Saving onion seeds

[Wilson]

I know that I can buy seeds (not talking about onion sets), but I've got two onions that have produced nice 3" flower heads that seem to still be blooming. What I'm wondering is how long should the flower heads be kept for the seed to viable? I mean should the flowers all die and the head change color or what? The flowers right now are such a light green as to almost be blue. TIA

[zxcvbob]

When they are ripe, the flower heads will be a bleached-out tan (or straw) color, with black seeds visible inside. Onion seeds are only good for about 1 year, so don't try to save them for 2 or 3 years because that doesn't work very well.

Bob

[Simon]

the onion seeds will grow, don't know if you will get onions or if that takes 2 years. but you can definately get green onions if you plant them in the spring.

Simon

zxcvbob wrote:

[Omelet]

Until the pods are dry.

I get chives coming back from seeds every year and they spread from the pots to the ground because I did not gather all the seeds. ;-)

[Wilson]

sometime in the recent past Omelet posted this:

That may be so(w), Omelet, the re-seeding part that is. But it appears that "The chive is a bulb-forming herbaceous *perennial* plant." So whether or not you gathered all the seeds, the plant would come back year after year.

I have a small clump of chives, never gather the seeds and the clump changes little in size from year to year.

Happy gardening! Been a cold, slow, damp summer here - still waiting for a red tomato ;-)

[Omelet]

I understand that, but it's the seeds that made them _spread_!

I'm waiting for cooler fall weather...

[zxcvbob]

I just picked my first tomatoes this weekend (that's really late.) Won't get enough this year to can or freeze, but I've been eating lots of tomato sandwiches and fresh salsa. The plants have just come down with late blight; hopefully I can save them with some fungicide.

Oddly enough (but in a good way), the hot peppers have done really well this year.

Bob