Onions

[SMS6]

I know this is a stupid question but it's one I don't know the answer to.

I have quite a lot of onions that are already a decent size, I've read that you wait until the leaves yellow and then lift them to dry them off and store them

But... my question is .... can I lift them one at a time and use them from now? It seems a bit silly to be buying onions when there they are out in the garden

[Alison]

Yes, you can pull them whenever you want but obviously they won't be as big as if you left them to fully mature. Also, they won't store as they'll be "wet" but if you're pulling to use straight away then that won't be a problem.

[solway cropper]

My overwintered onions are swelling nicely and will be pulled and used as and when we need them. They fill that gap before the maincrop of spring sown ones are ready.

The great thing about growing your own is that you can do what you want with your produce whenever you want. An onion is an onion whether it's as big as a pea or a football!

what I've been up to in north-west Cumbria
the recycled gardener

[Aberdeenplotter]

yes you can use them, the temptation is there as soon as they look like onions but I personally try to resist until they are fully grown.

[Two_Sheds]

I've been pulling & eating my onions at all stages of growth - some as spring onions, then as small bulb onions, and now they're nearly full grown

[SMS6]

Thanks for that every one. I thought I should be able to pull them as needed now but am glad of the confirmation. Some of them are at the size I would buy them at anyway, so that's another item to come off the supermarket shopping lists for a while.

I only have limited growing space in the garden, no allotment so I don't think I'll ever be able to grow enough to keep us going all year with everything but it's nice to be able to just pop out and bring something in fresh

[Two_Sheds]

I don't think I'll ever be able to grow enough to keep us going all year

Grow what's expensive in the shops then ... yeah I know, it's all expensive now.

Stuff like fruit, salad (75p for a lettuce now, I ask you!), tomatoes

[Rabidbun]

I also grow things that are expensive and that store/freeze well. Had a glut of tomatoes, french beans and tomatillos last year for example that I just froze (the beans) and roasted and froze (t'other two). Still eating the tomatoes and tomatillos now when I remember to defrost em!

I don't usually grow onions as they do tend to be cheap, but this year I had some in an offer, so squashed them in anywhere. Have ended up pulling some as they bolt and will pull more as they run out of room (I didn't check to see how big they got before planting ).

Definitely considering whole lettuces since seeing the price rises though - it's gone a bit nuts!