Storage Onion Harvest - some tops still green

jack131 on 8/28/2013, 4:40 pm

I have some nearly softball sized red and white storage onions that don't seem to want to quit growning. They need some encouragement to quit growing so I can get them dried out for winter storage. I think I read once about knocking over (bending over) the tops to encourage them to stop growing but I'm not sure. Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks Jack

CapeCoddess on 8/28/2013, 5:13 pm

Yes, I read about knocking over the greens, too. It may have been under Onions in the ANSFG book. Check there.

Mine are still green but they don't seem to be growing anymore. Wish they were.

CC

**camprn** on 8/28/2013, 5:19 pm

Jack, how long have they been in the ground and are they a mature size?
If they are still growing and not putting up flower stalks, you still have time to let them grow.

$glad you\'re here$ to the SFG Forum!

plantoid on 8/28/2013, 6:23 pm

@jack131 wrote:I have some nearly softball sized red and white storage onions that don't seem to want to quit growning. They need some encouragement to quit growing so I can get them dried out for winter storage. I think I read once about knocking over (bending over) the tops to encourage them to stop growing but I'm not sure. Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks Jack

Stop watering them and they should fall over on their own as the bed dries out.

If you break the stem by bending them over you can introduced disease that will affect the storage quality .

Mother nature withdraws the sugars and desiccates the stems naturally when the moisture levels start to drop off so there is less chance of a ruptured cell getting diseased .

**camprn** on 8/28/2013, 6:37 pm

@plantoid wrote:
@jack131 wrote:I have some nearly softball sized red and white storage onions that don't seem to want to quit growning. They need some encouragement to quit growing so I can get them dried out for winter storage. I think I read once about knocking over (bending over) the tops to encourage them to stop growing but I'm not sure. Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks Jack
Stop watering them and they should fall over on their own as the bed dries out.

If you break the stem by bending them over you can introduced disease that will affect the storage quality .

Mother nature withdraws the sugars and desiccates the stems naturally when the moisture levels start to drop off so there is less chance of a ruptured cell getting diseased .

+1

jack131 on 8/28/2013, 7:44 pm

@CapeCoddess wrote:Yes, I read about knocking over the greens, too. It may have been under Onions in the ANSFG book. Check there.

Mine are still green but they don't seem to be growing anymore. Wish they were.

CC

Thanks - I'll check it out. Jack

jack131 on 8/28/2013, 7:48 pm

@camprn wrote:Jack, how long have they been in the ground and are they a mature size?
If they are still growing and not putting up flower stalks, you still have time to let them grow.

$glad you\'re here$ to the SFG Forum!

In years past my onions tops have started to die off by now so I'm getting nervous. They are softball sized so I think their big enough. We had a real heavy rain two days ago and two of them look like they exploded open. Thanks Jack

jack131 on 8/28/2013, 7:51 pm

@plantoid wrote:
@jack131 wrote:I have some nearly softball sized red and white storage onions that don't seem to want to quit growning. They need some encouragement to quit growing so I can get them dried out for winter storage. I think I read once about knocking over (bending over) the tops to encourage them to stop growing but I'm not sure. Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks Jack
Stop watering them and they should fall over on their own as the bed dries out.

If you break the stem by bending them over you can introduced disease that will affect the storage quality .

Mother nature withdraws the sugars and desiccates the stems naturally when the moisture levels start to drop off so there is less chance of a ruptured cell getting diseased .

I haven't watered since May. We've had a very wet summer which is really unusual for upstate New York. I'll be careful if I do try bending them. I'm also thinking that bending them over will dislodge some of the roots and help them die off. Thanks Jack

Triciasgarden on 8/31/2013, 12:19 am

It sounds like you are going to have to somehow keep that rain off if they are going to fall over on their own. Small umbrellas Smile

Sponsored content

Storage Onion Harvest - some tops still green

Storage Onion Harvest - some tops still green

Re: Storage Onion Harvest - some tops still green

Re: Storage Onion Harvest - some tops still green

Re: Storage Onion Harvest - some tops still green

Re: Storage Onion Harvest - some tops still green

Re: Storage Onion Harvest - some tops still green

Re: Storage Onion Harvest - some tops still green

Re: Storage Onion Harvest - some tops still green

Re: Storage Onion Harvest - some tops still green

Re: Storage Onion Harvest - some tops still green


	Hello Guest! Welcome to the official Square Foot Gardening Forum. There's lots to learn here by reading as a guest. However, if you become a member (it's free, ad free and spam-free) you'll have access to our large vermiculite databases, our seed exchange spreadsheets, Mel's Mix calculator, and many more members' pictures in the Gallery. Enjoy.