Onion plants, from Dixondale Farms

[Soilsniffer]

I ordered four sets of plants from Dixondale (FYI: 1015Y, Yellow Granex, Big Daddy, Candy). They arrived late Feb. Four sets, that's as much as 300 plants. That's WAY too many to plant at the same time, so to try to extend the harvest, I planted only about 25 of each variety on 24 Feb. The rest went into the fridge, each variety in its own unsealed Ziploc.

I took out 25 of each again on 12 March. They didn't look TOO bad -- a minimum of slime, limited to a few onions and just affecting the uppermost green leaves. The roots were dry, maybe TOO dry. But the bulb portions were still firm and I'm confident they'll produce.

So, I have one more batch to put in the ground. Dare I wait til 01 April? Will the ones I plant in April be only ping-pong ball sized when they mature in mid-July?

I'm thinking about planting the rest of the Big Daddy right now, as they store well (8-10 months) so they'll probably be put to good use eventually. But the sweet ones, which will last but a month or two, will go to waste if they all mature at the same time. I (& the Mrs.) love onions, but we can't eat THAT many at one time.

What do you folks (who buy from Dixondale or equivalent) do to extend the harvest? Or do you just plant them all at the same time and simply find creative ways to use onions when they all mature at the same time? Can I convince my 6-year old that a Vidalia is just a flat seedless apple??

I wonder if we can do a co-op type thing next year, where +/- five of us would divide 10 or so different bunches of onions, that way we'd each get a great variety of different types, just not so many of one kind. Those things get SO cheap if you buy in quantity.

Jay

[feldon30]

Up north, Onions and Potatoes are stored in a root cellar or basement at 45-50 degrees. They can be stored in sand or sawdust for months. It's hard to approximate those conditions in a refrigerator.

[gardenmaniac]

I buy from them as well in November. I usually split an order with friends and then plant the bigger ones for the long haul, and plant the little ones close together to harvest as needed as "green onions". Then I cure the onions when they are ready, hang them undercover outside and eat them through the summer. They usually last through August. I grow candy too... I also buy their leek plants and split them as well with friends.

Tiffanie

[montanamato]

I do as Tiffanie and plant a plot very close together, and then pull every other one or so to eat as green onions....

Jeanne

[David52]

I won't get my order for another month, but then I plant them all at once and thin them out as I go along. I chopped my last one from last summer, a red Mars, last evening. It had started to sprout, but was still edible.

If you have to keep the slips, try damp paper towel in the bottom of a plastic container. They need access to air.