Onion Patch Management

[8ntruck 7,615]

We have an onion patch growing next to the tractor shed.  Been there for a long time.  We've pretty much ignored it.  It seems to be self propagating, 'cause there is a healthy growth of onions every year.  We rarely harvest anything from it.

 

Today, just to see what we had, I dug up one of the clumps of onion plants.  That resulted in about 6 small onions that looked like green onions with a slight bulb on the end.  Nice mild flavor.  I'm going to leave it alone and dig another bunch up in a couple weeks to see if they still look like green onions, or are starting to make larger onions.

 

When I look up how to grow onions on the interweb, I get instructions on how to plane onion sets.  I already know how to do that.  What I am looking for is how to maintain a self propagating onion patch and get reasonable sized onions.

 

Anybody here done this?  Comments? Advice? Tips?

[oliver2-44 10,558]

Let them grow until the green tops fall over.

Then wait a week and dig them up.

Hang them in a semi cool place until the tops are fully brown.

I wonder if they a variety of wild onions, which don't get real big, but are still tasty. 

[8ntruck 7,615]

 thanks

 

Do they sef seed for next year's crop?

[JimSraj 505]

Post some pictures so we can see what you’re dealing with. I’m thinking you may have Egyptian onions otherwise known as ‘walking onions’. They grow in clumps and will get a small bunch of little ‘seed’ sets on the top of the stalk as they mature. In my experience they are fairly mild early in the season but can get rather potent as they mature. 

[Pullstart 65,679]

Natural food rocks!

[8ntruck 7,615]

22 hours ago, JimSraj said:

Post some pictures so we can see what you’re dealing with. I’m thinking you may have Egyptian onions otherwise known as ‘walking onions’. They grow in clumps and will get a small bunch of little ‘seed’ sets on the top of the stalk as they mature. In my experience they are fairly mild early in the season but can get rather potent as they mature. 

Yup.  This sounds like what I have.  Got to take the dog out on a parimiter patrol.  I'll snap a picture while we are out.

[8ntruck 7,615]

Pictures:

 

 

 

 

Had a visitor through the yard last night.

Edited May 17 by 8ntruck

[Wayne0 1,101]

Not onions, but related. I've got garlic chives that spread like wild fire!

I wish I had onions like that because I love them!