Topic: Onions all strung

[Mrs Ava]

Here are my overwintered onions, all strung, thanks to Gavin and Ken for the info.

about half of my spring planted sets have bent over now thanks to the wind and the rain.  Does this mean they will stop growing, or should I just leave them in situ??

[allotment_chick]

Nice work, EJ!  My (small) onions all flat now too (darn - I was hoping for some whoppers this year!).  I usually get them up once the foliage has gone over on the grounds that they are open to disease attack - be interesting to see of this is what other do too!
AC x

[ina]

Ahhhhhhhhh, they look so perfect! Decorative too.

[tim]

And I'm just sitting here watching you do it!!

I would leave them a week or so until the foliage has started to wither. = Tim

[Lavender]

Congratulations EmmaJane how did you do that - they look so good!  Is there a thread elsewhere explaining?  Mine have gone over and I'm worried they might rot in all this rain?

[allotment_chick]

Hi again EJ
I decided to dig up one of my fallen onions and assess the situation.  Because we are getting so much rain here the onions are very wet underneath, so I decided to carefuly dig up the fallen ones and dry them off in the greenhouse whilst leaving in those still upright and battling on.

Thus determined, I started to dig despite the omionous rumbles of thunder and the very dark sky......managed to get three up before the heavens opened!  As I type this the sun is shining and the skies are blue ... I might pop back later.

Could be worth checking yours, too? After all your hard work, better to dig them than let them start to rot.
AC x

[Doris_Pinks]

EJ, or anyone kind! Where is the link that I know is on this site somewhere with the instructions on stringing onions? I can't seem to find it!  Thanks DP

[oubykh]

Doris - i cannot find the link but i have two photo's of diagrams i took from a gardening book i have which clearly shows how to do it. i cannot print them here but if you want me to email them to you let me know.

[Lady Cosmos]

Nice and easy instruction:
www.powen.freeservice.co.uk/guides/stringonions.htm

link: google:stringing onions

good luck

[Mrs Ava]

Or the link Gavin posted:

http://www.hdra.org.uk/factsheets/gg16.htm

 ;D

[Doris_Pinks]

Thanks all, you are stars!! ;D  Oubykh, think I should be able to get if from the 2 links, if not Ican I PM you with my e-mail addy? Onion stringing tomorrow then!

[oubykh]

Thats fine Doris, the link Gavin/EJ posted is pretty similar diagrams though to mine, but my email is activated if needed.

I am yet to try it myself but the five day weather forcast might show improvment towards the weekend so i might get my onions up then (fingers crossed)

[Tenuse]

Flippin' eck that was hard work. I got the diagram from the link Gavin provided and sat there at the kitchen table all night trying to work out why my onion string looked nothing like the one in the pictures. Took me ages but I have 2 strings of onions and one kind of dangly lump of onions (my first go!)

I tried it with my garlic too but they were too stiff to bend - is this normal??

Ten x

[Mrs Ava]

I found the ones that had flowered were too stiff to bend Tenuse (ahem  :o), and those that I had let dry out too much all snapped so couldn't be strung anyhow!  :-\  

[JerryB]

EJ/Tenuse - with reference to your stiffness problem..... had an idea on the weekend that may be of use! While on the boat i go fishing on i picked up a piece of rope and thought that (bear with me - mental picture emerging into print here! Look in your local Focus/B&Q etc at the rope section, you can get polypropelyne (plastic type stuff) rope that is convieniently made from 3 'strand's wound in and out of each other to form one rope (with me so far?  ???Good!  :D). Here's a piccie to show you what i mean!

http://www.neropes.com/splice/sp72_3-strand_to_chain.htm

If you seal the ends of the rope by burning it with a lighter (do it outside as this stinks!) to stop it splitting up and you push the rope together the 'strands' will split up causing a little gap between the strands - insert non-flexible allium into hole, pull rope tight, repeat for rest of crop, hang and enjoy!!!

Was just a thought and i haven't harvested any onions/garlic yet to try theory but i think it should work!!!!!!!! Best of luck! :)

[JerryB]

IT WORKS!!!!  Further to my posting yesterday i found an old bit of rope in the garage last night and pulled a couple of windswept specimens from the plot and successfully inserted without bending! Doesn't look as good as EJ's photo but it does work! Colour of the rope was blue but i dont imagine this is compulsory! tee hee! ;D

[Tenuse]

OK Jerry... take calming breaths... very good.... !

Ten x