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marial1214

Onion sets

marial1214
16 years ago

I put the whole bag of onion sets (Stuttgarter or something like that) into the ground, according to the directions. I did this 3rd week of April. They all popped up in a timely basis and now they each have about 4 nice green tall stalks. I also covered them with straw but their stalks stick up nice and firm out of the straw. There is a soaker hose running through the middle of each bed. ON either side of the hose, there is one row. So the onions are about 5 inches from the hose. I believe they are getting water cuz the stalks are so green and firm looking.

Every once in a while I yank one up and look at it. Today is June 9th and yesterday I yanked up my 2nd one. The bulb is still as small as it was the day I planted it. Is this normal? Also the surrounding layers of the bulb are brown and sort of soft, I guess that's what an onion looks like when it comes from underground. It doesnt appear firm though.

Is this normal? When will the bulbs begin to really grow? They're supposed to turn into medium size onions that I could store in the garage until next April, so my plan was to use them all winter long...so far they havent really changed in size.

Comments (8)

  • raisemybeds
    16 years ago

    Hi there - I am in 6b, so right near you. Also doing my first onion sets this year, but I am surprised at your planting date so I hope someone more experienced with sets will comment for both of us. Mine went into the bed in March and now some are sending up flower stalks. I am wondering about the right planting date for our zone - maybe we are both within range? Also, I wonder whether you should be uprooting your onions to check the size - is that what you are doing - just really yanking them out of place to examine them? I wouldn't do that - but again I hope someone who has done onions well can tell us. and I would like to know whether I should whack the flower stalks off as they emerge. Best of luck to you and enjoy the experience.

  • justaguy2
    16 years ago

    Not sure when onions begin to bulb in your area, but it is length of night (darkness) that triggers onions to make bulbs (most varieties) so it is normal for the plant to grow greenery for awhile and the bulb to not grow. Then a conversion happens and the bulb begins packing on weight.

    As long as the sets are in the ground early enough (March sounds fine for your area) and they produce enough greenery before they are triggered to bulb they should make nice bulbs.

    A couple caveats, onions are moderate to heavy feeders so extra nitrogen early on is helpful and once they get near bulb forming time backing off the nitrogen is best. This doesn't mean they can't have any, but you should switch to something more 'gentle' like fish emulsion versus some high N synthetic that may result in smaller bulbs.

    The other caveat it that one really needs to research the onions they purchase whether seed, set or plant to find out if it is short, long or day neutral. If you purchase the wrong type for your area they will never produce large bulbs.

    In the north (I believe you qualify) we want long day onions meaning the bulb in our summer when the days are longest. Southern locations want short day varieties and in the middle intermediate day or day neutral varieties.

    Dixondale Farms has a website with some of the best onion growing info around. Google them and you will come away an onion growing expert.

    If you notice sets sending up flower stalks you may as well pull those out. This happens sometimes and appears to happen most often when growing from sets. Onions are biennials and flower in their second year. At this point the bulb is as large as it will ever get and the plant uses the bulb as food for flowering/reproducing. Sometimes stresses result in flowering the first year and sets are inherently stressful on onion as they are grown to a small size, removed from the ground and sold to be replanted elsewhere. They usually work out fine, but as I noted, they seem to flower their first year more frequently than onion from plants or seed.

  • raisemybeds
    16 years ago

    Hmmm ... as usual, justaguy has the skinny. I appreciate your comments more than you know. My varieties are Stuttgarter, Ebenezer, and Wethersfield. Marial1214 also indicates having the Stuttgarter planted. I do not think they are the long-day types that you recommend, but they were recommended to me, at planting time, one way or the other. The company which sold the Stuttgarter to Walmart outlets assured me they were correct for my zone. The Wethersfield were originally developed right near here, up in Wethersfield, CT, so again, correct for the zone. So in general, when I bought onion sets from local sources, I have had to assume that someone, somewhere, at sometime, has made the executive decision that these types are appropriate to our growing climate. Part of the onion-y predicament for zone 6, I have to wonder, may be that we are sort of right on the "line" between North and South onion climates - do you know what I mean? And from year to year, we might be more of one than the other, throwing new wrenches into the works. Do you think there is any validity to this, justaguy? I am curious, and will just have to see what my results are in late July or whenever these bulbs decide to be ready. Then we can make comparisons, conclusions.

  • justaguy2
    16 years ago

    Zone 6 is pretty close to the intermediate area, but I usually consider that zone 7. Thing about zones is they do not directly relate to day length and the best weather for bulb formation.

    As far as day/night length goes this won't vary at all from year to year.

    I don't know a thing about the varieties you are growing, but I wouldn't assume finding them at Wal-Mart makes them good for your area. Every year I see short day variety seeds on their seed racks in my area and there is no possibility of good bulb formation with those.

    With sets you are fortunate if you actually get a variety name, most sets sold at big box stores around here are only labeled red, white or yellow.

    Something to consider is ordering from dixondale farms next year and getting plants. They are not cheap, but they always send waaaay more plants than they advertise and they really know their stuff. I would suggest calling them and seeing what they recomend for you. Those folks will never steer you wrong.

    I am not an onion guru by a long shot, but pretty much everything I do know about growing onions comes from growing them or from Dixondale Farms. Great people.

  • marial1214
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    I bought mine from the Maine Potato Lady. You can google her too. Her catalog I rec'd offered a nice selection plus when I spoke to her on the phone she was real patient with me. She suggested the Stuggarter to me to try. I didnt know about "short, day or long neutral" onion differences. I am hoping she certainly did!

    She (Allison) also told me that I would have spring scallions. And if that's the case, I could yank some more out but they'd be quite small. Like I said they're the same size now as when I put them in. The only diff is that they have each formed four (4) green stalks on them.

    Raisemybeds, when I yank them out I taste them. I dont put them back in the ground. Not much meat on them and not much flavor right now.

  • marial1214
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    I emailed the Maine Potato Lady where I bought my onion sets and she told me these Stuttgarter are long day onions. She said their real growth will come in August.

  • John A
    16 years ago

    I am also in southern CT and have had mixed results with onions from sets (including Stuttgarter). They always make nice green onions for eating, but the bulbs never get very big. I have had better luck getting larger onions by planting plants in mid March. Agway has them in our area. Dixondale does, in fact, have good info on their website, but unless you want to buy a really large quantity their cost is prohibitive.
    John A

  • ardnek710
    16 years ago

    John, you mentioned onion sets, seeds, and plants. Now obviously I know what onion seeds are. But what is the difference between sets and plants? I bought onion sets and have the flowering issue (addressed in another thread) but I wonder, I thought they were plants also.
    I am definitly going to check out the Dixondale website for more info.

    thanks
    kendra

    Here is a link that might be useful: onion sets flowering year early