Sprouting Onions

Jane23

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Two are ready to go. I will cover them in straw and hope for the best while keeping them out of the main batch of snow.
 

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Branching Out

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I don't think my onions are going to make it. Its been too cold. The tops seem to have disappeared. Are dead onions good for soil?
I don't grow onions but from what I have learned through growing garlic Alliums can harbour fungal diseases, some of which can remain in the soil for decades. (My friend lost 90% of her crop of 10 000 garlic this spring, from allium disease). Following a 4-year rotation reduces the chance of a build up of soil borne disease. I also make every effort to completely remove all of the little bits of alliums at harvest time and place them either in the trash or in the green bin, and no allium waste goes in my kitchen compost bucket either.

If the onions did in fact die I cannot see an issue with growing something non-allium in the same container though.
 

Jane23

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I don't grow onions but from what I have learned through growing garlic Alliums can harbour fungal diseases, some of which can remain in the soil for decades. (My friend lost 90% of her crop of 10 000 garlic this spring, from allium disease). Following a 4-year rotation reduces the chance of a build up of soil borne disease. I also make every effort to completely remove all of the little bits of alliums at harvest time and place them either in the trash or in the green bin, and no allium waste goes in my kitchen compost bucket either.

If the onions did in fact die I cannot see an issue with growing something non-allium in the same container though.
I planted them in some coffee cans as the ground is frozen. We had -40 temperatures for a bit, and I think that took them down despite my covering them with straw.
 

Branching Out

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I planted them in some coffee cans as the ground is frozen. We had -40 temperatures for a bit, and I think that took them down despite my covering them with straw.
So very sad. Last year it got really cold here, and I lost almost all of my garlic bulbils that were planted in 1 gallon containers. It was a terrible shock, because the year before they were just fine in the one gallon pots (warmer weather that year). This year I planted them in the ground instead, to be on the safe side.
 

HoleySmokes

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I planted them in some coffee cans as the ground is frozen. We had -40 temperatures for a bit, and I think that took them down despite my covering them with straw.
I would say that put a hurting on them. No harm in letting them sit there till Spring and see of they start to grow again.
 

flowerbug

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I would say that put a hurting on them. No harm in letting them sit there till Spring and see of they start to grow again.

worms will gladly eat any onion or garlic residues or food scraps. if they weren't diseased to begin with i wouldn't worry about anything with them.

i do replant and regrow in previous onion spaces and also garlic beds. and in other places i rotate plant. never had any diseases here that have taken out entire crops but i do see some spots on garlic cloves here or there. i just cut that away and use the rest.
 
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