I've never grown these before and need some advice. In the spring I planted 12 bulbs. As I started using them I was careful to pull the most mature sets for use. Now, they are all folded over and are making 'onions' They grew around the original bulb This one has an actual Onion bigger than the original bulb I planted One has flowered - a very pretty bloom I might add! My question is will the original bulbs still be under there or will I need to plant new next spring? Do I pull these and use the bulbs for next year? Does the one with the bloom have any bulb left at all? I need some guidance please.
Those are nice multipliers! I usually pull them all, save the biggest bulbs for replanting in the fall (remember, we are in Texas with mild winters) and use the rest. You can also just leave a clump in the ground and separate it and replant it in the spring. The one that has bloomed and set seeds won't be of much use either to replant or to use in the kitchen, but you can save the seed and plant it, expecting usable onions in two seasons.
We always used what we needed and left the rest to overwinter. But our winters are mild and ground does not freeze solid. We just piled leaves ect on top before a hard freeze !!
Thanks for the help! OK, so now I know that these bulbs need re-planting. I'm wondering if I can just leave them in the ground? Would love to hear from anyone who grows these in zone 5
I have no idea that far north. Why not do both ? Pull a few and leave a few. Put compost on top and it will generate a bit of heat, cover with leaves or whatever and see how they do when you uncover them early spring.
Hi Netty: I live in zone 5 here in Wis. We have self reseeding onions or their called winter onions. They come back every spring plus they get new little onion bulbs at the top of their stalks after they flower. Those little blubs drop to the ground and you get more onions next spring. Or you can pick them off and replant them yourself. You can pull the new ones and eat them in the spring or the older ones if they haven't bloomed yet. We don't do anything special with them. We have even found a patch growing in the tree line on one side of our front yard. We have no idea how they got there. Buy they are growing really well in all the shade they have. We do have them planted in a more sandy soil. But they do well in almost any soil except damp soils. Hope that helps. We could mail you some of the onion bulblets in the early fall and you could plant them. Just let me know.
I saved the seeds from mine last year, but they haven't made usable onions. They made wee seedlings which I set out and they just seemed to fade away. I'm saving more seed this year with hopes they will do better next year.
FWIW, I plant mine in the fall. Usually around 'Sweetest Day'. The topsets I planted last year I just yanked this past weekend. They are now 'curing' in direct sun. These same will be replanted this Oct. I will just decide which row to let grow out for the following years crop as they begin to grow. Soon, you will be looking for some sucker,.....errrr...gardener to gift some to. Larger bulbs cleaned, can be frozen and used as needed for about 3 months. The green stalk is best used fresh, although I imagine they could be dried. Hmmmmm.....just now thought of that. And I have a dehydrator too.........back in a bit. 8)
I just remembered picking green onions for my Mom when I was a kid. She had a spot in the corner of the yard where they grew every year...I'm quite certain that she didn't plant them every year. I think I'll wait until they die back completely and then re-plant them in another area of the garden. Thanks all for your help!!
