crofter-amy Posted September 17, 2010 Report Share Posted September 17, 2010 Here we are in the midst of yet another soggy autumn and my onions are not closed off enough to store. They are going to rot in the ground if someone can't suggest a solution Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveh Posted September 17, 2010 Report Share Posted September 17, 2010 I pulled my onions up about two weeks ago and put them onto some tarpaulin. I laid them out when it was dry and put them back into a shed when it was wet. I currently have them sitting in the greenhouse alongside the garlic. I won't put them into an onion bag for at least another week of drying yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crofter-amy Posted September 17, 2010 Author Report Share Posted September 17, 2010 Thats great...Now where did I put the time machine Really wish I had done similar but now need some more radical solutions Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveh Posted September 17, 2010 Report Share Posted September 17, 2010 I don't understand your comment. what is wrong with pulling them up now and laying them onto some tarpaulin (or similar) to dry when it isn't raining? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crofter-amy Posted September 17, 2010 Author Report Share Posted September 17, 2010 They are starting to rot and with the humidity this high I just dont think they will survive till we get good drying weather Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveh Posted September 17, 2010 Report Share Posted September 17, 2010 Whether they are rotting or not, they need to be out of the ground anyway. Put the rotten ones into the compost heap and try and dry the remaining ones as I suggested. If the bad ones are rotten, other than from being so wet (ie a disease or infestation) then bin them rather than add to the compost heap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keedle Posted September 17, 2010 Report Share Posted September 17, 2010 We roll out a piece of chicken wire and push stalks through , drying them upside down . When stalks are withered we tie them up to greenhouse roof or if you have onion bags even better ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crofter-amy Posted September 17, 2010 Author Report Share Posted September 17, 2010 Should I just get them in the shed now or wait for a break in the rain so they can dry off a bit first? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keedle Posted September 17, 2010 Report Share Posted September 17, 2010 You would need to get them out now or they will turn to mush .Also night frosts is not far away . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crofter-amy Posted September 17, 2010 Author Report Share Posted September 17, 2010 We had a heavy hail shower earlier and It sure feels like winter now. Pitty my poor calf born just before the hail came. Next problem, how to keep the vermin off a hundred onions Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magnie-na Posted September 18, 2010 Report Share Posted September 18, 2010 We lifted ours last weekend and now they're air-drying upside down in a slatted wood extension we added on the side of the chicken shed - really easy lashup but it works a treat. All the garlic was lifted and dried like this a month ago. As for the vermin - we store our onions in the byre where the cats live! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crofter-amy Posted September 18, 2010 Author Report Share Posted September 18, 2010 MMM... wonder if I could cobble something together out of a few old pallets in a day I never dry my garlic as I can't be doing with the dry skins and I couldn't get it to keep all year. I lift the lot and peel them wet as the skins come off easy. Then I chop the lot and pickle it. Going to try storing some in oil this year as vinigar doesn't do in some recipies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magnie-na Posted September 18, 2010 Report Share Posted September 18, 2010 Sure you can Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frances144 Posted September 18, 2010 Report Share Posted September 18, 2010 Last year we plaited them and hung them in the kitchen. Worked brilliantly. They dried off a treat. Previous years, we have had them in racks in the shed and they were just not warm enough and rotted from the stems and then inside out. So I recommend plaiting and hanging them on nails off the rafters in your kitchen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crofter-amy Posted September 18, 2010 Author Report Share Posted September 18, 2010 Thanks Frances. Been out and pulled them up today and I fear they are already too mushy to store. I shall be freezing them again this year. That's been 3 years now since they closed off enough to store Cant put them in any earlier or they'll bolt, so I don't know what to do about them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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