Alliums are all planted

Have you ever heard “When there is onion there is hope”? Who said that? But in my kitchen it is true.It seems like all of my recipes have some allium or two. Garlic is for success and onion is for necessity.

Based on last years success (and hoping for more) we have a full zone (1/8th) of the garden planted with alliums. Here is a layout showing the rows. Most are ‘double rows’ that are planted closely with an irrigation line in the middle sitting on top of chicken litter compost.

The garlic, a softneck variety, and shallots, some saved bulbs and some purchased bulbs, were planted in October in a double row. We mulched them with wheat straw and they have set very well. Each bulb has survived and is growing.

For green onions we planted scallion bulbs two weeks apart. The first planting is up and may produce in about two weeks. Pick by thinning and we will have green onions until late May. They are among the first harvest from the garden (along with strawberries).

We have 250 feet of plain white storage onions. Our variety did well last year and is recommended by OSU. It is called Granex. Some of our seedlings, started in the seed starting enclosure, were used. They look very small. I did read or hear that small sets are best to assure bulb production vs flowering. Seems like if an allium flowers then the bulb size is degraded.

Last fall several old leeks flowered. I let these blooms mature and when they were dry, I rough crumbled them in my hands and spread them out in a 1 foot square spot of clean soil. Then I sprinkled the surface with soil enough to just cover some of the crumpled flowers. This has produced hundreds of small leeks for this year’s garden. About 1/3 of our leeks were started this way. The other 2/3 of a row were purchased at the feed store (I have never before seen leek seedlings in a greenhouse).

Anyway – here’s to Mr. Onion and his family!