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Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: strawberry1 on May 17, 2012, 18:53:09

Title: Have you looked at your onions?
Post by: strawberry1 on May 17, 2012, 18:53:09
I went to cut a flower bud off my autumn onions (radar) and noticed a few soggy leaves in the bed, which is raised and under enviromesh. It is more than a few soggy leaves, it is rainwater down necks and quite a few onions were turning to mush. I have taken them out and also removed 2/3 of the rest, which I will cook up tomorrow for the freezer. I`ll take the rest out over the next few days. What a waste

Title: Re: Have you looked at your onions?
Post by: Ellen K on May 17, 2012, 19:06:42
Was the bed waterlogged in the rain?

They're all bolting on our site.  On some beds it is 100%.
Title: Re: Have you looked at your onions?
Post by: strawberry1 on May 17, 2012, 19:10:49
no, not at all waterlogged. It is just down to the rain after the hot weather in march
Title: Re: Have you looked at your onions?
Post by: ed dibbles on May 17, 2012, 19:25:37
A small number of mine have rotted because of the wet weather while a few others have had their flower buds removed.

They are now beginning to bulb up but are taking their time because of the wet and the cool temperatures.

As a consequence they will be ready a couple of weeks later than last year.
Title: Re: Have you looked at your onions?
Post by: winecap on May 17, 2012, 22:58:30
Mine are still pretty small but are starting to bulb up. No sign of bolting or other problems yet, but I can't think whether they are much behind where they should be for the time of year. I will take a closer look tomorrow though. Thanks for the prompt.
Title: Re: Have you looked at your onions?
Post by: cornykev on May 18, 2012, 05:31:51
Mine have started to bulb up for a few weeks now and the green tops are the healthest I have grown for wintering onions, I pulled off 6 or 7 flower bud heads  last week, but apart from that, touch wood they look healthy and some will be ready early June, if yours are rotting Strawberry I can only think that the drainage is slow and they have been sitting in water for a while when we had the heavy downpours.   ???
Title: Re: Have you looked at your onions?
Post by: strawberry1 on May 18, 2012, 06:40:26
They were getting sodden from the neck down, big onions and necks too big. Ground was good but too much space for the rain to penetrate the bulb. No sign of rottenness, only soft mush, hence me getting them out pronto. I gently squeezed one neck in situ, perfect looking plant and the liquid inside oozed out of the neck. Anyway I have decided to dehydrate what I have, which is still quite a lot and I`ll be digging the rest out later today. At least I`ll be able to use that patch for another crop of something

I am going to be sowing from seed in spring next year. I want smaller, tighter onions for keeping in a string

Title: Re: Have you looked at your onions?
Post by: shirlton on May 18, 2012, 07:59:45
Mine also look better this year. No flowers either yet. We are on sandy soil so free drainage
Title: Re: Have you looked at your onions?
Post by: Paulines7 on May 18, 2012, 09:12:03
Mine haven't shown through the soil yet and they were planted about 3 or 4 weeks ago.  I think it has been too cold for them.  At least the birds haven't pulled them out this year as I planted them so the tops were just below the surface.  Maybe they are too deep!
Title: Re: Have you looked at your onions?
Post by: cambourne7 on May 18, 2012, 11:04:53
Was just thinking my look almost ready to harvest although the green stems have not fallen over yet which is when i normally do it :(