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

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

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

On Wed, 04 Jun 2003 22:42:23 GMT,
(Jim) wrote:

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....

I've read (in various places) that onion seeds are an
exception to this and should be used when fresh. I've no
personal experience with it though.

Pat

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)

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.