home onions won't keep quite as long nor as perfectly, but you should have them for at least four months, if not longer.

It also depends on the onion type. Sweet onions are famous for very short storage. Winter onions will keep longer for that purpose.

Keep the storage onions no more than 3 layers thick for good air circulation, and in as cool and dark a place as possible. They're light sensitive which can trigger new growth.

Armleywhite · « **Reply #2 on:** July 22, 2013, 14:47 »

Cheers Trillium, I was thinking of stringing bunches of say half a dozen or so together and hanging them in the shed. It's allus cool and dark in there. Would that be ok?

Tea Break · « **Reply #3 on:** July 22, 2013, 15:23 »

As Trillium said any where where its dark, cool and the air can circulate around them. if you do get them to last over the three months just give them a check for any fungi or mould spores once a week.

Mike.

ryetek · « **Reply #4 on:** July 22, 2013, 15:24 »

Quote from: Armleywhite on July 22, 2013, 14:47

Cheers Trillium, I was thinking of stringing bunches of say half a dozen or so together and hanging them in the shed. It's allus cool and dark in there. Would that be ok?

That's what we do and they kept right up to April from last summer's crop.

Armleywhite · « **Reply #5 on:** July 22, 2013, 15:25 »

Thats great. Thanks peeps

Yorkie · « **Reply #6 on:** July 22, 2013, 19:11 »

Just make sure the shed is frost-free if it gets really cold over winter ...

m1ckz · « **Reply #7 on:** July 22, 2013, 19:32 »

still got 8 of mine in the shed,,,did lose a few though

gremlin · « **Reply #8 on:** July 22, 2013, 21:59 »

Onion Question Part 2.

I have grown onions this year from seed for the first time. (Ailsa Craig) Sown in March. They are now the size of onion sets and seem fairly happy. i.e. still green. Do I just leave them to grow on, or should I lift and store to replant as sets next spring?

My onions grown from sets are all dry and crispy and are being harvested. So I am guessing that onion growing season is over for 2013.

angelavdavis · « **Reply #9 on:** July 22, 2013, 22:12 »

Hi Gremlin, There are different types of onions, overwintering (grown from setts), spring sown setts (March-April) and seed sown in March/April. The overwintered ones mature first - usually from late June to about now. The spring sown setts usually follow and then you get ones from seed which usually are harvested in August.

I would say, if you are after larger onions, you need to leave your seed sown ones another month (I think they need 22 weeks from sowing).

I hope that makes sense.

Salmo · « **Reply #10 on:** July 22, 2013, 23:24 »

Quote from: gremlin on July 22, 2013, 21:59

Onion Question Part 2.

I have grown onions this year from seed for the first time. (Ailsa Craig) Sown in March. They are now the size of onion sets and seem fairly happy. i.e. still green. Do I just leave them to grow on, or should I lift and store to replant as sets next spring?

My onions grown from sets are all dry and crispy and are being harvested. So I am guessing that onion growing season is over for 2013.

Your onions from seed have a several weeks to grow. They will fall over when they are ready to harvest. They may not be very big but they will be just right for the kitchen.

They will not replant sucessfully as sets next year. They will just bolt to seed. Onion sets are produced by sowing seed about now so that they just produce tiny bulbs by the Autumn which have not produced an embryo flower, and therefore just make a bulb when planted next Spring. Your onions will have a tiny embryo flower.

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