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hajir_gw

pregnant onion

hajir
17 years ago

I got 6 pregnant onions about 2 months ago that have not taken root yet. I know it takes time, but about how long will it take for them to take root?

Comments (17)

  • birdsnblooms
    17 years ago

    Hajir, when I got mine, 8+ years ago, it took 2-3 months to take root. BTW, are you the type who keeps checking soil by uplifting plants to see if it takes root? LOL..Are you rooting in soil or water? I rooted mine in soil, but placing the bulb in the soil..BTW, this was mid-winter which took longer..I'd say it was at least 4 months before roots were totally established..Toni

  • hajir
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    hey toni, well i have checked a couple times. =] their planred in soil. anyways the other day i was walking past the pregnant onions and i thought i saw something green in the container so i took a closer look and there was a little stem about an inch long coming out of one of my pregnant onions. & there was one that had like a little dot of green on the top where the stems supposed to so im guessing its a stem. yesterday i looked again and another one is starting to grow a stem. it took 3 months.=] but i took your advise about not watering every week and i started watering every 17 days i did this twice & it worked. now i dont know if i should water them everytime the soils dry or every week once. help? thanks so much.

  • birdsnblooms
    17 years ago

    Hajir, Congrats, you've got flowers!! (S) Sounds like you have quite a few coming up. I'm so happy hearing this. I'd stil let the soil dry between waterings, but perhaps a little extra until the flowers fade..BTW, these stalks grow long..Toni

  • hajir
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    lol ok thanks toni youve been a big help!

  • birdsnblooms
    17 years ago

    Hajir, you're welcome..are those flowers growing yet? What type of sun is your PO getting? The more light, the faster the flowers will grow. I had one stalk on mine that stood 4'..it really should have been staked, but it was haning and the stake would have hit the ceiling. lol. Toni

  • karyn1
    17 years ago

    I got a PO earlier this year and it's growing well. I'd like to know if there's a way to encourage the "mother" bulb to increase in size? My main bulb is about grapefruit size with multiple babies. A couple of the babies are pretty big and there are many smaller ones. I've potted up some of the babies, just stuck them 1/3 of the way down in soil and kind of ignored them and they are doing fine. There's a flower stalk coming out of one of the larger babies. Should I cut that off to encourage growth. Should I remove all the babies? I really know nothing about this plant, I just thought it looked cool. What made me want it was a mature specimen I saw that was the size of a mellon. I'd love to be able to get mine to that size and don't care about baby PO's.
    Karyn

  • deardeer2
    17 years ago

    No one may think this is a good idea, but it works for me. It seemed like the babies just sat after I planted them, and I must not be good a waiting. I take a plastic lid from any throw away carton, I then have a hole punch about 1/4 inch and punch hole around the edge. I then fill an old glass with water, put the lid on and put a baby on each of the holes. The water will evaperate, but I just add a little more. They will get roots that you will be able to see. I then plant them in the soil. Told someone I gave an onion to and she said she couldn't believe how much faster it was to get them to root.

  • elfinn
    17 years ago

    Karyn1, If you don't want your babies, I'm sure someone else would be interested should you decide to toss them! Maybe you could trade some of them for something else cool in the Exchange forum. You're lucky though, I have 3 of them and I've only gotten one baby so far...

  • birdsnblooms
    17 years ago

    Karyn, when I got my po baby bulb, it was tiny..and I mean tiny tiny. Over the years it has grown, but I think time and patience is the key. I've several young bulbs but keeping them in the pot w/mom. My po didnt' bloom this year or maybe I missed it, but I don't think the flowers have anything to do w/the growth or lack of, of the plant. But you never know. The flowers are pretty but I wouldn't say this plant is grown for its flowers. Still, it's always nice discovering blooms on our plants.
    I'd go outside and take a peak, but we had a ton of rain today and everything's all muddy. I don't want to get swamped w/mud..Toni

  • karyn1
    17 years ago

    Elfinn I'd more more than happy to send some to you if you want. I've never had a problem rooting the babies, as a matter of fact many already have roots before I seperate them. I'd just like to get the "mother" onion to a really large size. I love the look of a single big onion in a pot.
    Karyn

  • hajir
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    2 of my 6 sprouted and ive had mine since may 31.. but one of the 2 is sprouting a second leaf.

  • sandra_daly_city
    16 years ago

    I live in the San Francisco Bay Area. I'll be happy to give you a pregnant onion baby. They are so cute that I don't have the heart to put them in compost pile. Email me and I can put it on my door step for you to pick up.

  • clovertoes
    15 years ago

    I was reading that some of you have some baby O/P that you wouldn't mind sharing.. I live in Washington State and can't seem to find any around here.. My mother had one when I was a young girl and I remember always watching for new babies.. I would love to share the joy of nature with my children & grand-children.. If any of you can help me out, I would be most pleased.. Thank you, Dawna

  • amccour
    15 years ago

    Mine's never put out more than two leaves at a time. Then again, I don't really grow it in optimal growing conditions. How poisonous are these things, really?

  • britdesign
    13 years ago

    I placed my potted Pregnant onion on the ground about 2 weeks ago.Today it looked like an animal had been eating it layer by layer.Would squirrels be responsible for this? I think I can save it (now in the garage to recuperate)
    Any ideas ??

  • birdsnblooms
    13 years ago

    Spuirrels will eat any plant, poisonous or not.
    They've eaten an Avocado, 'leaves/trunk/pit' and several Holiday Cactus..Christmas/Thanksgiving/Easter. They're not choosy.
    Now, Holidays Cactus are kept in baskets on hanging poles.

    Do you have rabbits around your area? They munch on greens, too. A few yrs ago, I sowed Mimosa, 'Sensitive Plant,' and Dwarf Marigold seeds, kept in pots..I'm sure the blame was on rabbits that time, since a rabbit family was living on the side of the house. Hare one day, gone the next. lol.

    Depending on the height of your PO, you might be better of placing in a basket and hanging...'far away from trees.' Toni

  • rhashell
    13 years ago

    I got 10p.o. bulblets I didn;t know how to grow them I stuck them 1/2 inch deep in soiless potting mix I HAVE 3 SHOOTS WHAT
    should i do I have no clue what this thing is.