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Went out to plant onions. Just got started and it began to rain and blow. So I quit. Bit later the sun was out again, so I go out and continue....... now it starts to snow. Grrrrr. Hey right now the sun is out again. Wonder what will happen this time if I go out? Goofy April weather.

That sounds familiar, it's like you're being watched and then: OK he's out trying to spread fertilizer turn on the wind then the rain.

When you plant your onions do you plant sets green slips?

Richard

I did finally manage to get them planted between showers.

I planted some sets of Yellow Spanish and Red, some green slips of Big Daddy and some seed of Spanish onions. Six rows.

Sometimes it does seem that whenever you make plans to go work in the garden either it rains, or it looks like it is gonna rain and you decide not to water the garden and then it doesn't.

That will make for a great harvest. When next I'm in a town I think I'll get a couple bags of sets. Good idea, thanks.

The only onions I've planted so far are Walking Onion, they grow so well here. I gave a neighbor some top sets which he planted, but when I was thinning and area I dug out a clump and Knowing where he had placed the sets, I planted a large clump and watered it. It was days later, he went out and thought: Magic, before realizing I must have put them there.

Richard

I'm curious about mulching as well. It's more difficult to mulch after they start growing, but since they go in so early, it seems like they should benefit from not mulching in the beginning so the soil has chance to warm up....

So far I haven't mulched when I first plant, but someone here (I think it was gixxerific) posted that it is much, much easier to put down the mulch then plant (presumably plants not sets or seeds) by parting the mulch. Maybe I'll try that with some of the onion plants I have waiting after this massive storm system has passed and I can plant again. (if James is planting onions now, I'm probably way late and should get those in the ground ASAP )

Here's what I'm harvesting a few blocks away from jal_ut's garden. These were fall planted, but now is definitely a great time to be planting onions around here.

Ooh! What kind are these? Are they Egyptian walking onions? Do you bury them deep or are the blanched lower parts due to snowcover?

Would walking onions be the same as winter onions they are called around here?

Yes, Egyptian Walking or Winter Onions.

They are only planted about 1.5 inches deep. The rest of the blanching is due to the leavess that were left from last fall that got frozen/dehydrated, or that grew this spring, and formed a protective sheath around the stem. When harvesting I peel off the older damaged leaves.

Thanks! Good to know
I should go check my onions too....

Onions are interesting plants in that the whole plant is edible. And they are usable at any stage of their development. The bulbing types tend to bulb when the days are of a certain length. That is why we hear of short day onions and long day onions. Onions are a cool weather plant. They tend to falter if it gets too hot. So we plant short day onions in the South since they can be planted very early and mature whole the days are short and before it gets too hot. In the North we have to plant later so we use long day onions which will mature when the days are long. (June/July)

The Winter or Egyptian onions are a great addition to the garden. If you have a couple of clumps of these, you always have onions. You can use the mature onions, or plant the bulbils to grow scallions, or eat the bulbils. They are hardy, live through our winters, and may well be the first harvest of the season as Joseph has demonstrated.

Have a great day, and yes, plant onions.

Well, I planted sets, because of this thread. yellow, white and sweet onions.

I have Egyptian Onions growing in several places around the lower ranch, it even survives where it isn't behind a barrier, the rabbits nip it but don't mow it down.

Anyway thanks for the boost, we should have more choice in onions now.

Richard

I planted Walla Walla sweets. Then it froze. WE will have to wait and see.

Interesting thing about onions, the leaves originate from the roots and the lower part of the leaf is a layer on the bulb. So if it freezes the part of the leaf above ground, it in no way kills the plant. If the ground freezes to the depth of the root, then it may kill the onion.