Allotments 4 All

Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: Philbasford on August 04, 2009, 14:48:54

Title: Shall i have harvest my Onions and spuds now
Post by: Philbasford on August 04, 2009, 14:48:54
Dug some main crop maris piper and desree , some have got blight (well are mushy) and some have gone really big but seem to have big grooves and and puss coming out!.

So shall i lift the crop this weekend and dry out in the sun on sat.

Also thinking about my onions, plenty are nice and big but havent really hardened of but i am not sure we are going to have to much more hot weather so wondering wheather to get them in the garage and hang them up,

opinions please:)
Title: Re: Shall i have harvest my Onions and spuds now
Post by: saddad on August 04, 2009, 15:41:45
The big grooves in the spuds are probably where they set skins in the dry weather (remember June?) and then have swollen and split with the rain since... the ooze suggests they have blight too. If you can get the onions under cover lift them to dry off...  :)

Sorry sp mistake
Title: Re: Shall i have harvest my Onions and spuds now
Post by: GRACELAND on August 04, 2009, 15:43:42
the ooze suggests they have blight too.

get rid off theses  burn  if poss

to stop spread  :-\
Title: Re: Shall i have harvest my Onions and spuds now
Post by: Philbasford on August 04, 2009, 15:49:42
Yea prehaps not enough water in june caused the splitting!
Will get them up @ the weekend and have a good bonfire if possible of all the cr*p, some seem to have got blighted quickly and gone down hill quickly!


Title: Re: Shall i have harvest my Onions and spuds now
Post by: small on August 04, 2009, 22:39:03
Driving me mad, Saddad, I can't find a spelling mistake in your reply?  Oh, and yes, lift everything and rescue what can be rescued.
Title: Re: Shall i have harvest my Onions and spuds now
Post by: Robert_Brenchley on August 04, 2009, 23:53:38
Have you had blight on the tops, and if so, did you cut them down and get rid of them? Ooze could well be down to wet soil rather then blight.
Title: Re: Shall i have harvest my Onions and spuds now
Post by: Philbasford on August 05, 2009, 16:34:58
yep cut of the tops, but some squidgy,
if i dig them up at weekend how long should i leave the spuds out to dry in the sunshine?
Title: Re: Shall i have harvest my Onions and spuds now
Post by: lizagrowbag on August 05, 2009, 16:39:16
Quote from: Philbasford on August 05, 2009, 16:34:58
yep cut of the tops, but some squidgy,
if i dig them up at weekend how long should i leave the spuds out to dry in the sunshine?
whats sunshine?
Title: Re: Shall i have harvest my Onions and spuds now
Post by: Philbasford on August 05, 2009, 16:46:18
Quote from: lizagrowbag on August 05, 2009, 16:39:16
Quote from: Philbasford on August 05, 2009, 16:34:58
yep cut of the tops, but some squidgy,
if i dig them up at weekend how long should i leave the spuds out to dry in the sunshine?
whats sunshine?

Well big yellow thing in the sky:)
Title: Re: Shall i have harvest my Onions and spuds now
Post by: Philbasford on August 05, 2009, 18:32:32
anyone know how long i should leave them laying on the ground before storing to dry them out a bit:)?
Title: Re: Shall i have harvest my Onions and spuds now
Post by: grawrc on August 05, 2009, 19:15:53
If you mean your potatoes, then I dig mine up when I arrive at the plot and put them out in the sun. 2-3 hours later  (assuming a nice sunny day) I lift them , take them home and bag them. Ensure that they are dry and free of "clods" of earth before you bag them (in paper or hessian). If you leave them too long they go green. If they are not dry and "clean' - but not washed! - they tend to rot. I always check them over and eat any with obvious damage before I store them. Earlies don't really need to be dried as they don't normally get stored, but maincrop do.


If onions, then I have now lifted all of mine as they seem very advanced this year (Edinburgh). I let them bask in the sun while I am at the allotment and then take them home where I tie them up in the kitchen/ shed/pergola in bunches of 5 (not critical) to dry out/ripen. if you live in a dry, sunshiny place you can do it outside. Or in a greenhouse or potting shed. When the stalks are dry I tie the onions into a string and hang them in the larder.
Title: Re: Shall i have harvest my Onions and spuds now
Post by: Eristic on August 05, 2009, 22:05:56
Quotewhats sunshine?

A more potent version of moonshine.  8)