Onion question..

[katie]

Hi everyone..
Can you let me know how long onions need to be stored for when you pull them up, and how are they best left to dry out?
thank you.. :)

[katie]

[tim]

Dry them (ha,ha!!) until the stems shrivel. On racks or whatever you have. But not in too hot sun - (ha,ha)!.

[asbean]

But not in too hot sun - (ha,ha)!.

Yes, you are joking.  Too hot sun ??? Where ???  When ???

[Crash]

I was about to post an onion question so this looks like the place to put it:
For the last 2 years on my plot I've just bought the sets from the field shed. Can anyone suggest a place for me to buy some good quality sets that will provide me with some big onions? Both autumn and spring planted sets haven't produced much. My wife gets fed up with peeling 5 onions for each meal!

[grawrc]

oh yes my husband complained about that too. Anyway this year I bought sets from   .... oops can't remember. They have done OK but there are lots of little ones as well as the big ones. I wonder if it is more to do with the preparation of the bed than where you get the sets? Dunno really .. I'm only in my 3rd season. And I can't get onion seed to germinate at all.

As to the original question I have half of mine lying on a table in the shed and the rest spread about the patio. I cringe every time we have a shower of rain but they do seem to be drying out nicely. I'll wait until the green bits have gone brown, tidy them up a bit (ie remove loose dry skin and mud but not peel it off) and sling them in some old tights.

[Jitterbug]

I managed to get mine dry in the greenhouse on slatted benches.  However now that I have started using them I am finding that there is rotting one or two layers down.  I am having to cut almost half the onion away.  They were very big and I managed to get them lifted about four weeks ago.  Is is just too much rain causing this?

Jitterbug

[Deb P]

You could always try growing some 'Bunton's Showstopper' from seed....mine are approaching about 2-3 lb each in size now! :o

I confess I didn't think they would grow quite that big...... ::)

[Eristic]

The sets you get from the allotment shop should be of adequate quality but you have to make sure you know what variety and type they are. I suspect you may be getting overwintering onions then not planting until spring losing many months of growing time. The shed will happily sell whatever they have in stock untill they are all sold.

Typical onion sets should produce onions in the region of half pound or so (Not this year though) but this is variable depending on growing conditions. To get really large onions you have to grow special varieties from seed in very good soil.

I like Stuttgarter and Red Baron as sets planted early Feb. For a chance to grow the largest onion you need to get a variety called Kelsae.

[grawrc]

Not me Eristic. I research and double research, check the weather forecast and feel my bumps before deciding .... ;D ;D

[dtw]

All the onions on my lottie have died of something which made the 'leaves' go all black and shrivelled.
I dug up a few and the inside of them is ok.