2020 gardens
- Thread starter Sonny580
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herm0016
Platinum Member
can you explain? this is the first year we have done onions from seed. looking for tips.
Onion sets are small onion bulbs, usually sold by the pound. They are much more durable since they are dormant, and start growing from the bulbs stored energy. Sometimes varieties are only available as seeds or plants though, especially the short day, sweet types.
DJ54
Elite Member
- Joined
- Jan 20, 2009
- Messages
- 4,579
- Location
- Carroll, Ohio
- Tractor
- IH Farmall 656 gas/ IH 240 Utility/ 2, Super C Farmalls/ 2, Farmall A's/ Farmall BN/McCormick-Deering OS-6/McCormick-Deering O-4/ '36 Farmall F-12/ 480 Case hoe. '65 Ford 2000 3 cyl., 4 spd. w/3 spd Aux. Trans
My favorite is the Yellow Stuttgarter onion. I get them as sets, and make hill rows for them to grow in. I've planted them as late as Memorial Day weekend, and all end up maturing with a decent 11 to 13 leaves (each leaf equals a layer of the onion) which is the norm for mature onions. Below is a pic of making a hill row with one of the Bradley's, and disk. I'll flatten the top off with a rake, making the hill maybe 6" tall. Poke the sets in every 4" or so, then after they shoot up a few leaves, I run some leaves through the chipper shredder, and make mulch fine enough to dress the hill,and in between onions. They are pretty much maintenance free the rest of the summer. A couple hours work doing this, saves many more hours through the summer keeping them weed free. I may walk through every 4-5 days, and re-dress the leaves,pulling them back up, mainly because of the Robins scratching around, looking for bugs & worms. In late August/early Sept., the onions will literally push themselves up out of the dirt, making harvest an easy job.
Latest shop build, I'm building a hiller to go behind my little Sears 4-wheel tractor. Hiller is done, now will start making a strike off blade behind it, to level off the top of the row. It won't make a near as big of a hill as the DB & disk, but will disturb the surface a lot less, but let me get my row spacing back to the normal 30" spacing, making more room for more rows.
Also below are a couple pics of the first shop build this winter after the holidays. I use cattle panels cut in half, and T-posts for trellis for certain tomatoes that are highly productive, and break down even the heavy gauge cages, plus a Florida weave, every 4-5 cages. Storing/moving them has always been the biggest hassle with them. I've ran several designs through my mind in the past, and decided this would be the best for my situation. I can store them, and carry them where ever I need them with this special carry-all I made. I've got 36 panels, and there are 18 of them on here in the pic, so all will fit nicely, and still room for more. Using the Fast Hitch, to 3 pt. adapter on the 240 Utility makes for easy hooking up, and unhooking. I can carry them midway in the garden, saving having to carry them the full length. Any more, carrying half way, beats climbing on and off the tractor several times,with my old knees. I don't know if anyone else uses these, but I'm seeing this so far as a real time saver,and storing them out of the way.
Latest shop build, I'm building a hiller to go behind my little Sears 4-wheel tractor. Hiller is done, now will start making a strike off blade behind it, to level off the top of the row. It won't make a near as big of a hill as the DB & disk, but will disturb the surface a lot less, but let me get my row spacing back to the normal 30" spacing, making more room for more rows.
Also below are a couple pics of the first shop build this winter after the holidays. I use cattle panels cut in half, and T-posts for trellis for certain tomatoes that are highly productive, and break down even the heavy gauge cages, plus a Florida weave, every 4-5 cages. Storing/moving them has always been the biggest hassle with them. I've ran several designs through my mind in the past, and decided this would be the best for my situation. I can store them, and carry them where ever I need them with this special carry-all I made. I've got 36 panels, and there are 18 of them on here in the pic, so all will fit nicely, and still room for more. Using the Fast Hitch, to 3 pt. adapter on the 240 Utility makes for easy hooking up, and unhooking. I can carry them midway in the garden, saving having to carry them the full length. Any more, carrying half way, beats climbing on and off the tractor several times,with my old knees. I don't know if anyone else uses these, but I'm seeing this so far as a real time saver,and storing them out of the way.
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Sonny580
Veteran Member
I only use plants here, and certain varieties!---well cept this year,--I was handed 6 bunches of plants, varieties unknown, and a pound of sets, again varieties unknown, so I planted them not expecting to have much in the line of nice onions this year!
All of the potatoes are planted and it did rain last night so guess we got lucky.
All of the potatoes are planted and it did rain last night so guess we got lucky.
CADplans
Elite Member
A local supplier discontinued selling biodiffuser chambers, and I bought some at a WAY discounted price.
I used some to get rid of gutter run-off water,, but I still had a half dozen,,
I put them in the garden, they are completely filled with leaves,, the same for the upside down 100 gallon tank.
I had plants started (lettuce, spinach, broccoli,, etc,,) and planted the plants in rows, as well as right next to the chamber,,
So far, the ones next to the chambers are growing twice as fast,,,
I would imagine it would need an entire summer drought to dry the soil under the chambers,,
the soil under accumulated leaves is always damp, and full of earthworms,,, :thumbsup:
So, I hope it will be a giant in-garden earthworm casting factory,,,
I used some to get rid of gutter run-off water,, but I still had a half dozen,,
I put them in the garden, they are completely filled with leaves,, the same for the upside down 100 gallon tank.
I had plants started (lettuce, spinach, broccoli,, etc,,) and planted the plants in rows, as well as right next to the chamber,,
So far, the ones next to the chambers are growing twice as fast,,,
I would imagine it would need an entire summer drought to dry the soil under the chambers,,
the soil under accumulated leaves is always damp, and full of earthworms,,, :thumbsup:
So, I hope it will be a giant in-garden earthworm casting factory,,,
herm0016
Platinum Member
A local supplier discontinued selling biodiffuser chambers, and I bought some at a WAY discounted price.
I used some to get rid of gutter run-off water,, but I still had a half dozen,,
I put them in the garden, they are completely filled with leaves,, the same for the upside down 100 gallon tank.
I had plants started (lettuce, spinach, broccoli,, etc,,) and planted the plants in rows, as well as right next to the chamber,,
So far, the ones next to the chambers are growing twice as fast,,,
I would imagine it would need an entire summer drought to dry the soil under the chambers,,
the soil under accumulated leaves is always damp, and full of earthworms,,, :thumbsup:
So, I hope it will be a giant in-garden earthworm casting factory,,,
i have nearly 800 feet of them under my yard!
CADplans
Elite Member
I guess you are using the chambers to get rid of waste,,
I am trying to use them to create earthworm waste,,,
DJ54
Elite Member
- Joined
- Jan 20, 2009
- Messages
- 4,579
- Location
- Carroll, Ohio
- Tractor
- IH Farmall 656 gas/ IH 240 Utility/ 2, Super C Farmalls/ 2, Farmall A's/ Farmall BN/McCormick-Deering OS-6/McCormick-Deering O-4/ '36 Farmall F-12/ 480 Case hoe. '65 Ford 2000 3 cyl., 4 spd. w/3 spd Aux. Trans
I turned the lower1/3 of mine over yesterday, to get some clay mixed up in the topsoil, where I'd brought it to the top putting in tile last Fall. Also, to turn under some Mustard I sowed last Fall for a biofumagation experiment that failed. Didn't want to be fighting the residue when cultivating. The leaves I'd put on last Spring 6" thick, had pretty well decomposed down to 1" of compost. When I rolled it over, there were literally hundreds of big fat night crawlers in the soil. Didn't take them long to seek cover, or I'd have gotten a picture of them. They seem to like chowing down on those leaves. Glad to have them providing castings for fertilizer, and tunnels in the earth to make the water perk out easier.
Almost hate the thought of tilling the top 25' width to loosen up soil to plant potatoes in, killing many worms I know are in there. I will only make one pass, to incorporate some Sulfur to drop the PH level down to about 5.5 to 6.0. Last soil test showed it to be 6.8. I'm afraid that it being that high, may cause scab issues. And some K to hopefully boost some tuber growth.
Hopefully next week will bring some sunny weather, so as to get that done. Will probably start some cabbage, and peppers seeds next week also. I like to set plants at about 6 weeks of age, doesn't seem to be near the shock to them, and they'll take off and go.
Also want to experiment with using Kelp, Monty's plant food, and just normal dribble of 12-12-12 starter fertilizer, and see the difference. Which ever of the 2 plant foods produce better results in the first 30 days or so, I'll give the plants with nothing a shot of it, then use that next year.
Almost hate the thought of tilling the top 25' width to loosen up soil to plant potatoes in, killing many worms I know are in there. I will only make one pass, to incorporate some Sulfur to drop the PH level down to about 5.5 to 6.0. Last soil test showed it to be 6.8. I'm afraid that it being that high, may cause scab issues. And some K to hopefully boost some tuber growth.
Hopefully next week will bring some sunny weather, so as to get that done. Will probably start some cabbage, and peppers seeds next week also. I like to set plants at about 6 weeks of age, doesn't seem to be near the shock to them, and they'll take off and go.
Also want to experiment with using Kelp, Monty's plant food, and just normal dribble of 12-12-12 starter fertilizer, and see the difference. Which ever of the 2 plant foods produce better results in the first 30 days or so, I'll give the plants with nothing a shot of it, then use that next year.
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Sonny580
Veteran Member
Did get more done on the compost hauler!
box bed is done so now I have the tub and box. Takes 2 bolts to hold them on and not hard to switch beds.
box bed is done so now I have the tub and box. Takes 2 bolts to hold them on and not hard to switch beds.