4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Cinnamon]

My onions, red & white, are looking fantastic even if I do say so myself

 

Thing is,I have lost the instructions for them, so when will I know they are ready to pull up?

 

I didn't overwinter them,but put them out around mid Feb.

I seem to remember something about pulling them when the leaves turn yellow?

[Nicola H]

I think the tops turn yellow and bend over when they are ready, I planted mine a bit later than you and mine are also doing very well.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

No idea, you'll have to ask someone who knows their onions .

 

(Is it just me or does it sometimes look odd when you type a well known phrase or saying . If you say it out loud it's fine, but putting it down on a page makes it sound wierd .)

[Matthew]

the tops will fold over

 

It wont be before June 21st as they work around the length of day apparently

 

don't bend them over as some books say as this can mean they dont store as well

[Cinnamon]

Great,thanks

 

I reckon I am going to be in for some corkers this year - just as well I use a lot of Onions really

[Matthew]

you should see my garlic

 

have have a bed on the allotment and 6 types all about 20" high

[Lesley]

We usually have loads of garlic but this year it just didn't grow - the bulbs are still there....not rotted but not growing - it's been there since October along with the onions, the onions are growing well

 

Where did you say you lived Matthew?

[Matthew]

yorkshire

[Cinnamon]

Errr, it says Theale on your profile , which is very near to me

[Lesley]

and not too far from me either.....

[Valkyrie]

Mine are only just starting to bulb up - very sporadic though. Mine are destined for the freezer because being winter onions, they won't store. Last time we grew winter onions we didn't have any left to freeze because we picked and cooked when required. This year we haven't any normal onions (the ones I did from seed for a change are puny) because last year they didn't store very well and were really small too - not impressed with that harvest. Fingers crossed for this year.

[chickencam]

Your onions will be ready to harvest when they fold over and start to turn yellow. When you harvest then don't pull then up dig them because if you pull on the neck of the onion they don't keep as well.

 

After harvest lay them out somehwere sunny for a couple of weeks. Either in a greenouse if the weather is wet or we use our summerhouse roof and anyother flat space available. This thoroughly dries them out and hardens the outer skin so that they keep well. They are then best tied up into strings and hung up somewhere light and frost free, again we use our summerhouse walls hanging them on nails. We find that in a good year we can keep the previous years onions until the next year ones are ready to harvest green.

 

We planted some garlic last spring and it came up then went yellow and withered, so we thought that it had died then it came up again this spring and we have used some green and it is lovely

[Matthew]

and not too far from me either.....

Errr, it says Theale on your profile , which is very near to me

 

Thought I might have got away with that

[redhotchick]

and not too far from me either.....

Errr, it says Theale on your profile , which is very near to me

 

Thought I might have got away with that

 

You're joking aren't you! you get nothing past these moderators!

[Matthew]

grinning

 

 

well it was worth a try..

 

.. and have now put a webcam on the lotty

[Cinnamon]

Right,I can hold off no longer, my onions are coming up this weekend.

 

As it so sunny they can dry on the lawn today, then go in the shed for a bit to dry out (do they HAVE to lay flat for this?)

 

I will get the camera out too

 

By the way, in the River Cottage veg book (or Sarahs Bible as its also know) it says to dry them then store them in tights knotted between each bulb, snipping them off from the toe up as you go. I like this idea - anyone tried it?

[Redwing]

I've also read that Sarah, not already tried it as first year of growing veg but will be doing it

[Valkyrie]

We used an old ironing board to lay out the onions on. It was wire, with like a wire trellis pattern - it worked quite well because the air got underneath the onions to assist the drying out process (it was raised off the ground to allow for circulation). But if you can do it in the sun - even better, then put them under cover at night or if it looks like rain.

[Cinnamon]

I have them in the Greenhouse.

In fact, you can barely see the greenhouse for onions

 

Smells a bit too

[Valkyrie]

No room in my greenhouse - although what space there was left is now drying garlic and pongs of garlic too! I will have to rub the basil next time I go in! The ironing board is fencing off something at the moment - part of an anti chicken device for the sprouts I think!

[chickencam]

We use any garden tables chairs, summerhouse roof and mini greenhouse staging and cover them if it looks like rain. We then tie ours onto string and hang them up around the inside of the summer house and hang them from nails on the top of the kitchen tall cupboard side panel so they are handy.