I guess I should have said "Hanging Them Up", but I wanted to get your attention.Some of the Walla Walla Sweet onions began to flop over yesterday, so they had to be pulled. These aren't nearly as large as last year's crop, but if they had stayed in the ground they would have rotted. At least the larger ones haven't begun to flop over yet, and there are quite a few of them still in the garden.
This is the 2010 harvest of Walla Walla Sweets from July 2, 2010, so the harvest dates were fairly close. They are quite a bit larger, but much smaller in number. I probably have at least three times as many this year, even though I've already pulled quite a few for fresh eating. Last year I lost several by not pulling them as soon as the tops flopped.
It looks like there are a few more "floppers" to be pulled today.
Nice onions! I wish I could get mine to look that nice...when did you put these in the ground? Did you start from seed or seedling?
ReplyDeleteAllison, I put purchased plants in on March 12. They're only about $1.29 for a bundle of 50, which usually has 60 plants. I buy two bundles, and we eat a lot of them as green onions as they're growing. I couldn't grow the seeds myself for that price.
ReplyDeleteGack I hate Blogger when it eats my comments. As I was saying . . .
ReplyDeleteI wish I could get onion seedlings that cheap. Then I wouldn't have to grow them myself. Nice deal.
I'm growing sweet onions (Alicia Craig) for the first time in a decade. I've got my fingers crossed that they do well. I love sweet onions.
Beautiful! I was too late to get onions out this year but can't wait to try them next year. Have you ever planted Elephant Ear garlic, which I read was actually a leek? I would like to try those also.
ReplyDeleteThat is a pretty good price for all those onions! Yours bulb so nicely, do you fertilize the heck out of them or what?
ReplyDeleteThose are terrific! I'm hoping that we can harvest a good lot from the garden..the box wasn't too bad..but I'd love to have more next year.
ReplyDeleteYou taking orders? Those onions look great!
ReplyDeleteHow do they store? I always (ALWAYS) raise Copra's because they store so well. I'm usually dragging the last out of storage when I'm pulling the new crop and they're still hard as a rock and not a bit of sprouting. But, I'm a LITTLE tired of just them and am looking to add others next year.
Daphne, I'm not even going to waste the space on yellow (cooking) onions next year. I buy the sets, and they never get very large. We love the sweet onions so much, I think I might go for three bunches next year. Problem is, they do not keep well at all. That's why I use so many of them before they've matured.
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M, the only garlic I ever plant is whatever is left over from my grocery store purchase. I didn't even get any planted last all, so I planted this spring. I'm already getting some small ones to use as needed, and was surprised they were forming cloves already. Just two weeks ago they looked like green onions.
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Prairie Cat, usually I do, but this year I had the plants before I got the composted manure. I dug in some organic 10-10-10 fertilizer, and when I got the compost I just kind of sited a bit over the top of the bed. I think that's why they aren't quite as large this year. I did water them with fish emulsion a couple of times, too.
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Ginny, last year some of them were so big I couldn't hardly hold one in my hand. They're not that large this year. Here's a picture of my hand holding one from 2010:
http://tinyurl.com/3bwnjbu
Sue, they don't store well at all. If they did, I'd have ten beds full! No, we eat them up as fast as we can, but that's not hard to do, they're that good. I see French fried onion rings in my near future!
ReplyDeleteBoy, I wish that I could get onions that cheap! I tried growing them from seed last year...never again! It was a complete failure! This year I bought plants and sets of storage onion. I'm so excited, the onions at the plots are pretty big and will be ready for harvest soon!
ReplyDeleteRobin, I should have known better than to buy onion sets at Wal-Mart. My storage onions aren't bulbing up well at all.
ReplyDeleteThat is an amazing price, what I pay for a sweet onion or two off season at the grocers.
ReplyDeleteHow about making onion jam or preserves with some of your harvest? They condense so much when cooked down, that would take care of a good number for you. We LOVE the stuff on burgers, sandwiches, pizza, and cheese & crackers. I usually adapt this recipe:
http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f94/sweet-onion-preserves-13516.html
Kelly, I haven't ever had a problem using them all up before they rot! You'd be surprised at how many I can use fresh, and I do like to have a few bags in the freezer for meat loaf and such. I also use them in my pickle relish, although this year my cucumbers and zucchini are so late the onions will probably be gone by the time I get some! Another reason to freeze a lot. I wish I had a food dehydrator, as I like having dried onions on hand. I don't have great luck with oven drying.
ReplyDeleteWow spectacular!.. I need more space
ReplyDeleteLOL, David, I told you to put another bed in that corner!
ReplyDeleteYours look lovely! According to EG, I needed more nitrogen in mine to make them bulb. I'll try again this year.
ReplyDeleteAt first I thought "garlic"! when I read the title, but I should have known it was those Walla Walla's with you! Your onions always look so good, I can't seem to grow them here without them bolting too early!
ReplyDeleteMine never get very big, either. Although this year they seem to be doing the best they ever have. Yours are beautiful.
ReplyDeleteHoly Moly those are beautiful onions! Well done! I only have one patch of onions that is doing well and they are my storage onions and while they are doing good - they are not superior like these are. Not by a long shot. I think I may overwinter some onions this year and see if that gives me better results.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Ribbit, Langela and Kitsap. I always use 10-10-10 and composted cow poo. Late on the cow poo this year, so I'm blaming that on their smaller size.
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