DoubleDogFarm
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 6113
Joined: Sun Mar 28, 2010 11:43 pm

Everyones Indoor Onion Starts to Harvest

This is 1 of 5 flats of onion starts. This one is Copra.
[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/Double%20Dog%20Farm%20%20Greenhouse%20Propagation/DSC03296.jpg[/img]
I trimmed these and I'm thinking about doing them again.

Just curious to see how others are doing.

Eric
Last edited by DoubleDogFarm on Sun Jan 13, 2013 7:49 am, edited 5 times in total.

pondlady
Senior Member
Posts: 173
Joined: Sat Aug 29, 2009 11:34 am
Location: Glenwood, Utah

Mine are out in the garden! When they got to that size I transplanted them and put tunnel coves on the rows. They are doing great!

User avatar
soil
Greener Thumb
Posts: 1855
Joined: Thu Jan 22, 2009 8:40 pm
Location: N. California

I planted mine some time ago, when they were about that big

TZ -OH6
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 2097
Joined: Fri Jul 25, 2008 7:27 pm
Location: Mid Ohio

Thanks for starting this thread! Mine are almost that big, and I didn't know when they could go out. I just got my onion plot prepped yesterday. Someplace said not to plant them out until after last frost but that sounds silly since wild garlic is growing fast out in my lawn and some volunteer onions have been growing in the garden since the snow melted.

User avatar
applestar
Mod
Posts: 30514
Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

I have the impression -- not sure why or the source -- that onion transplants can go out at potato planting time. ...whic is NOW for me and I've been trying to get them all planted. :()

User avatar
soil
Greener Thumb
Posts: 1855
Joined: Thu Jan 22, 2009 8:40 pm
Location: N. California

onions can handle cold temps, hard frosts and snow for a few days. do not worry about them. the earlier you get them planted the better they will do. the only reason I wouldn't plant is if the soil is frozen solid.

BP
Senior Member
Posts: 246
Joined: Sun Jun 20, 2010 3:54 pm
Location: Swartz Creek Michigan

Wow. Reading the packet my Granex Yellow Hybrid seeds came in says to wait til after frost danger. I just started mine. Am I too late? I'm in Michigan btw

TZ -OH6
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 2097
Joined: Fri Jul 25, 2008 7:27 pm
Location: Mid Ohio

BP,

I think I have some bad news for you. Yellow Granex is one of the Vidalia onions. It is a short day southern onion and will quickly bulb up north, resulting in small onions. They sell them here on the seed racks too for some reason.

BP
Senior Member
Posts: 246
Joined: Sun Jun 20, 2010 3:54 pm
Location: Swartz Creek Michigan

Thanks for the info. Can you recommend a few I should try?

User avatar
farmerlon
Green Thumb
Posts: 671
Joined: Fri Feb 12, 2010 11:42 am
Location: middle Tennessee

DoubleDogFarm wrote:This is 1 of 5 flats of onion starts. This one is Copra...
How many weeks old are those Onions in your picture?
Your Onions look great!
I think I need to start mine earlier... my Onions are not as well developed by the time I want to start getting them into the garden.

TZ -OH6
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 2097
Joined: Fri Jul 25, 2008 7:27 pm
Location: Mid Ohio

I found Sweet Spanish Yellow Utah Jumbo on the Ferry-Morse seed rack at Lowes (all of the other onion seeds were more or less wrong for my area--I've taken a lot of seed packs back after looking them up online). Walla Walla is another long day big sweet onion.

From what I understand you have to start onion seeds way early, or buy bunches of young onion plants. Last resort is to buy onion sets (little dried onions). Even my local hardware store is advertizing bags of 80 onion sets for $2, It's hard to find bundles of onion plants locally, but it may be possible if you have a good nursery around. Onion sets result in smaler onions that starting from plants, and some of them may bolt to flower/seed.


This is good info

https://www.dixondalefarms.com/category/onion_plants

DoubleDogFarm
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 6113
Joined: Sun Mar 28, 2010 11:43 pm

How many weeks old are those Onions in your picture?
Looking through my photographic memory, looks like I planted them the 7th of February. :D

Eric

DoubleDogFarm
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 6113
Joined: Sun Mar 28, 2010 11:43 pm

So much for photographic memory. :lol: Looking at my calendar, I planted them on January 29th.

Eric

User avatar
digitS'
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 3925
Joined: Sun Sep 26, 2010 1:10 pm
Location: ID/WA! border

I just posted this picture on another thread:

Image

They are bunching onions there in the front but those are Walla Walla Sweets behind the sticker. I had just thrown water on them after their 1st day in some sunshine outdoors.

I planted the seed about the same time as you did, Eric. They haven't grown as much.

They were in the greenhouse from the get-go - which means, before I turned the heat on. They spent a number of nights, covered up on the floor because of fairly serious cold weather in February (hadn't emerged yet).

After the heat came on, they started to grow quickly even in the coldest corner. I put them in an unheated plastic tunnel about 10 days ago. They could go in the garden now I suppose but I was a little caught off guard by better weather. I mean, it snowed 2 days ago :roll: .

Steve

DoubleDogFarm
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 6113
Joined: Sun Mar 28, 2010 11:43 pm

Steve,

They look pretty good to me. If one didn't know, you would think we were grown turf. :)

Well I'm feeling like I'm way behind on a lot of stuff. My repair business is taking off and it rained almost the whole month of March. The wettest March in eleven years.

Eric

BP
Senior Member
Posts: 246
Joined: Sun Jun 20, 2010 3:54 pm
Location: Swartz Creek Michigan

[quote="TZ -OH6"]I found Sweet Spanish Yellow Utah Jumbo on the Ferry-Morse seed rack at Lowes (all of the other onion seeds were more or less wrong for my area--I've taken a lot of seed packs back after looking them up online). Walla Walla is another long day big sweet onion.

From what I understand you have to start onion seeds way early, or buy bunches of young onion plants. Last resort is to buy onion sets (little dried onions). Even my local hardware store is advertizing bags of 80 onion sets for $2, It's hard to find bundles of onion plants locally, but it may be possible if you have a good nursery around. Onion sets result in smaler onions that starting from plants, and some of them may bolt to flower/seed.


Thanks for all the info.

TZ -OH6
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 2097
Joined: Fri Jul 25, 2008 7:27 pm
Location: Mid Ohio

No probs on the info.



I couldn't take it any more and planted out my puny little onion plants today. The weather looks good for rooting over the next week or so and I need the lights for other things. I should have started them earlier, now they are an experiment in survival.

User avatar
farmerlon
Green Thumb
Posts: 671
Joined: Fri Feb 12, 2010 11:42 am
Location: middle Tennessee

DoubleDogFarm wrote:So much for photographic memory. :lol: Looking at my calendar, I planted them on January 29th.

Eric
thanks for the info :D

DoubleDogFarm
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 6113
Joined: Sun Mar 28, 2010 11:43 pm

This evening, I started planting some of my Copra onions. I didn't get very far, that hungry thing gets in the way. :)

[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/Double%20Dog%20Farm%20%20%20Garden%20Vegetables/DSC03305.jpg[/img]

Eric
Last edited by DoubleDogFarm on Sun Jan 13, 2013 7:53 am, edited 4 times in total.

Des_WA
Full Member
Posts: 49
Joined: Wed Feb 09, 2011 8:54 pm
Location: Cascade foothills

My Tropeana onion starts look about the same as your Eric. I just planted them outside today but they've been out in their flat for a few weeks now.

DoubleDogFarm
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 6113
Joined: Sun Mar 28, 2010 11:43 pm

Sounds good. How far apart did you plant them? I missed out on my Torpedo onions this year. :cry:

As you can see in the picture, mine are about 4" in all directions. My flat was out of the greenhouse about 2 days ago.


Eric

Des_WA
Full Member
Posts: 49
Joined: Wed Feb 09, 2011 8:54 pm
Location: Cascade foothills

I did an experiment this year - I planted some of the starts singly about 3-4" apart, then I planted some in clustered groups to see how differently the grow from the singles. I have seen some folks plant onions in groups and they say it works fine, they just push each other apart as they grow. I've never tried it, so we'll see! Last year I didn't get any onions so we can only improve this year!

DoubleDogFarm
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 6113
Joined: Sun Mar 28, 2010 11:43 pm

Desiree,

Keep us posted on the different spacings. I'm just guessing, I feel the crowded ones will not do as well. What variety are they?


I finished planting my Copra long storage onion. 216 little onion plants.
[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/Double%20Dog%20Farm%20%20%20Garden%20Vegetables/DSC03317.jpg[/img]

I'll start planting Borrettana Cipolline tomorrow.
[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/Double%20Dog%20Farm%20%20%20Garden%20Vegetables/DSC03319.jpg[/img]

Eric
Last edited by DoubleDogFarm on Sun Jan 13, 2013 7:52 am, edited 4 times in total.

User avatar
digitS'
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 3925
Joined: Sun Sep 26, 2010 1:10 pm
Location: ID/WA! border

Set out some sweet onions today, Eric. However, they were much closer spaced than yours.

More than half will be harvested as green onions so that should provide the others with some room.

If I can time it right, the extras are gone about the time that a 2nd round of fertilizer will be of benefit to those left to bulb up.

Steve

User avatar
applestar
Mod
Posts: 30514
Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

I planted the older starts along path edges of various beds, but I think I'm actually going to plant most of the smallest onion starts as well as the leeks in last years "new potato bed" The trouble is this location is down hill from the rice paddy and can get wet. The potatoes did OK in spite of it though, so would the clay subsoil and drainage be an issue? maybe I should pile some more compost/topsoil here first.

Last year's potato bed should be OK for onions in terms of fertility since they primarily need N don't you think? I had some voles, mice, or chipmunk digging into some of the potatoes, but they won't go after the onions, right? At least that's what I'm hoping.... :?

User avatar
sheeshshe
Greener Thumb
Posts: 1254
Joined: Sat May 26, 2007 8:17 pm
Location: maine

do you guys just toss a bunch of seeds in a flat? not separating them at all? I should have done it different than I did.

I lost most of mine anyways. I'm not going to have many :( now it is too late to start more. :(

DoubleDogFarm
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 6113
Joined: Sun Mar 28, 2010 11:43 pm

Steve,

I have Guardsman and Red beard for my bunching / salad onion. Pacific Pearl is my fifth and final variety. Theses three will be planted closer together and probably on the borders / edges.

Apple,

My soil is a wet heavy soil. I have the blue clay subsoil. All my raised rows are at least 6" above native soil.

The fertilizers I use are, Hydrolyzed fish 2-5-1, Compost tea, and Hendrikus complete 6-4-4.

Last year when I harvested my Rose Finn Apple potatoes, I found a lot of them in pockets. Some rodent was collecting. Almost every little spud had teeth marks. :twisted:

Sheila,

Yes, I take a open flat with a single layer of paper in the bottom. Fill it to the top with 50/50 peat and perlite. Broadcast the seeds over the top and a dusting to cover. Next year will be 50/50 coir and perlite.

Eric

garden5
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 3062
Joined: Fri Aug 07, 2009 5:40 pm
Location: ohio

Wouldn't you know it, the year I don't start onions indoors is the year everyone decides to make a thread about it :lol:.

Your onions look great everyone! I bought some plants this year and I planted a bundle in a new bed I made, but it will be an experiment since the bed only gets part sun.

I plant 4 in. apart as well. I think that this will allow them to reach a large size since I will be harvesting them intermittently as they grow.

Oh, to the the poster who asked, spreading all of the seeds in a flat is not the only method. Commercial producers us 100+ cell plug trays.

DoubleDogFarm
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 6113
Joined: Sun Mar 28, 2010 11:43 pm

July 20th 2011

Not sure if these will catch up with Dono's pile of onions, but they are looking pretty good.

Copra storage onion.
[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/Double%20Dog%20Farm%20%20%20Garden%20Vegetables/OnionsandTomatoesJuly20th2011002.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/Double%20Dog%20Farm%20%20%20Garden%20Vegetables/OnionsandTomatoesJuly20th2011003.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/Double%20Dog%20Farm%20%20%20Garden%20Vegetables/OnionsandTomatoesJuly20th2011001.jpg[/img]

Eric
Last edited by DoubleDogFarm on Sun Jan 13, 2013 7:54 am, edited 3 times in total.

DoubleDogFarm
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 6113
Joined: Sun Mar 28, 2010 11:43 pm

Sept. 9th Copra onions.

I started my harvesting today and will finish tomorrow. These will need a little more drying before storage.
[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/Double%20Dog%20Farm%20%20%20Vegetables%20and%20%20Fruits/CopraOnionsSept9th2011004.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/Double%20Dog%20Farm%20%20%20Vegetables%20and%20%20Fruits/CopraOnionsSept9th2011006.jpg[/img]

Eric
Last edited by DoubleDogFarm on Sun Jan 13, 2013 7:56 am, edited 3 times in total.

User avatar
PunkRotten
Greener Thumb
Posts: 1989
Joined: Sat Apr 16, 2011 8:48 pm
Location: Monterey, CA.

How long do these onions store for?

User avatar
gixxerific
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 5889
Joined: Fri Jun 26, 2009 5:42 pm
Location: Wentzville, MO (Just West oF St. Louis) Zone 5B

Eric I would have to say your Copras caught up and surpassed my pile of onins. :wink:

How are they on flavor. Sweet, hot, mild?

I will definitely be growing Candy again next year. Walla Walla's aint got nothing on these.

DoubleDogFarm
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 6113
Joined: Sun Mar 28, 2010 11:43 pm

How long do these onions store for?
I've had good luck storing them 6 months or more.

This is what Johnny's Select seed had to say,
Uniform, "rock-hard" storage onion with early maturity. These medium-sized, dark yellow-skinned storage onions have the preferred blocky round shape with thin necks that dry quickly. Firmness and skin are superior. Copra remains one of the absolute best in our yearly storage trials, staying firm and flavorful after most other varieties have sprouted. Highest in sugar (13°-14°) of the storage onions. Adaptation: 38°-55° latitude.
Eric

DoubleDogFarm
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 6113
Joined: Sun Mar 28, 2010 11:43 pm

Update on my Copra onions.

Today is Jan 31 2012. I have about 10 gallons of onions in storage. Storage :roll: They are still in the five gallon buckets. It's been about 4 months and they are still rock solid. I really should be taking better care of these. :)
[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/Double%20Dog%20Farm%20%20%20Vegetables%20and%20%20Fruits/Copraonions-1.jpg[/img]

Eric



Return to “Seed Starting Discussions”