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luke_oh

WS onion seeds?

luke_oh
14 years ago

Has anyone WS onion seeds? Seems like a natural. Maybe wait until early spring? Would appreciate any info.

Thanks, Luke

Comments (22)

  • trudi_d
    14 years ago

    I've done several, they do very well.

  • shinyalloy_5
    14 years ago

    That's what I wanted to hear.

  • highalttransplant
    14 years ago

    Mine germinated fine, but keep in mind that you are two zones colder than Trudi, and you may end up with very small bulbs, due to a shorter growing season.

  • irisgirl
    14 years ago

    Hey Luke & all;
    I wintersowed 2-2 liter containers of Ringmaster Onions the end of last February. Almost forgot about them, they got scooted under a bench on the patio. Found them sometime in April, forget when; but I know they were growing nicely by Mother's Day in May (in a raised bed, east side of yard). We ended up harvesting nearly 10 pounds of onions! What a gift! And yeah, I'm going to do it again this year. Bigger raised bed, more containers, too! BTW: we used the last ones in a split pea soup the day before yesterday. : (

  • shinyalloy_5
    14 years ago

    Success reported in zone 5 even better!
    I wasn't happy with my results starting them indoors last season and the sets I purchased were the wrong variety for my latitude (they really should include that info in the catalog, now I know to ask)
    Now to go find a good seed source.

    MARY

  • luke_oh
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Well, Thanks for all of the good news. I usually don't raise onions and end up buying them locally. The variety that the Amish grow is "candy" it's a great onion, but not a good keeper. The plant suppliers here only carry the popular varieties which are also poor keepers. I'm going to plant Copra and Redwing seeds that was recommended on the Vegetable Garden forum. Isis, BTW, made a pot of split pea soup yesterday.

    Luke

  • trudi_d
    14 years ago

    I've got some red bunching onions to sow this year. In the past when I've not pulled them small and left them in the ground to overwinter they've had the most fantastic blooms the next year--big balls of small flowers--and the butterflies love them.

    T

  • ktinmd
    14 years ago

    I have a pack of long-day onions (Hystar) and have been going back and forth about whether to start them indoors or WS them. Of course, WS is preferable, but I'd like to have decent-sized bulbs. This thread is giving me the courage to go ahead and WS them, so thank you!

    I keep telling myself that even if I fail, the seeds only cost a buck. That's part of what makes WS so addictive :)

    kt

  • highalttransplant
    14 years ago

    Hmmm ... sounds like I may be doing something wrong! I've tried from seed and from sets, just whatever they had at the Walmart, and have yet to get a decent harvest. I know that there is long-day and short-day onions, but I always get confused on which ones I'm supposed to grow. Maybe my soil just wasn't rich enough? I'm open to suggestions.

  • luke_oh
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Try the vegetable garden forum. Mostly friendly and active forum. I've had problems with onions in the past and I think that I've got it figured out for my area. I hope.

    Luke

  • genoprizebull
    14 years ago

    I read all the posts here but rarely post myself,so Hi to all the ones that remember me and the new people.I've WS'd onions ,thanks to Trudi,and they've done great!

  • shinyalloy_5
    14 years ago

    highalt,
    not sure what part of Colorado your in but any thing over 40 degrees latitude (36 say some sources is long day territory).
    I found this info by looking up my city in wikipedia, it provided me with my latitude in the box on the right hand side, if your city town isn't listed try one nearby, or pull out a globe or map (more work in my opinion) and the latitude lines should be marked somewhere on the horizontal

  • briergardener_gw
    14 years ago

    kt, for first year you can try to WS half of seeds and do inside the other part. Last year i decided to divide onion seeds in three parts. One was WS'en, second was started in unheated GH, third one ended inside under the lamp. In my case winner was batch from GH.
    I am planning to start my all onions in GH this Feb.

  • gmom2-6boys
    14 years ago

    Shiny,
    Thanks for the latitude info on onions. I've never heard it put like that but it is easer for me to understand. I live above the 45th latitude line.
    Highalt - I think you live between the 35 & 40 line. My son lives in Denver and I often check on things for him.
    But this is another thing I will add to my winter sowing.
    Thanks for the info
    gmom

  • daisydawnny
    14 years ago

    I have some Onion seeds Trudi sent me....do I sow them now or wait until I start my other veggies closer to Spring?

  • highalttransplant
    14 years ago

    Thanks Shinyally, according to NOAA, I'm at 39.54º lat., so I guess I should stick with long day. I'd like a yellow/sweet onion, is there a good long day one that you guys would recommend?

  • ktinmd
    14 years ago

    Thanks for the tip, Briergardener! I don't have a greenhouse, but I think I can come up with a suitable substitute by February. And I'll toss a few seeds in a regular WS jug also and see how they do.

    The Wikipedia tip was great. I'm at 39.8 latitude.

    kt

  • shinyalloy_5
    14 years ago

    Wish I could recommend varieties, but the seeds I bought at the local big box store were yellow granex, why they sell things not suited to our local climate I cannot understand.

  • irisgirl
    14 years ago

    All,
    A hint I found last year - to determine which type of day-length onion to plant is this: look at a US map, and draw a line from San Francisco to Atlanta. If you live north of that line, plant "long-day" onions; if south, "short-day" onions.

    I've also included a link for one of my favorite (and local) seed sources - this is where I got my Ringmaster onions. They also have a Facebook presence.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Botanical Interests seeds

  • caryltoo Z7/SE PA
    14 years ago

    How early can you WS onions? My package says they like warm soil so I was wondering if I should wait. But they also take a long time to mature.

  • carsons_mimi
    14 years ago

    Dixondale's website (http://www.dixondalefarms.com) has some of the best info on onions that I've come across. Their map will tell you what 'zone' you're in and lists the onions by category based on your zone (short-day, intermediate day, long-day) so you'll be sure to grow the right variety for where you live. The site has tons of helpful info on growing onions in general.

    Good luck!

  • luke_oh
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    carsons mimi, Thanks for the info on Dixondale's. Good stuff.

    Thanks, Luke

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