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Post by paquebot on Sept 16, 2020 19:17:34 GMT -5
Now alll can see what these bottle onions look like and that one is perfect. Pony's set is what we are looking for and what a mature bulb looks like. They are shaped like an old-style bottle.
Martin
The truth is more important than the facts.
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ponyexpress
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Post by ponyexpress on Sept 16, 2020 20:06:46 GMT -5
They are shaped like an old-style bottle. Yes, indeed. One thing I forgot to do is to put something else as a size reference. I’ll do that when I harvest the rest.
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elkhound
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Post by elkhound on Sept 19, 2020 7:43:13 GMT -5
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Post by paquebot on Sept 19, 2020 10:41:30 GMT -5
elkhound,in Virginia you are the southernmost growing them. Different day length may be confusing them. After years of growing them here, I thought that I had them figured out. Would never have believed how they are growing so different in other locations. Now it becomes a learning process for all of you, too! Martin The truth is more important than the facts.
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ponyexpress
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Post by ponyexpress on Oct 1, 2020 10:06:08 GMT -5
I harvested another bottle onion so I now have 2 sets. There are still 4-5 in the pot with green stalks. paquebot, should I pull them out of the pot and dry them? Or let them stay in the pot until they're completely brown? I've been doing the latter but was wondering if I should do something different now that it's October 1st.
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Post by september on Oct 1, 2020 10:13:15 GMT -5
A couple of mine have flopped as well, but many are still very green and upright, so I also wonder if I should just remove and dry them out. I was going to overwinter them in the pots, in the cold garage, but maybe I don't want them to take off growing in the pots come spring.
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Post by paquebot on Oct 1, 2020 19:33:55 GMT -5
It's not going to hurt them to remain in the pots until dry. They will not suddenly start growing again. Remember that they are onions and have a built-in dormancy period. Also, allowing them to finish growing will assure that the necks close up. That's a key to storage.
Martin
The truth is more important than the facts.
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elkhound
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Post by elkhound on Oct 8, 2020 14:04:52 GMT -5
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Post by paquebot on Oct 8, 2020 23:08:48 GMT -5
Don't know what to say. They missed the cue to stop growing and go dormant. Those are not sets but are trying to produce a matuer onion. I sent you some sets so you know what they should look like. When you plant your big ones back, they will no doubt divide and bolt. If so, you will have seeds a year ahead of everyone else
Martin
The truth is more important than the facts.
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elkhound
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Post by elkhound on Nov 9, 2020 12:40:45 GMT -5
well...not sure what to say or do...they are still green ,its frosted a few times but not directly on them. 3 of the bulbs have dried stalks now but rest are green. not sure of what to do and cold temps hit over weekend and my computer died so no access to ask martin his thoughts on subject.i set pots inside in unheated garage.
martin...what ya think i should do?leave all in the pots till spring time and then pull and separate and plant..are the small bulbs i have fine to leave in the little baggie in unheated garage that never gets to below 40f in winter and then plant out or do they need a bit of moist sawdust in bag with them.
advice needed and appreciated.
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Post by september on Nov 9, 2020 15:56:49 GMT -5
elkhound , I had the same experience with my bottle onions. I ended up carrying my onion pots into the greenhouse and stopped watering them for two or three weeks. When we had a week of low freezing nights, I decided to remove them from the pots rather than have to haul the heavy pots of dirt into my garage. They have been laying flat in the house now for another couple of weeks, and some still have some green tops, but I suspect they will dry up eventually. I thought drying would be better in the house, instead of maybe getting some mold in the cold garage while they are still green. Once they are all brown, I may move them to a cooler spot. They just don't want to lose all that green!
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Post by paquebot on Nov 9, 2020 16:32:10 GMT -5
Elk, the sets that I sent will be fine in their package. It is perforated so as to remain dry. I store mine in the pantry which is unheated and in the 50s for temperature.
I would suggest stopping watering the pots if you have not already done so. In the spring, plant them into your garden and do not be surprised if they quickly divide and bolt. If they don't divide, you will probably get a proper bulb. If they bolt, don't allow any other onions to bloom within sight. You should get plenty of seed to play with the following year.
I have 8 large bulbs planted now but under a large bag of leaves. They will slowly root during the winter and be ready to bolt as soon as the frost is gone. Also have 48 sets reserved to plant next year and their bed is ready. Still about 50 extra sets. If any serious gardener is interested, will split them into packets of 25.
Martin
The truth is more important than the facts.
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Post by paquebot on Nov 10, 2020 13:29:29 GMT -5
September, yours looks OK but not ideal. They may not totally close up but I think that they are proper size. I had a few which were slow to dry off but now can't tell which they were.
In my starter pots a few seeds somehow delayed germination and now growing. I was going to dump those pots but will leave these grow and see what happens.
Martin
The truth is more important than the facts.
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elkhound
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Post by elkhound on Dec 1, 2020 3:47:56 GMT -5
i know yall wont believe me...they are still holding on even with the very limited light.they are very pale now...but man..these things wanna live and grow !
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Post by paquebot on Dec 1, 2020 8:53:41 GMT -5
I am still learning about them hanging on as survivors. There were some late-germinaters in the two pots and I was going to dump them. Barely showing sign of bulbing but were still green until probably this morning when we dropped into the teens. I'll leave them and see what happens. Maybe find that a midsummer sowing may also work to get mature bulbs.
Martin
The truth is more important than the facts.
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elkhound
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Post by elkhound on Dec 15, 2020 21:48:40 GMT -5
crazy as it sounds...mine are still hanging on...they are inside unheated area with very limited light but stalks are faded but still standing up right as can be. they have no quit in them it seems...only a few have died back and dried stalks on them.
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Post by paquebot on Dec 15, 2020 22:43:30 GMT -5
This shows one thing. They are so different that nobody knows everything about them. They are unlike normal onions in almost every way.
If any are slow to go dormant, I pull them anyway. Usually thee are only a few. Most manage to close their necks and store OK. There were also a few that germinated late and I've left them out in the elements to see what they do next year. They did not make bulbs and I'm not protecting them. They are on their own to see what happens.
Martin
The truth is more important than the facts.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 18, 2020 21:57:42 GMT -5
Those onions seem to not care about day length, which is interesting. So many onions are sweet for down here, and so of course, I like them mean make you cry ones!!
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ponyexpress
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Post by ponyexpress on Feb 26, 2021 16:04:41 GMT -5
Checking in. How are people doing with their bottle onions? I had a few sprout early so I put them in a pot and have them growing. The other sets will go in the ground when it gets warmer.
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ponyexpress
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Post by ponyexpress on Feb 26, 2021 16:06:10 GMT -5
Here are some pictures of them inside the house and outside in my little greenhouse.
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elkhound
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Post by elkhound on Feb 27, 2021 22:44:00 GMT -5
yall wont believe this but the large ones pictured in pots are still half green even in that limited light and warmth room at 40f.
martin what time do you think we should..or at least i should plant my various sets?
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Post by paquebot on Feb 28, 2021 0:41:23 GMT -5
Elk, time to plant is the old generic instructions: "As soon as soil can be worked in the spring." Jung;s bare root stock usually is open on third weekend in March. That is when the onion plants and sets are available. I've never planted them in March but have the first week of April. I plan to have mine in the ground shortly after 1 April this year. Bed was prepped last fall so all I need do is poke holes in the soil. VA would be Zone 6 or 7 so almost a month ahead of me. That would mean any time after 1 March. A little frost ain't going to hurt them if that happens.
Martin
The truth is more important than the facts.
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elkhound
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Post by elkhound on Mar 3, 2021 4:21:08 GMT -5
well it got dry enough to stick a few in garden. i decided to go ahead and plant a few i chose to plant half my sets out now and wait just a bit for the rest. we can get some fierce weather and temps in march...last frost date here is may10th. so anyhow i put 12 bottle onions out and took 6 golden shallots.the shallots actually looking at them closer 2 had a slight division so i popped them off and made 8 planting from the 6.
the larger bottle onions i have i grew out.i will plant a bit later with rest as well.
season 2021 is here on us.
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Post by paquebot on Mar 3, 2021 9:45:59 GMT -5
Garden fun on hold here. Onion bed was one of last to be prepped last fall so it is ready to plant. Just need to get rid of the 6"+ of white ice on it. No frost under it so should be able to get the garden started there. Bed is laid out for 15 each of golden and red shallots plus 48 bottle onions. Also need to uncover the 8 bulbs which have been cozy all winter under a bag of leave. Currently just a big white mound.
Martin
The truth is more important than the facts.
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Post by paquebot on Mar 3, 2021 17:06:05 GMT -5
Pulled the snow off the leaf bag to let the bulbs have a look around. Not surprising, some of them had resumed life during the winter with gnarly sprouts which had been held back by the bag. Seed production project is well underway.
Martin
The truth is more important than the facts.
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elkhound
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Post by elkhound on Mar 4, 2021 18:06:28 GMT -5
well i might be a sucker...lol...i looked at weather next 10 days and its getting warm fast. so i decided to go all in. i planted the rest of everything i had...total was 25 from martin and 15 i raised in garden for 40 in garden. i had 3 left over at end of row so i put them in a pot and will give them tlc to see if they can bloom even better or more..all new to me...43 total amish yellow bottle onions.
put out golden shallots as well...total was 17 on them.
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ponyexpress
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Zone:: 6b
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Post by ponyexpress on Mar 8, 2021 1:02:01 GMT -5
I still have 4+” of snow and ice on my beds so I can’t do anything yet. I have some leftover plastic from my hoop house project so I might use some to make a mini hoop house which will help warm up another bed.
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Post by paquebot on Mar 10, 2021 12:15:12 GMT -5
Snow on the onion bed yesterday, 48 bottle onion sets planted today. Aiming for some large bulbs this year. In the basement, most are still solid with only a few beginning to sprout. In the seed propagation area, one of the 8 bulbs has a number of 4" sprouts. That one will be removed and replaced with a solid one from the basement. Want to weed the early-sprouts out of the gene pool.
Martin
The truth is more important than the facts.
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elkhound
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Post by elkhound on Mar 25, 2021 17:12:54 GMT -5
FIELD REPORT...i seen the first tiny bits of green out of 2 sets yesterday.
sidenote...5 of 17 goldens are showing green now. also sunday i seen first of ramps just barely coming up in my forest.
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Post by paquebot on Mar 27, 2021 15:41:41 GMT -5
No shallots showing life yet but 7 or 8 bottle onions have made their appearance. All 8 of the seed bulbs have awakened and sending up leaves. Should have plenty of seeds at the end of this season.
Martin
The truth is more important than the facts.
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