Walla Walla Onions

[momof4rugratz]

Well here is what DH and the boys planted because I love onions well I have never grown them Any help is appreciated please. Do they look ok I mean the stick or chive or what ever the green is called is huge they where like inch long. How do I tell if I need to pick something LOL sorry all the ? but my kids gave me early mothers day gift a garden and i don't think it is big enough lol

[jal_ut]

The nice thing about growing onions is that they are useable and tasty at any stage of their development. You can eat them when they are small as green onions, or wait until they make a bulb. If you are going for bulbs they need 4 or 5 inches of space so there is room for the bulb to grow.

Enjoy your garden.

[momof4rugratz]

ok well I might have to remove the onions then. I feel bad because the kids worked so hard on the garden and it was not big enough for everything they have planted there. I will have to see about moving to the side of the yard. They have been in the ground for 4-5 weeks how big do ya think one might be so incase I have to redo them

[QueenGreenisey]

Well I may be mistake, but my understanding was that once they start to turn yellow/brown (and it looks like some of those are), they are done growing. I usually plant mine every 2 inches and then pick every other one as a green onion so that the others have room to form bulbs.

[momof4rugratz]

these have been in ground 4 wks they where little bulbs

[momof4rugratz]

they are almost double in size that was about it. I pulled one and am using it in the dinner now. If am correct the green stalk is chive am using it

[jal_ut]

Those onions are nowhere near done growing. They are just getting started. They may grow for another two months. When the tops tip over and start to dry up, then they are done growing.

The green things are the leaves of the onion. Yes, it is edible too.

Chives is another variety of the onion family.

[momof4rugratz]

My son took the green wash good and then chopped it up on his potato and sid it was really good added kick LOL so at least I got somewhat of a winner

[elevenplants]

My onions have been in the ground since early February. I planted very close and have been taking out for green onions since about the first of April. The ones remaining will make the bulbs for storage onions. Here is a pic of them now, or part of them. I have 8 rows.



Rebecca

[momof4rugratz]

I would love that many onions I love them. No clue how to store for later use so I can save for the winter where it is freezing here. Lovly picture how big are your bulbs and the tall green onion steam how big so I can get an idea of when to pull one. It is May 15th here I was going to pull june 15th and see. I had them put in the ground April 13th they where like size of a marble. Next week temp plans to be 90 which is alot warmer then it usually is My spinach bolted already very depressing.

[elevenplants]

The largest bulbs are now roughly 1 1/2 inches in diameter, and the stems about a foot tall. You pull onions either for green (scallions), or leave them in UNTIL THE STEMS (LEAVES) START TO TURN BROWN AND FALL OVER. Those will be your storage onions. You will store these in a DRY cool enviornment, braid the tops and hang them somewhere. They will last as long as they last, usually until they're all gone. Yum yum!

Rebecca

[momof4rugratz]

ok i will wait another month and see from there. My stems are long but not that long LOL the tops are brown some are like limped over lol

[elevenplants]

They won't be ready in a month, IMHO. At least not fully grown. But as has been stated, onions are versatile and can be eaten @ almost any stage of their growth. Just play it by ear. Next year, get them in earlier if you want large, tasty, homegrown storage onions with lots of greenies in the meantime.

Good luck!

Rebecca

[momof4rugratz]

How long do you think they will store.. They can get really expensive here in the winter it is why I want to get them going alos I love them My kids do also which makes it great. Ok I talked to DH we will wait till July and go from there and next year we are going to put them in the ground in March. We bought this with little bulbs hoping in 60 days to have a onion but I guess need to wait 90 I can wait I think

[elevenplants]

Well, mine store until we eat them all! Seriously, they'll keep well for 2-3 months if you put them in a DRY atmosphere, braid the tops and hang them so they aren't piled up, which invites the ROT.

Also might want to do a little online research about long-day and short-day varieties.

Rebecca

[momof4rugratz]

I think I will Thank You all so much

[The Helpful Gardener]

Take old panty hose and drop the onion in tie a not just above it; repeat until full. No onion touches another so no rot, and easy to hang, too...

And what are you going to do with old panty hose other than make compost tea and hang onions?

HG

[!potatoes!]

a note - as far as i've seen walla wallas and other 'sweet' onions are not known for their keeping longevity (not that they won't keep - just that they don't last as long as the varieties marketed as 'storage onions'...but if you keep using them, you'll know when they're starting to go...at which point, it may be onion soup time, or something that uses a bunch at once.

[cynthia_h]

And what are you going to do with old panty hose other than make compost tea and hang onions?

HG

Tie up tomatoes, scrub out buckets.

If you can successfully grow melons and eggplant on trellises, make slings for the melons and tie up the eggplant.

Hey, you asked!

Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9

[elevenplants]

Momof4, here are 4 of my yellow granex onions that I just pulled...still having to thin them so the rest will grow larger. These are roughly a third to a fourth of the size they will ultimately be. The first pic is untrimmed so you can see the length of the leaves.



Second pic, trimmed, washed and ready to eat!



Rebecca

[momof4rugratz]

WOW those are the size of the wally wallys in the ground now. I picked one to see the size that was it BOY was it strong WOW. I pulled and the kids eye started to water big time LOL But was super yummy The green stem I chopped in to a baked potato well my son did I had a bite was good so I went and trimmed a little more just now to throw in to the grilled chicken marinade YUMMY I think..

[The Helpful Gardener]

I use onion tops to make jerk rub among other things...

And yes I did ask, Cynthia...


HG

[elevenplants]

Honey, if your onions are that big after only a month in the ground, I should be taking tips from YOU!

Grow on, girl.

Rebecca

[momof4rugratz]

Yep am not joking they are big like that. My son said wow they will be big I said no I doubt it I bet they get maybe a little bigger but I think am lying I am thinking big. I will see end of june. I should of taken a picture.