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Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: caroline7758 on July 30, 2009, 19:52:51

Title: Onions- lift or leave?
Post by: caroline7758 on July 30, 2009, 19:52:51

Most of my onions have been bent over for about a week now, although the leaves haven't gone yellow yet. The books all say you should lift on a dry day, but as there's not many of those around at the moment, is it best to lift them and dry them off indoors,or should I wait?

Title: Re: Onions- lift or leave?
Post by: djbrenton on July 30, 2009, 19:55:11

I'm lifting mine tomorrow. I'd rather dry them off inside than risk them in the rain any longer.

Title: Re: Onions- lift or leave?
Post by: Robert_Brenchley on July 30, 2009, 20:08:12

If you leave them too long (as I generally do!) then you can't always find them all.

Title: Re: Onions- lift or leave?
Post by: steve76 on July 30, 2009, 20:18:06

Brought mine in to the greenhouse today to dry of as its been so wet here didn't want them to rot.
mine had been bent over and eased out for a week....
had 4 sacks in all 2 white 2 red ;)

Title: Re: Onions- lift or leave?
Post by: caroline7758 on July 30, 2009, 20:34:16

Ok, will get them up this weekend whatever the weather!

Title: Re: Onions- lift or leave?
Post by: Mr Smith on July 30, 2009, 20:42:49

Just started to string my onions after having them on the lotty for a couple of week, they started to go over so I lifted the onions and left them there  fortunately I missed most of the rain, half are in my shed at home and the others down the lotty shed, once onside a dry atmosphere they do start to dry out, :)

Title: Re: Onions- lift or leave?
Post by: muddylou on July 30, 2009, 21:29:58

Lifted my onions tonight, put them on a wooden table in the shed to dry.
Only 24 of them as I had big problems with the Red ones. I've got masses of shallots though and love how one shallot turns into loads of em, this is my first year growing if you hadn't already guessed.  :)

Title: Re: Onions- lift or leave?
Post by: saddad on July 30, 2009, 21:44:32

Lifted fifty today... only 400+ to go... put them in a greenhouse to dry off...  :)

Title: Re: Onions- lift or leave?
Post by: Digitalis on July 31, 2009, 14:26:38

How long do they take to dry fully?

Title: Re: Onions- lift or leave?
Post by: Digeroo on July 31, 2009, 14:31:48

Quote

only 400+ to go

What do you do with all those onion.?  You must really like them.

Title: Re: Onions- lift or leave?
Post by: saddad on July 31, 2009, 14:43:47

They dry enough to plait in about two weeks if you keep them under glass...

Soup, if all else fails Digeroo  ;D

Title: Re: Onions- lift or leave?
Post by: Deb P on August 01, 2009, 14:56:15

Strange, the foliage on my spring planted Buntons Showstopper onions grown from seed has disappeared in a couple of days! I don't know what has happened there, unless the pigeons were very hungry......so I've lifted them to dry.

I'm really impressed with the Florence red onion, I grew them in unthinned plugs and planted the clumps out, they have all done really well and formed quite big bulbs now like shallots! I'm going to try and sow a few late ones this week as well.

I've also harvested the flowers from the banana shallots I let seed to grow next year, they are now safely in the shed drying out.... ;D