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Fall/Winter Garden 2016

5K views 56 replies 12 participants last post by  DJ54 
#1 ·
Looks like it's time (already?) to kick off this thread. Last year I tried to plant onion sets much too late. This year I followed njjack's advise and planted just before the Summer Solstice. Also have been using DJ54's tip of using a wet pencil point for picking and placing small seeds. They're off like gang busters and six weeks ahead of last year.

Might even be too late for peas. I started some 1st week of August last year and they grew decent but flowered near the end of October when it was getting too cold and dark to produce any peas. Several "wintered over" though and I got a seed crop from them.
 
#2 ·
Hey Bernie, so how did those late summer planted seeds for sets work out last year? I also planted some Amish bottle onion seeds for sets back on the 20th of June...so far they're looking good. (No idea why pics posted from the iPad show up sideways?? Tap the image for an upright view)
 

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#3 ·
Jack,
You were right; I planted much too late last year. The tops grew like grass and I was able to harvest my fill of pseudo chive but there was no visible onion bulb at the end of the year. Mine look pretty much like yours... except they are growing straight up instead of sideways :) Looking at the two pictures though it's apparent it's time to give mine a drink of Miracle Grow to green them up. Using the pencil tip technique I planted on inch and a half spacing so no need to thin this year. Also encouraging that I had virtually 100% germination with two year old seeds.
0726160618 by Alden_Sloe, on Flickr
 
#4 ·
If it looks like they will not form onions by 12-14 weeks, stop watering them, and let them die down, until the tops shrivel. Pull them, and keep stored in a cool place, I believe I read in the low 40's, and you'll have onion sets for next year.

Glad the pencil point planting worked for you. Great way to plant more then several dozen small seeds, but probably not the way to plant several thousand, unless you have a lot of time.

Attaching a pic of the Sweet Spanish, and Leeks I started that way in the green house on Apr. 4, of this year. I set them when they were about the size yours are in the planter. I mulched them with fine ground leaves, and can't believe how well they grew as dry as it has been this summer.
 

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#5 · (Edited)
Those little plants are looking but you've still got to produce sets. If the seed you used were from an onion grown from sets such as stuttgarter or ebenezer, you're pretty much guaranteed to produce sets. If the seed are from a typical long day onion such as yellow sweet Spanish for instance...you'll get nothing in return after they flop (like last year)

I didn't make the rules so don't shoot the messenger :)

I know you're just rolling the dice, but let's hope you're growing a set type variety to make it worth your time! I'm sure I asked last year which variety it was you were growing but you didn't know. Do you know if the seed you harvested came "from an onion grown from a set"?
 
#6 ·
Do you know if the seed you harvested came "from an onion grown from a set"?
I'm about 90% sure they were sets. Keeping in mind this all started about 3 years ago. Let's see. I'm 100% sure they didn't come from seeds. Brought them home from Fred Meyer when they were on sale (i.e. past time to be planted). Freddies isn't able to maintain starts; they were "dry" in a mesh bag IIRC.

The year I planted them (2013?) they grew tops but "bulbs" were maybe gum ball size. Next year they came back and I thought "great, I'll get onions". No, but I got loads of seeds. Check, this picture was taken 2014:
0713141552a by Alden_Sloe, on Flickr

Last year (2015) I didn't get a garden planted in the spring so tried the too little too late experiment. Also learned that I was doomed that first year not only because I'd started with sets past their "best by" date but I'd planted them where they only got about 4 hours of direct sun.

If the sets don't produce this year I've still got loads of seeds. Given that they germinated almost 100% and I keep them in a refrigerator I expect they'll grow next spring. In fact, I have two varieties. I don't know which one I used for the sets (note to self, mark the bags) so I'll be planting some of each next spring.

We have a very healthy chive crop this year so I won't be cutting the tops off the onions. Somewhere I read it was best to treat them like grass and cut the tops. Maybe that was a mistake too? :dunno:
 
#8 ·
Bernie, after a closer read near the bottom of your last post, I think you may have another concern. If those onion flowers in the picture are from 2 different varieties, chances are near 100% that your seed stock was cross pollinated.

From seed save.org
PLANT: Separate from other flowering Alliums of the same species at least 1000 feet for satisfactory results or at least 1 mile for purity. Caging with introduced pollinators or alternate day caging is also recommended in small gardens. Seed to seed: Plant seeds in late-spring or early-summer. Immature onions are more winter hardy than larger, full-grown bulbs. Mulch in late-fall to ensure winter survival. Thin to 12" spacing in the spring. Root to seed : Harvest in the fall and select the largest bulbs which produce more seed. Clip tops to 6" and store at 35-40° F. in dry, airy location. Replant in early spring with 12" spacing. Cover bulbs with 1/2" soil.

FLOWER: The Alliums produce perfect flowers, most of which are cross-polli nated because stigmas in each flower become receptive only after pollen in that flower is shed. Flowers in an individual umbel open and shed pollen at different times so crosses can and do occur on the same plant. Cross-pollination is performed mostly by bees. Many onions require vernalization (cold, winter-like temperatures for several weeks) before flowering occurs. Store for at least two weeks in a refrigerator.

I'm just full of good news aren't I? :hide:
 
#9 ·
IME, the best results possible have always come from onions planted from seed. I start mine like DJ, in early February and plant them out in mid April. Here's a pic (that will probably show up sideways again :( ) of a variety from last years harvest that I planted for seed production in November.
 

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#11 ·
Don't remember if they bloomed at the same time/year. I'll be happy with whatever they turn out to be if I get viable sets this time. Next year I'll plant seeds from both "varieties" and see if they are different or a hybrid. I'll also select some store bought varieties to start from seed.

Speaking of starting seeds, time to get going on those fall peas!
 
#13 ·
I'm jealous that I didn't start this thread as I have in the past. Due to things I'm still trying to get settle with my wife's death, I have been having a problem with the password reset. I'm finally back.

All I have going on now are some beefmaster and roma tomatoes and bell peppers from the spring garden, some butternut squash, green beans I just planted, 4 rows of g-90 sweet corn 30" tall, 6 rows of g-90(all rows 100') just coming up and 3 100' rows of shalots.
 
#15 ·
Over a week ago I had rows hipped up and clean, ready to plant. I'm glad I didn't. With all of the rain everything would have drowned or seed would have rotted in the ground. I think that happened to the last sweet corn I planted. I haven't been past the rain guage the last few days. The mosquitoes try to carry you off.
 
#16 ·
Here's an update on the Onion Sets II project. Most of the bulbs are 3/16-3/8" in diameter now. I'm wondering if I should add some soil or composted leaves to cover the tops of the onions that are showing :dunno:

Finding a place to store them at 40° would mean keeping them in the beer fridge and raising the temperature slightly. I have a dry crawl space that stay's right around 50° all winter.


0902161124 by Alden_Sloe, on Flickr
 
#17 ·
It's clear by the color change they're dying back...watering at this point is doing more damage than good, keep them dry & allow them to fall. Don't cover the bulbs, your next step will be to dry and cure them before stowing away. In my garden, I stop watering the onions and garlic 10-14 days before digging them.

Since we don't know the variety, it's hard to say what shape or size sets would be normal but regardless...they are what they are. As with all experiments in the garden, timing is important...you may have timed it right or you may have missed by a few weeks? My bet would be - you'll get onions from them if you can hold them over, I guess we'll find out next year eh
 
#19 ·
I'm thinking of using radishes as a cover crop in my garden this fall for where I have the green beans, squash, watermelon, etc. Anyone else use radishes?
 
#21 ·
I've found with onion bulbs it isn't the temperature they are stored at, but more important to keep them dry. If you dig them spread them out and let the tops dry off. Last year I didn't dig my shallot bulbs after the tops dried off. I had 2 months of dry weather. When it rained they started growing again. This year after they dried I dug them. I had some in a pail. Some started to rot. I spread them on the roof of an old car. It is better for them to be rained on and dry again than to be clumped together in the pail.
 
#23 ·
I think it helps, some of them get big 2-3" diameter & a foot long. The ones on the upper right went in mid July in the front about 3rd week in August. The early ones are try to seed. You could probably put some in & still get some good growth, not now up here though.
 
#24 ·
Interesting, I may try to get some into my garden in the next week. They say you need about 6 weeks before the first hard frost, but that could happen in about 4 weeks here in Central IL. You never know though.
 
#26 ·
I actually got a lot of the garden worked up in the last 2 days. Late today I put some seeds in the ground, beets, carrots, cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli. If it rains I can mud the sets in. At least it will be in clean ground.
 
#27 ·
The last 3 days they called for 60% chance of rain. I was changed to 20 and I didn't get any rain. Now they have 20 today with 0 the rest of the week with a high if 95, 96 all week. I'll have enough water in the pond later today so I can flood the rows to get the seeds up.
 
#28 ·
Last close-up I think made the tops look a little more dried than they really were. So I took this shot 9/05 that shows them better
[/url]0905161127 by Alden_Sloe, on Flickr[/IMG]
This shot was taken today, 17 days later. I moved them under the covered patio and didn't water.
[/url]0922161052 by Alden_Sloe, on Flickr[/IMG]
I decided that since I'd started them from seed on the summer solstice the autumnal equinox seemed like a good time to "harvest". I pulled 115 "sets". Or at least so I hope. They average about the size of a gumball.
0922161103 by Alden_Sloe, on Flickr
 
#29 ·
I have beets, cauliflower, broccoli and carrots coming up. I haven't seen any cabbage yet. Since it will be 90 today and upper 80's for the next week I'm going to plant tomatoes, cabbage, broccoli and lettuce plants. I was concerned they might die if I planted them in the last week with it 95 to 97 degrees everyday.
 
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