know your onions!

[mulberrytree]

I can't remember whether I planted spring/salad onions or normal onions and they are now growing. Is there any way to tell - or do I just pick them and see if ok? Is there any danger of waiting too long if they are spring/salad onions?

[Demeter]

I can't remember whether I planted spring/salad onions or normal onions and they are now growing. Is there any way to tell - or do I just pick them and see if ok? Is there any danger of waiting too long if they are spring/salad onions?

Wait and see. If they are spring onions and you leave them too long the worst that will happen is that the tops will start dying back. Then you will know cos the bulbs will be too small to be normal onions Also, you can harvest them green even they are not meant to be spring onions. It'll be fine! (Motto of the day.)

I assume they were from seed - if from sets that would be a dead giveaway lol

[esrikandan]

I thought a lot of spring onions can grow into full size onions? I (but don't quote me!) that White Lisbon is same as most spanish full size onions.

[gojiberry]

All depends on variety of spring onions, some will hardly bulb out at all no matter how long you grow them for. I did see some in Tesco last week and they were the largest spring onions I've ever seen and the onion was almost the size of a golf ball.

Ian

[NOG]

If they are Spring Onions they will have a black seed at the top of the stork.

[mulberrytree]

Thanks. Just a thought: could they be garlic??! I think I might pick one and see what it is like. Tried earlier a month ago and was too skinny to be anything worthwhile. One of them has red bulb. May have got a mixture from onions previously planted that might have gone to seed as well as sowing packets of either red onions or spring onions (have both)! Onions got slightly eaten by slugs 2 years ago; don't they have weird tastes!

[Demeter]

Thanks. Just a thought: could they be garlic??! I think I might pick one and see what it is like. Tried earlier a month ago and was too skinny to be anything worthwhile. One of them has red bulb. May have got a mixture from onions previously planted that might have gone to seed as well as sowing packets of either red onions or spring onions (have both)! Onions got slightly eaten by slugs 2 years ago; don't they have weird tastes!

I have never seen a garlic seed, I imagine they are similar to other allium seeds (small, black and sort of triangular) - but it is fairly easy to tell a garlic plant from an onion plant as the leaves are different. Garlics (in common with leeks and garlic chives) have flat straplike leaves while onions, including spring onions, have round tube-like leaves.

I am going to go out on a limb and say it is probably onions, and if the only red onion seeds you have are normal onions rather than spring onions then I reckon that is probably mystery solved? Given that you have spotted a red bulb. Unless they are a mixture in which case it'll be pot luck!

[Demeter]

If they are Spring Onions they will have a black seed at the top of the stork.

So do normal onions...