Pregnant Onion

I live in Zone 7 and have a few of these. I am wondering if you have ever been able to get roots to sprout from the babies that fall off BEFORE they get their own roots?

I only have one plant that is making 'bubils'.

My plants grow a little bit, then the leaves dry from the end "in" toward the bulb. They do not have many leaves, maybe two...

I also have managed to drown (rot) a couple of them. I just want them to be healthy and happy.

Could you share with me how you grow yours? Thanks!

It's been a long time since I've grown a pregnant onion. The bulbil should have enough energy stored in it to produce roots. Let the severed end heal for 2 or 3 days. Then plant it in a small pot. Water the soil and place the pot in bright or filtered light until you see new growth. Don't overwater or the bulbil will rot.

These things are pretty hardy. I got tired of my pregnant onion a long time ago and put it outdoors under the shade of a pecan tree when we were still living in San Jose, CA. We moved to Texas 3-1/2 years ago leaving our house and garden in our sons' care. They stayed in the house. Last March, we decided to sell the house and I left to get it ready to put it on the market. The plants in the ground were slightly overgrown, but alive. Some potted plants did not survive the boys' care, but the pregnant onion did. It has survived many winters and irratic watering. You should have no problems getting them to grow.
BettyDee

Thanks BettyDee. I wish someone who has a nice size, healthy one would post a picture so I could see it. My little plants are no bigger around than a quarter... and the little bubils are about the size of an English pea.

Just out of the greenhouse where they live during out very wet winters, both are flowering and have been since last November.

You can also see some additional images in the PlantFiles http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/23467/

Oh Happenstance! Those are beautiful. Mine are, like I said, the size of quarters. The 'leaves' on them are about as big around as yarn. They will grow 18" long, but only be as 'wide' as yarn.

I think they will enjoy some spring weather, which we'll have soon.

Thanks for sharing, Happenstance. What (and how) do you feed your plants?

I use a general slow release broadcast fertilizer a couple times a year on the garden if I remember, lots of commercially bagged cow manure liberally applied at least several times a year, and I use fish emulsion (the concentrate diluted in water) on all my potted plants. The pregnant onions get it full strength per the label, but my Epis and succulents get about 1/4 - 1/2 strength of the diluted fish emulsion. That's in a perfect world......sometimes I am not quite as attentive as I need to be.

This morning I was concentrating on the snail bait, as we've had 10 days of additional monsoon rains here in Northern California....enough already!

FlowrLady,


Contact "Gourd" in Southern CA. We exchanged some Onion bulblets. She had the "Pregnant Onion" and I had a "Climbing Onion". She sent me nice pictures of hers. I DO remember, that they totally ABHOR being too wet!

I still have my "little ones" in a pot , by a window, in my basement. They are sending out long, leggy foliage. Not too much light, i suppose.

Our Spring is late in coming here. Tired of all the cold and ther rain. I cannot wait to get outside and "do my thing"!

Gitagal

Happenstance, I have some good manure I can use, and some fish emulsion, too! I mess up sometimes and give my succulents regular fertilizer and kill them :(

I went out for a couple of hours this morning and cleaned out some of my beds. I found evidence of the mole(s) and some slugs... Never a dull moment!

Gitagal, spring has sprung here. April 15 is our last frost date. There sure were a lot of weeds in one of my beds this morning. I'm thinking about digging everything up and starting over. That bed is too low and needs to be raised. I'll make that decision soon. Thanks for the info about Gourd. I've seen her posts before.

Happy Easter, everyone.