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Planting onion seeds now
What will happen? I never got around to planting them in the early spring,
and I know the seeds will be no good next year. These are cheap hybrid long-day onions (I don't recall the variety). The days are already about 16 hours long up here. The weather is also unseasonably cool and damp, which would be a good thing for the young onions. I know there's no chance of getting big onion bulbs because the days are too long already. But will I get something useful for "spring onions" or scallions, or will they just get confused and die? Thanks, regards, Bob |
Planting onion seeds now
On Wed, 04 Jun 2003 17:02:43 -0500, zxcvbob
wrote: What will happen? I never got around to planting them in the early spring, and I know the seeds will be no good next year. Why not? Seeds, if properly stored, will last many years, with a slight decrease in germination percent each year. I have successfully planted 10 year old seeds numerous times.... These are cheap hybrid long-day onions (I don't recall the variety). The days are already about 16 hours long up here. Where is 'up here'? I'm at 49 degrees N and the days are almost 18 hours long..... The weather is also unseasonably cool and damp, which would be a good thing for the young onions. But not for germination. I know there's no chance of getting big onion bulbs because the days are too long already. But will I get something useful for "spring onions" or scallions, or will they just get confused and die? Can't hurt to try, (plant some, save some) then tell us how it went... I'd like to know myself, since I always plant onion sets or plants. Good luck, Jim |
Planting onion seeds now
Jim wrote:
Why not? Seeds, if properly stored, will last many years, with a slight decrease in germination percent each year. I have successfully planted 10 year old seeds numerous times.... Onion seeds do not remain viable more than about a year. If I save them until next year, a few will probably germinate but not many. OTOH, I routinely save tomato and peppers seeds for 5 or 6 years. Best regards, Bob, in Minnesota |
Planting onion seeds now
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Planting onion seeds now
zxcvbob said:
What will happen? I never got around to planting them in the early spring, and I know the seeds will be no good next year. These are cheap hybrid long-day onions (I don't recall the variety). The days are already about 16 hours long up here. The weather is also unseasonably cool and damp, which would be a good thing for the young onions. I know there's no chance of getting big onion bulbs because the days are too long already. But will I get something useful for "spring onions" or scallions, or will they just get confused and die? They will attempt to bulb but won't mature (and won't store). You'll have to harvest them as green onions (bulby ones, likely). Anything after the very first of May is too late to seed onions here in Michigan, if you want mature storage onions. Even that is cutting it close. (One of the bulletins from the extension service this May was specifically about it being too late to plant storage onions.) -- Pat in Plymouth MI Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced. (attributed to Don Marti) |
Planting onion seeds now
On Wed, 04 Jun 2003 18:38:34 -0500, zxcvbob
wrote: Jim wrote: Why not? Seeds, if properly stored, will last many years, with a slight decrease in germination percent each year. I have successfully planted 10 year old seeds numerous times.... Onion seeds do not remain viable more than about a year. If I save them until next year, a few will probably germinate but not many. Well, then -- why ask? Plant 'em and see what happens. Or if you don't want to invest the labor of planting, weeding and watering a suspect crop, toss 'em. |
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