Kitchen Garden Forum

Hi,

Just wondered how you can tell when onions and other root veg are ready to harvest?

Cat

What other stuff

Onions, the leaves will fall over as one and start to die off.
Provided the weather is good leave them to get on with it and the outer skin of the bulb will turn brown and papery, that is when to harvest them, remember there are alot of roots under the bulb though, a trowel can be useful.
If the weather is set damp, then best to harvest earlier and hang, or put in wire baskets, in a greenhouse or conservatory to dry out, do not cram them into a box as the object is free flow of air in a warm dryish environment with sunlight to "cure" the bulb and dry off the leaves, which should be snapped off within three inches of the bulb, unless you want to plait them.

Thanks Peter!

Catbud, see in Weeds Pest Disease about white rot.

Recommendation there about not allowing to get damp when almost ripe.

Hello all

New to the boards, and new to gardening! Only had a garden at all since March this year, but you'll be pleased to know I got straight down to the veggies

On the subject of onions - mine are nearly ready to come up now. Will it be ok to just pull them up and leave them where they are to dry in this hot weather - or should they be lifted up off the soil?

Thanks!

Hi Tuppy,
Many people simply pull the Onions up and leave them to dry out on the bed and certainly in this weather it will not take very long for them to dry out to an acceptable level for collection. However that may not be dry enough for storage so as Peter says do not cram them into anything. Best is to nick some Onion Sacks from your local greengrocers and hang them up in them unless again as Peter says you plait them. Always hang and store Onions where there is good ventilation at all times.

Or string them up and be the envy of the neighbours
http://www.powen.freeserve.co.uk/Guides ... onions.htm