How is your Onion crop?

Thanks to Farmerdill, I have a very nice crop of Copras.
It was my first time starting from seed rather than sets.
I had a late start but got a lot of really nice onions.
Thanks FD.
Andy P

I set out 2 sweet varities ...Candy and Superstar. They did very well too. Since they are not long keepers, I have to peddle [give] them soon after pulling.
At the State Fair I was set for my annual routine....eating one of those "blooming onions". I couldn't find their trailer. I bought onion rings instead. As I was eating them, I spied their trailer...right in front of me facing the other way.

Mine - started from bunches - are long gone. We've had a very hot, dry year and I didn't keep up early with the watering. I always seem to want to try "sweet" Vidalias and they're always as hot as any other onion. I'm told it's the soil. I'll bet Farmerdill has nice sweet onions in Georgia.
Mine did OK but didn't get very big.
Dave.

Dave, the Vidalia types are short day onions that need to be grown in the winter, early spring. They get hot with weather. They are harvested from March to first of May, depending on the variety. Definitely not a summer onion. I had sweet onions in Virginia too, but they they were Spanish and Bermuda types which bulbed up in June.

In spring I set out 75 plants I ordered from a place in Texas mentioned by Horseshoe. The plants were beautiful and did well, despite drought. I watered them a little, on and off but I ate and gave away so many they were all gone by the end of July, except for half a dozen red ones. Most were good eating, with a few that got hot and strong, but I used them in cooking. Next year! More onions!

I planted Walla Walla, Candy, Super Star and Stockton Red. They grew incredibly well and I still have plenty of all. I just put four huge Walla Wallas in a pot of ratatouille last night. I live in an intermediate area, but Walla Wallas grow nicely here. I get my plants in the spring from Dixondale Farms in Texas. I have ordered from then for years and have never been disappointed, quite the contrary

roseone
did you plant red onions? i love red onions in fresh salsa. can i plant them now or is it too late? i am in 7a, east tennessee

Yes, I did plant red onions, (sorry, I don't remember the variety), and most were mild good eating. It seems unlikely you could grow a crop to full maturity now but you'll have to wait for Farmerdill or another expert to tell you for sure. I would think you would have time for plenty of "green" onions or scallions and what's left will overwinter in the ground and start growing again in late winter. My plants came from Dixondale Farms in Texas and I was very pleased with them.

Agree with Rose, too late to start onions outside in East Tennessee. Your bets bet would be to oder plants form Dixondale http://www.dixondalefarms.com/ or Browns Omaha Plant Farms http://www.bopf.com/varieties.htm for setting in March. You will need a long day or intermediate day variety. I would not recomend starting from seed, but it is possible to start them inside 8-10 weeks before setting them outside.

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help me--I can find very little information about starting onions from seeds--I gather they are difficult to grow but I need plants now and none of the above sources carrries any until spring.

Last night I sprinkled some seeds on a tray of potting mix and lightly covered with vermiculite. Should I put them in a plastic bag until they sprout?

One source says that once they have germinated they should be grown in cool temps--I will have to keep them in air conditioner at night and put them out in the daytime.

I heavily seeded the tray (which may have been the wrong thing to do) but I thought in 8 to 10 weeks you just pull them apart to plant.

Does anybody know how to do all this correctly--I have more seeds and can do up another batch.

Thanks again for any help.

cowpea http://www.extension.umn.edu/yardandgarden/ygbriefs/h247onion.html
http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/vegetable_garden/57640
http://gardenaction.co.uk/fruit_veg_diary/fruit_veg_mini_project_august_1a_onion.asp In Florida you will need a short day cultivar that can be grown in Winter.

Farmerdill, thank you so much. Those links are much more helpful than the ones I looked at.

I did know enough to get short day onions as I have grown onions before from purchased sets. After reading
your links I'm a bit worried that the seeds are over one year old. Not by much though. I did another tray as instructed and will just have to wait and see if they germinate. Thanks again.