Question about Onions

Discussion in 'Edible Gardening' started by Phil A, Sep 3, 2017.

  1. Phil A

    Phil A Guest

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    Member from another forum asked, will an onion survive his winter of minus 40?

    Wants to grow his own seed, so it needs to overwinter.
     
  2. HarryS

    HarryS Eternally Optimistic Gardener

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    -40 Where is he - Yorkshire ? :snorky:
     
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    • Phil A

      Phil A Guest

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      Gotta be North of Watford at that temperature :biggrin:
       
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      • Irmemac

        Irmemac Total Gardener

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        Up here in Scotland, and that's just a chilly autumn :lunapic 130165696578242 5:
         
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        • Phil A

          Phil A Guest

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          Good point Irmemac :ideaIPB:

          @silu, do onions survive under the ice sheet? :)
           
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          • pete

            pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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            Bung one in the freezer for a week, then see if it makes roots.:smile:
             
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              Last edited: Sep 3, 2017
            • Fat Controller

              Fat Controller 'Cuddly' Scottish Admin! Staff Member

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              What is the benefit of growing onions as opposed to buying them? I mean, you put a spud in the ground and you get a bucketful back, and they invariably taste so much better than they do from the shops. Put an onion in the ground, you get an onion back, and it tastes like - well, an onion :scratch:
               
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              • Linz

                Linz Total Gardener

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                Good question FC. I have no idea, I just know my own grown onions this year made me cry even when peeling the skin off.. Even the red! And I still bought more sets to plant this autumn :rolleyespink:
                 
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                • pete

                  pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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                  Growing from seed is cheap, especially if it is your own seed.;):smile:

                  Mine from last year lasted me round until May this year, and I've had a reasonable crop again this year of three different types.

                  You could ask why people grow cabbages? Lettuce, or anything really.
                  It's usually got something to do with self satisfaction, and you enjoy doing it and watching them grow.
                   
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                  • Fat Controller

                    Fat Controller 'Cuddly' Scottish Admin! Staff Member

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                    From seed makes a bit more sense - you buy one pack of seeds, sow them and get loads of onions in return; cabbages, lettuce etc, the same - plus (in my opinion) there is more often than not a difference in taste. Onions taste like onions, so planting onion sets doesn't add up to me?
                     
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                    • pete

                      pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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                      Just had a rethink:scratch:

                      Why does it need to overwinter?
                      You dig it up now, overwinter it in a cool place and replant next spring?
                      Isn't that the normal way of doing it?:biggrin:
                       
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                      • pete

                        pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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                        Why do people strive to grow hotter and hotter chillies?:scratch:
                        They all taste the same to me:biggrin:

                        Must admit onion sets are a bit of a cheat in my opinion, but as I say, satisfying watching them grow, and better than watching paint dry.:biggrin:
                         
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                        • Linz

                          Linz Total Gardener

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                          I think sets are, in a way, cheating too. I did try doing my own from seed this year but cats/wind knocked them about.. however, next Jan I shall be attempting from seed again :th scifD36: :fingers crossed:
                           
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                          • JWK

                            JWK Gardener Staff Member

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                            I usually grow the bulk of my onions from setts, always have done. They are very simple so no faffing about with seed trays and pricking out etc. I can normally store enough to last till the following year. So for me it's all about ease for using setts.

                            I only bother growing Kelsae (Giants) from seed, these don't store so well but chopped up and frozen we still have a bag left in the freezer, whilst this year's crop is nearly ready to harvest.

                            I grow loads of onions to save money. Yes I know you can buy a big net of onions from the supermarket for next to nothing but they will have been sprayed with god knows what chemicals.

                            Do they taste different? Yes, the supermarket ones are pretty bland, we love fiery onions and all my smaller ones and shallots I pickle for over-winter. Again these are a world apart from the soft tasteless pickled onions in the shops.
                             
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                            • silu

                              silu gardening easy...hmmm

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                              Just @Zigs :). My efforts, on the onion front this year are.....well pathetic isn't really adequate. Let's put it this way,I was attempting to grow the big mild type onions from seed. I harvested these a couple of days ago. The majority of the crop resemble silver skin ie minute:wallbanging:. To add insult to injury many of these tiddlers have thick necks too so zero chance of them storing. I reckon I'll be lucky to get more than 3 kilos of useful ones out of the whole lot. Not sure I'll bother next year as I do somewhat agree with FC that the difference between home grown Onions (well mine anyway) and shop bought isn't massive and perhaps not really worth the effort. In comparison the likes of my Cauliflowers , Broccoli, Potatoes and Carrots are totally different to shop bought and worthwhile.
                               
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