From: T@invalid.invalid   
      
   On 6/21/19 4:45 AM, songbird wrote:   
   > T wrote:   
   > ...   
   >> Do you wash off the dirt, which can be prodigious, or   
   >> just wipe them?   
   >   
   >    i try to stop watering them a week before lifting.   
   >   
   >    most of the dirt can come off with a little bit of   
   > shaking what is left is mostly on the roots so i leave   
   > that alone to dry and then cut it off later when the   
   > bulb has cured.  i cut it a bit away from the bulb so   
   > i don't bruise the bulb with the cutters.  at this time   
   > i also remove the one outer layer of tunic which might   
   > have some dirt on it so that it is now cleaned up and   
   > so it won't drop dirt where i store them.   
   >   
   >    this is for both onions and garlic at the point where   
   > they've been cured/dried.   
   >   
   >   
   >> On the seeds, do you just cut the heads off when the seeds   
   >> start to harden?   
   >   
   >    if i don't want the seeds to spread around i'll cut   
   > the tops off and dry them fully in box tops so i can   
   > harvest and give away the seeds.   
   >   
   >   
   >> How do you store the seeds?   
   >   
   >    cool dry location.  they are not good for long   
   > otherwise.  i haven't tried freezing them yet nor do   
   > i plan on it.   
   >   
   >> And when do you plant the seeds?   
   >   
   >    they should be viable immediately.  so if you want   
   > to start some for the next season you can plant them   
   > outside where you want them right before your next   
   > fall rains happen.  some should start up and then the   
   > cold will stop them and the small bulbs will be in   
   > place and ready to go for the following spring.   
   >   
   >    if you want to have starts ready for the following   
   > spring you can do them inside.  i've not done that   
   > here.  i just plant a long row or two of seeds in   
   > the early spring and thin them as needed.  the larger   
   > bulbs that form are eaten.  the smaller bulbs i left   
   > to grow and flower.   
   >   
   >    this year i have only one kind of onion flowering   
   > now as the patch i'd had planted with onions before   
   > i finally got cleared so now there is only the bunching   
   > onions which have yellow flowers.  my chives are done   
   > and Mom cuts those back hard to keep them from spreading   
   > seeds around.   
   >   
   >    the large sweet onions we plant are done from starts   
   > that the greenhouse does.  we put them in hard clay   
   > this year so i'm not sure they'll do all that great.   
   >   
   >    the garlic i grow here is acclimated to the clay   
   > enough that no matter where i grow it it seems to do   
   > ok.  the wetter summers and clay can make a challenge   
   > for harvesting, if the ground is wet i'll just wash   
   > the bulbs off when lifted since they are already   
   > wet.  then i dry them well to get ready for storage.   
   > garlic doesn't get exposed to the sun when curing.   
   > onions can take a bit more light and heat to cure so   
   > i'm not as careful with them.   
   >   
   >   
   >    songbird   
   >   
      
   Thank you!   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)