Allotments 4 All

Hi all,

I have just started to pull my onions and garlic and was wondering what is the best way to dry them out? How much of the stems to leave on? etc etc

Any advice much appreciated.  :)

Hi Glen...I dry mine by laying the the onions and garlic with whole stems attached on old bread trays or wire mesh. Bread trays are easier for me..if weather is fine I just leave them outside and if not they are lifted indoors..greenhouse of polytunnel...
With wiremesh=chickenwire..I just tie the ends on fence or something..bit like hammock..so it is off ground and if weather turns wet I put plastic sheet or tarpaulin over.
I used to lay my onions straight over GH stagins but there is not room anymore for such a luxuries.. ::)
They stay on trays until all the foliage is crispy dry and then I remove dirty out layers and cut unwanted foliage and stems off..

I just dig em up and leave as they are and place them on some old greenhouse shelving/racking - plenty of air circulation.  Out doors if possible but only if you can keep them out of the rain
Then when they have dried out I just twist the dried tops off - this year maybe making some plaits though!

I have been known to put mine in crates in the shed for several days, if they can't be dried outside.
Once they are dry, a quick trim of the roots and stems (I leave about an inche of stem on onions - the garlic I plait up), a brush off of hanging skins and dirt and they are laid in trays or shallow cardboards trays in the cellar.
Any that have bolted or been damaged, use them first as they won't keep.

Unlike last year when I had to leave them in the field and they were forever ggetting damp (massively reduced their storage) at my new house in Swindon I have a carport style shelter over the back door area which means I can put my pair of large greenhouse racks under cover with mesh on them and put probably my whole onion crop on there.....assuming I get a crop.... although it doesn't get sun all day I can easily put them on wheeled trolleys and pull them down the gardenb a way as long as we're predicted fine weather and pull them under cover if not.....

chrisc

I use my mini plastic greenhouse. The shelving is great for air flow. With its plastic cover it gives protection during rainy weather.


Duke :)

Thanks for the advice everyone.  ;)

Garlic I lie down on the bottom shelf of the greenhouse staging for about two weeks until the outer skins are dry enough to rub off. They are then plaited before they become too dry and then hung in my dark shed until needed. Onions and shallots get left on the soil for a week, then hung through the holes in a mini greenhouse tier to dry upside down, then plaited into short bunches to store. ;D

Hi all,

All my over wintered garlic and onions are out and drying outside. My question is how long do I leave them to dry before I can use them?
Also what do I do with all the foliage whilst they are drying? Leave it on or cut it off?

Thanks

You can use them now...you don't need to dry them for using..they drying bit is done so that the veg will keep/store longer.. ;) ;D
Leave the foliage on untill dry..and when you put them for storage ..then tidy the unwanted bits off..

Thanks Goodlife.  ;)

Quote from: Duke Ellington on June 16, 2010, 19:26:04
I use my mini plastic greenhouse. The shelving is great for air flow. With its plastic cover it gives protection during rainy weather.


Duke :)

Hi - I'm using my mini plastic greenhouse shelving for drying my garlic, but left the cover off as I thought it might get too hot and sweaty in there?! Although I have put  a couple of trays on top to prevent any passing seagull splat  ::)  ;D

1066  :)