The gardening season doesn't officially start until the first seed is planted. Yes this morning would freeze the feathers off of an arctic owl, but it is the start of gardening season in my house. My first onion seed has bit the dust . . . err dirt.
The seed packet pontificates, "Plant the seed 6-8 weeks before the last frost". Who believes such stuffy rules? Not me. It is three months before my last frost date but still the onions will be planted. Whether I should have listened to my seed packet has yet to be seen. I may be pushing the season a bit too much. I haven't grown them in years. I vaguely remember planting seed at the end of January in the distant past. But I can't be sure. I had no blog years ago to help me remember.
I planted two varieties. Copra is an excellent storage onion (supposedly since I haven't actually grown it before) , despite this it is high in sugar. I am anticipting the joy of carmailzed onions next winter. My other choice was Tropea which is an Itallian red torpedo onion. It doesn't keep - not at all. I've planted about 1/3 Tropea and 2/3 Copra. I'll eat the Tropea over time as it matures. Some as little bulbs, some as bigger ones.
I don't have the typical flats that you broadcast onion seed into and was too lazy to root around in the recycling to find an appropriate container, so I just planted two seeds in each cell of the twelve packs - four of them in all. That ought to give me 48 little seedlings to transplant. I use a pencil as my dibbler. The packet said 1/4" deep. This time I think I listened, it is very hard for me to see the onion seed without my glasses.
If you notice in the top photo, I put the remaining onion seed in a tiny plastic bag. I'm going to try to keep it until next year. Onion seed is notorious for not keeping well. Usually you use it for one year and that is it. I'm going to immediately stick it into my fridge in my airtight seed storage box. I won't open it again until next winter (or massive seedling failure this year). Next year I'll still order seed, but maybe I can have more varieties.
I'm really doubting that 48 plants would be enough onion for any family even my vegetable hating one, but it is a start. At least if the poor little things grow and if they can overcome my lack of regard for common garden wisdom.
You can be forgiven the early start on your onions, because I am sure you are just desperate to do some gardening through the winter! I've never grown onions, just green onions, which I will have again this year. I'll just sow them directly in the ground and hope for the best.
ReplyDeleteI planted a few onion seeds a couple of weeks ago and left them in the cold frame - not sure if they'll survive the current cold weather. If not, well...I haven't placed my seed orders yet ;-)
ReplyDeleteMsrobin, I often do green onions directly in the garden too. Usually in my lettuce patch.
ReplyDeleteEntangled, Oh a cold frame, I'm jealous. I really ought to make one someday. I've saved the glass from when we replace our windows, but haven't done the work yet.
Onions should hold until you can set them out. Once they germinate you can always slow them down a bit by moving them to a cooler location.
ReplyDeleteWe really like Copra for storage. They keep quite well and taste wonderful.
Enjoy
I'm wanting to direct sew some green onions soon, and probably will- once the other transplants are moved out there. I'm also thinking about getting some onion sets, and growing them in the hanging deck planters we have..Only 4 weeks away for me....woo hoo!
ReplyDeleteEG
I am going to sow my onions this coming week. Like you I can't wait any longer something has to be sown and it does say on my packets Jan-feb indoors for "ailsa craig", Jan-April for "Bedfordshire Champion" & for my red Italian "Cipola" Jan-April. I have never grown onion from seed before so hoping they do well.
ReplyDeleteWow! Goodluck on you onion planting. I'm still trying to decide what to do with my garden this time. ;)
ReplyDeleteHi Daphne, maybe you can help me. I sowed onions in the greenhouse in January of last year, yes, 2008. They germinated, were grown on and planted outside. They sat in the ground all summer, never dying back, they were really small, like blades of grass when I planted them out. They are still there. Are they any good, at this point I have totally lost interest in them, but the tops are green, even with single digit temps. Are they frozen? Compost?
ReplyDeleteFrances
Alan, well they will get slowed down outside come March. That is when they are getting planted. One way or the other they go outside since there will be no more room for the inside.
ReplyDeleteEngineeredgarden, you are so much warmer than we are. I envy you planting out in just four weeks.
Maureen, good luck with the seed. It is fun growing new things from seed.
natural candles, that part is the most fun.
Frances, I've never had that happen to my onions. They always bulb up for me. However I have a pretty good guess. If I remember correctly, you live in Tennessee. I'm guessing (just a guess) that you planted long day onions. Onions come in different day lengths. Southerners plant short day onions that start to bulb when the day is about 12-14 hours long. Northerners plant long day onions that start to bulb when the day gets to 14-16 hours long. If you plant the wrong onion for your latitude, you will either get just foliage (if you plant an onion that needs a longer day than you ever get in the summer) or get premature bulbing (if you plant an onion that starts bulbing before you summer starts).
I love Johnny's for this. They don't just tell you if the onion is a long day, intermediate, or short day, but they give you the latitude that it is adapted to. I'm at 40° latitude. I'm growing Copra, which according to their catalog is adapted for 38-55° and Tropea which is adapted to 35-48°. So you couldn't grow Copra. It would never form a bulb. Depending on your location in Tennessee, you might just be able to grow Tropea.
Frances, and I should have said, many onions would be hardy in your area. Some bunching onions I can get to over winter even up here. So eat them as green onions in the spring once they defrost.
ReplyDeleteHi Daphne, thanks. I have been checking back to see if you answered my question and boy howdy did you ever! I had no idea about short and long and probably got the wrong kind. The drought has been a killer even for the bulb sets that our local stores carry. It gets hot quickly here and then very very dry. I am giving up on the onions, I don't have that much space and they are cheap at the store. I do grow garlic and get the soft neck kind which is right for our area and have had good luck. Thanks for this,
ReplyDeleteFrances
Frances, I'm growing mostly hardneck garlic this year. It is better for the north. I'll be sad though when I can't braid it. I do have one softneck, but it is just garlic from the supermarket. I liked the taste so decided to give it a try.
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