Over Wintered Onions

[darran91]

Hi
Can anyone advise when i should look to harvest my Over Wintered Onions? From the magazines i read i think it should be this month or early next, the thing is the bulbs don't seem to be that big... However, i need the bed to get my sweetcorn out.
Thanks

[pdblake]

Last year I harvested june/july time, but I'm up in Yorkshire. They do seem to take a long time to bulb up but then before you know it they're massive

[Mrs Dobby]

The ;argest of our overwintering onions has now got a 3 1/2" bulb, with others ranging from 1 1/2" upwards, but I've a feeling its still going to be a few weeks yet before they are ready to harvest! Round here it is usually July or August before they are ready to harvest!

[darran91]

thanks for the info, it seems i need to find somewhere else for my corn....

[Snadger]

I don't know how much sweet corn you are growing but if it's not too much you could work out where each plant is going to go and pull out the onions from these areas. The onions will be welcome in the kitchen I'm sure. This way you will stagger your onion crop instead of having to use them quickly, as they don't store well!
By the time the sweetcorn is big enough to need the extra space the rest of the onions wil be ready for lifting.

Just a thought!

[Flummery]

Bright lad, isn't he? Great idea!

[bramble]

I usually harvest mine around the longest day ( June 21st or there abouts) You will know they are ready when the foliage starts to turn yellow and die down.
You can actually harvest them whenever you like but they may not be the size you would like them to be.

[pigletwillie]

Mine are just starting to bulb up but are slower than I thought to mature.

As I still have store onions to use I will not bother with them this autumn as the difference in time between harvesting them and traditionally sown onions is only a few weeks and having the two versions of the same crop taking up room isnt really justified.

[Earthbabe]

Some of mine have large bulbs (under the membrane) and the tops are collapsing over but not yellowing. How do I know when these are ready. We hardly had any last year so it was not an issue. I must add that they look perfectly healthy. The garlic in the next bed has rust and is yellowing nicely.

[rustylady]

My overwintering onions (white ones) are looking good. Good bulbs forming, only one gone to seed ( flower head picked off). Two or three of them have decided to lay down their leaves, so I presume they will now concentrate their energies on the bulbs. This is the first year I have used overwintering onions and I haven't made my mind up yet if it's worth it.

[Earthbabe]

Sounds the same as mine RL. When do I know when to dig them up again?

[Paulottie]

I've just bent over the tops on one bed of Jap onions, I'll ease out of the soil in a week or so. I will put them on a rack to dry. I would usually wait for the longest day -things a few weeks early here. I have another bed with them at home but they are staying in for a bit longer just sowed dwarf french beans to follow. Garlic was rusty so dug that out.

I have the same space issues-we all do I guess! Got loads of stuff I'm having to water twice a day in modules! The mistake I have made before is admiring my fine veg, until it is going over then having to use it too old, meanwhile new plants are spoiling for the lack of a home. Its not so true of onions, but really reaping the benefits is so important. Start to eat your produce as it approaches its best not after when you will have a huge glut.

So, I'd say 'get them harvested' as in my experience you mostly don't need huge onions for the kitchen. If you dry them well they last till after xmas. Also while onions are useful but mmmm sweetcorn!

[darran91]

Gone Too Seed

Some of the onions have started to produce seeds at the top, i have taken these off... can i still leave them in the ground to get bigger or should they be pulled now?

[Paulottie]

Snadger reckons they don't get any bigger once they bolt, some say cut off flowerhead and leave it; I've left the best couple to save seed- either way they wont store if they are flowering -pull them first and use them up

[rustylady]

Some of the onions have started to produce seeds at the top, i have taken these off... can i still leave them in the ground to get bigger or should they be pulled now?

You can leave them in until you want to use them. The bulbs should grow a bit more yet, but bear in mind they won't store.