When should I lift onion sets?

[Green Gerkin]

I planted stuttgarter riesen onion sets in early march.
They have toppled over and died back, does that mean they are ready for lifting?
I have had a nosey and they seem a nice size.


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[Dorothy rouse]

I'd either loosen the soil around them so they can dry in the sun! Or lift them and dry them somewhere off the ground, when they are nice and dry you can plait them or string them up and use as needed.

Weather is not so reliable at the moment, so I'd check for next few days.

I've made mistake before, lifted onions dried in sun, then torrential rain, not a good idea.

[Ananke]

I use mine straight from the ground until the majority have fallen over, then i lift what's left and hang them in the shed.

[brownfingers]

I use mine straight from the ground until the majority have fallen over, then i lift what's left and hang them in the shed.

Me too.
I've grown Stutgarter this year and have found that they don't need the roots loosening as they put very little root out. The red baron were the same. I've just been able to lift them off the soil. I did plant in well trodden down ground though (upon the advice of a seasoned onionist). The onions are great though. I've just taken all mine up and put them on racks to dry........ if the rain keeps off!

[KevinM67]

I'd either loosen the soil around them so they can dry in the sun! Or lift them and dry them somewhere off the ground, when they are nice and dry you can plait them or string them up and use as needed.

Weather is not so reliable at the moment, so I'd check for next few days.

I've made mistake before, lifted onions dried in sun, then torrential rain, not a good idea.

Dorothy - like me, are you reading this thread with a tinge of envy.

[Dorothy rouse]

Dorothy - like me, are you reading this thread with a tinge of envy.

So true, never mind eh, we can 'try harder' next year.

[Fleurisa]

We tried red winter onions and they all bolted, then our summer onions got downy mildew. So no onions this year at all

[Penellype]

My red onions mainly bolted and the remainder are very small and are rapidly getting neck rot. The Sturon are much bigger and I've brought them all into the garage to dry even though some of the foliage was still a bit green, because we have had rain forecast every day for about the last week or so and no sign of a change in that. I've done this before - as long as they have plenty of air round them Sturon are usually fine. Can't speak for other varieties.

[brownfingers]

I said earlier that mine didn't put much roots out and were more or less just laid on the top. Since then, I've dug a bit of the ground over where they were growing, and it's full of roots! I wonder if this is why I was told to plant them into ground which had been well firmed down?