Bringing in the Sheaves (or braids)
Yesterday I started bringing in the onion crop. They have been drying in the top of the garage for a month or so. This year they were harvested a bit later than last, they didn’t get blown over like they did last year. The results were much larger onions, which I’m pretty happy about.
I only braid the smaller onions, the big ones are put into wooden boxes in a single layer and stowed away in the basement where it’s nice and cool. Usually they last through early June of the following year, just in time for spring onions and small fresh onions. This is my best onion harvest so far, I’m guessing I harvested around a hundred and fifty pounds of onions.
Onions are one of my favorite crops to grow, I love nurturing them from tiny seeds. Perhaps I love growing them so much because I really love eating them. Pretty much every meal around here begins with the chopping of an onion!
What’s your favorite crop to grow?
Filed under Around the Garden, Edible, harvest, Harvest Keepers Challenge, Onions | Comments (8)
Those are beautiful! I hope to have beautiful crops of onions and other things, too.
I scored some walking onions to plant several weeks ago and I haven’t planted them. Do you (or any readers) know if they have to be planted this fall or will they last for a bit?
to Natalie Steiman's comment
My favorites change over the years… Tomatoes & peppers are probably my all time favorites.. but the past 2 years, tomatillos have been on the top of my list.. They grow like gangbusters here in Ohio… and dont seem to have any pest or disease issues… even when I neglect them by forgetting to water them, they reward me with big beautiful tomatillos..
and I love Chile Verde! ;)
to KimH's comment
Your onions are gorgeous! I’ve only been growing in New England for two years now, but both years were a huge disappointment for onions. The first year I used sets, but by the end of the summer they were no larger than when I put them in the ground! So I let them overwinter and about half grew into small-medium sized onions this year. I also tried seeds with no luck. I think I need to seek out a local onion guru to teach me the secret(s) to growing onions out here. After seeing yours, I’m convinced it’s worth the effort to keep trying.
to Lorna's comment
I do love this time of year with the harvest hanging to dry or ready to be processed and saved for the winter. I find these mental images so comforting.
to Charlie@Seattle Trekker's comment
Beautiful! I had a big onion harvest my first year in Texas and then realized I don’t have any place to store them. No basements around here and our house is small, storing them outdoors is not great since winter is our wetter season.
to Sarah's comment
Sarah, My grandparents in S. Texas always used to store their onions on a bed of net or chicken wire hanging from the ceiling of their garage.. above their car.. Air was able to get to them all around because they were usually only 1 deep.. worked for them.
to KimH's comment
My family does the same thing, except they hang them in pantyhose in the garage! Alas, we don’t have a garage and our house is quite small.
We dream of digging a small root cellar one day. We’re in one of the few parts of town where the ground is dirt and not solid limestone.
to Sarah's comment
If I leave my onions in the ground over the winter, are they doomed to death?
They didn’t grow very large (I grew a set of onions I purchased on sale at Menards) and despite not harvesting any, the greens from the top that I did take now and then throughout the season were delicious.
to Caroline's comment