Hi,
It has been to long since I posted here... I hope all are well....
When I went to the swap at Harts place I believe it was Gita who gave me a P. Onion... Well she is blooming or I think that is what it is.... She is growing babies and doing just great... Here is a picture of what I think is going to be a bloom or something...LOL
that's great! looks like a bud to me too. I have one from Gita but it's not quite to that point yet. Good to see you again!
Ah, the "infamous" PG from the spring swap :) I remember everyone talking about it and now I know what it is! Looks like you've taken very good care of it - Gita will be proud.
Hi Susan, I was thinking about you the other day sent you a D-mail. Nice to hear from you. Looks like your onion is doing great. Holly
Susan,
Hay!!! Glad to see it is doing so well! I AM a proud "Grandma"!
YES! That is a bloom stalk! Be ready--for it may grow to be 3'-4' long!!!
There will be small, white flowers developing from the bloom-end of it as it progresses. It takes a long-long time for all of them to finish blooming. Then--from the bottom end, it will start making seed pods.
Allow these to fully develop and, when they look dry, you can pick them and there will be seeds inside. Very much like a Salvia, a Glad, or a Hollyhock. The blooming travels up the spike......
I don't know WHY anyone would want to mess around with growing this plant from seed, as it is so much easier to do so from all the sprouting "babies", but you never know! I have saved a pile of the seeds myself. Good, interesting plant for seed-trading.
Also--by next Summer, it may need to be divided and transplanted. I keep mine pretty dormant all winter, as I have nowhere to keep it growing. It doesn't seem to bother it any. Actually, I think it makes the "Onions" get bigger in the dormant state.
You will be AMAZED at the matted roots this Onion has!!!! You will need a good steak knife to separate them all. Honest!
They DO grow so fast!!!!
In the process of separation, the itsy-bitsy baby onions will be falling off like marbles. Just stick them all, partially submerged, in some potting mix in a cell-pack and they will root. Takes about a year b/f they are fully rooted, but then you can re-pot them and share them with other folks.
If the original Onion has split up into many, take each one apart and re-pot it individually in a new, 6" clay pot. Don't worry about the roots getting damaged. It is a "bulb" and will survive anyway.
And--so it goes!!!!!
Lookie here! Gita
Here is how long the bloom stalks grew in my PO this Summer. Can you make them out? If you had them outside all Summer (you should!), some of them send out more than one stalk.
Here is a close-up of the bloom. See how the seed pods are forming at the base?
I'm already planning to give one to my neighbor who just gave me rights to her shredded leaves-plus-grass. She has seven kids, so it's kind of a cute item to give her as well as being tough enough to survive her ' microclimate'
Gita,
I can't thank you enough for giving this odd plant to me... I have loved it from the moment you gave to me... She spent the summer outside and did very well.. Then when I brought her in she looked really good still... I was thrilled to see this bloom starting...I will watch it really careful .. Don't worry no one here will hurt your Grandchild :-) Once again I can't that you for given me this when you barely knew me... You are a sweethear...
Hugs,
Susan
PS How much water do you think I should be given her? And any Fert?
Susan,
I know that the PO needs very good drainage, that's why i always have them in clay pots. So--a fast draining potting ix would work best.
If your Onion is actively growing, I would water it as necessary--but not too often. Like all "bulbs", they can sustain themselves from stored energy in the "bulb", I believe the PO is in the Hyacinth family.
Fertilizing??? Have no clue! I guess weak MG would not hurt. How about some Bulb Food?
I keep my PO on the small windowsill in my Laundry room all winter in pretty much a dormant state. Usually, I forget it is there. I water a few times during the Winter. Most of the big leaves yellow out and I pull them off.
When I put it back outside, it just takes off. Like I said, once they are big, be ready to divide and transplant them about every 2 years.
"Granny" Gita
Gita,
Thank you so much for the picture and all the information on the PG... When I brought her inside I to thought she may just sit there for the winter but then the stem started to grow and I know have a growing plant....LOL I also brought in my Dessert Rose and from what I read it is also suppose to go to sleep in winter... Mine is blooming away...I also have a cactus that someone gave me in the mail and they said it is a night bloomer and it to is growing now like a weed.. My plants must be mixed up like I am... :-)
Hugs,
Susan
