Stringed onions

[kevinhalfplot]

At the end of summer I left my onion for a couple of weeks to dry out on the ground, then I made strings (about 12 in each with the largest at the bottom) and hunf them in my garage which is always cool and completely dark. So I was horrified on sunday when I went to cut a couple and found all the largest ones have dried up. What did I do wrong ? anyone ! ???

[kevinhalfplot]

[manicscousers]

some of ours had gone soggy, I think they had neck rot before they were strung, I've taken them all down and put them in an old freezer drawer, the rest seem ok..don't know why they'd dry up, though  :-\

[Larkshall]

It was always the practice in country areas to hang strings of onions in the open in a tree. I can only assume that it was too dry for them inside, especially if there was any heating in the garage. Onions do not suffer from frost.

[Tee Gee]

Did you give them a spell laid upside down to drain!

like this;



I always do this before tying them up.

[adam apple]

I dont tye mine,I put them in tights and tye a knot above each onion then i just cut below th eknot to release the onion. Just thought id share that.

[Eristic]

I would imagine that the shrivelled dried up onion simply rotted away unnoticed leaving only the dry outer skin. Onions must be thoroughly dried out like Tee Gee advised.

Some onions from the batch will still not keep no matter what you do to them and part of the gardener's job is to regularly check through all crops in storage. Any less than perfect should be taken out and given a good seeing to with a frying pan as an example to the others.

[tonybloke]

I took this photo of my stored onions on 18th (sunday)
[attachment=1]
red baron and stuttgart, kept in a COLD greenhouse (made from an old conservatory) at the lottie. I check 'em about once a month for any damage / rot, It's been several degrees below freezing, and they all O.K. ;)

[Deb P]

I think it was Glosterwomble who posted a great pic of his onions drying out upside sown through the grid holes in one of those four tier mini greenhouses....I'm going to do the same this year, great use of space and you can put the cover on if it rains!!

[thifasmom]

I think it was Glosterwomble who posted a great pic of his onions drying out upside sown through the grid holes in one of those four tier mini greenhouses....I'm going to do the same this year, great use of space and you can put the cover on if it rains!!

i agree, i followed his lead last harvest and mine kept really well, but the are finished now :'(.