Hi . Anyone care to explain how to grow onions from year to year. I'm not understanding how making onion sets gets you anywhere. You either let then grow and eat them or plant them late and make sets for next year. How do you get onions to reproduce. Without buying them over and over. They don't seed do they?
Yes they do. Seed is a good way to grow your own onions. You should choose a cultivar that suits your latitude.
David
"David Hare-Scott" wrote in news:hrlmvs$jtd$ snipped-for-privacy@news.albasani.net:
Yep. They most definately set seed. I had a store-bought onion that sprouted. Figured I'd plant it and see what happened. Came up with seeds (after the requisite flowers, of course.)
Back on March 2nd this year, I planted several of the seeds wondering if they'd sprout and grow. They all have and the seedlings are now (I think) about 4-6" tall. I will, however, have to wait for several more weeks or months to see if they produce actual onions, though.
~~BB
The onion sets are a convenience item, much like buying bedding plants.
I think a problem with growing from seeds is differentiating the young onion plants from weeds, setting out a set eases the weeding, or at least the attempt at it.
Also, since onions are biennial, if you didn't plant last year you will have no big onions this year.
At least that's what I read when I put in my onions. I have no experience with them (or much else for that matter!). I have this feeling that there is a lot to growing onions. This from our "friends" at Garden Web:
I grew up planting onions with sets. Once I started with seed I never went back. Onions from seed are bigger and better with more variety available. In Ohio anyway, prepare the soil in the fall for spring planting. I planted around the first of March this year though sometimes go as late as April, earlier is better. My soil is heavy and so I cover the seed with compost. Planting mix or sand work too.
Please elaborate. Do you mean I have to put onions in the ground in the fall. For next year. And just today I found about 10 onions about 6 inches tall growing in my moms patch. . But no onions were planted there in 3 years.
I got about 80 sets of red onions.For this year already. But I would like to get them from my own seed.
I just googled this and it looks like planting from seed late in the season is the way to produce sets. The onions go dormant at a small size and are pulled and dried. I think the key to this would be the timing for your area. Onions mature with different day lengths, long day in the north and short day in the south (US). So you might have to have just the right kind of onion for this. I've only seen certain varieties available as sets too, so maybe some onion types are unsuitable. Anyway it looks like you'll have to experiment to get it right.
Bobo wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:
Would I be correct if I said that onion sets bought will not generate seed because they have been heat treated and grown from seed they will?
I find it confusing because I have done both and no seeds yet over the last
2 years despite that my neighbours having seeds from seed sown onions,No big deal I know, but a home grown baked onion or 2 with our Sunday Dinner is..........mmmm and I am jealous because I cant do it.
Cheers PtePike
I used to tell my kids about a guy that lived in our apple tree and it was good to give the tree some water once in awhile. Same daughters would kiss our oak trees on occasion. Then on Oct 30 someone would run about with a pumpkin with candles a blaze but I do not know who would do such a thing in the dark ;))
What variety of onion?
We grow Vidalia from seed, Egyptian (aka walking onion) which propagates itself very well, and Stuttgarter from dutch sets. All will blossom and set seed though blossoms on the Egyptian are kinda weirdly mixed with the bulbs on the top.
Did your onions have blossoms?
:-) My grandfather (my cousins used to call him grandpa fibber) would tell stories about planting baked onions and getting baked onion bushes.
Sometimes it takes a few tries before you catch the wave. ...Onions and radishes are pretty foolproof.
:-)
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