Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] growing onion sets

market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Market Farming

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Road's End Farm <organic87 AT frontiernet.net>
  • To: bobbett AT windstream.net, Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] growing onion sets
  • Date: Mon, 22 Feb 2010 16:37:51 -0500


On Feb 22, 2010, at 2:26 PM, Bobbett wrote:

Normally I grow my own plants, and this year I'm making a diligent
effort to save my own seed (I did it last yr, but the seed was mixed;
this year I aim to keep it separated and not cross pollinated).

How many plants did you save seed from?

Some years ago I tried to save a variety of onion that had disappeared from the market, but found I was getting less and less viable seed every year; it's possible that the problem was that the original was a hybrid and some problem was being expressed that didn't show up in a significant percentage until about the f4 generation, but when I got around to looking it up (which obviously I should have done first) I found that I might not have started with enough plants for onions.

-- Unfortunately just now when I tried to look it up I couldn't find the information for how many plants are needed.


I got seeds of a variety I want to grow (it was back-ordered) but it's
too late for me to get them up and producing well for this yr. Since
onion seeds don't tend to store well

I use new onion seed every year if possible; but if something arrives late, I've found that very often the previous year's onion seed will give me enough starts if I seed it a little heavily.

You're further south than I am, but I think with onions the solstice is more crucial, and that's not going to vary: this is the week I usually seed my onions, and I've gotten a nice crop from seed not started till the first couple days of March. So you may not be too late to start them yet.

-- Rivka; Finger Lakes NY, Zone 5 mostly
Fresh-market organic produce, small scale







Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page