Early Onion Patch
Posted By FarmerJ on April 8, 2011
Sometime last weekend, Darling Husbie came in and announced that I had some onions poking their green heads up in one of the boxes in the small square foot garden. The square foot garden? Oh, yeah! That cute little fenced off area with the pretty flower bed in front of it ~ on the opposite side of the house from the monster plots that had required every waking second of my time last summer. I had a 20-foot section of sweet and red onions in one of the rows in the big plot last summer, and it seems I’d forgotten that I stuck the extra sets in one of the square foot boxes.
Wednesday finally brought with it warm sunshine and calm winds ~ the makings of a gorgeous day. I ceased the opportunity to take the girls outside for a while and to spend some time in the neglected little square foot garden cleaning it up and prepping it for this year’s crop. I wasn’t sure how many onions were in the box Husbie referred to, but I knew they were amidst a mess.
A mess indeed! How did Husbie even see those poor little things? They had to have been screaming, “Save me! Save me!,” as he walked by. I am really ashamed to even show you how pathetically neglected our square foot garden has been. But, I’m going to…and, then, I’ll be anxious to show you how it improves and progresses throughout the season! This is one of twelve 4′ x 4′ squares, and then we have two 4′ x 15′ sections with asparagus. Thankfully, not all of the squares are this pitiful ~ but, at least four of them are. Plus, it’s time to trim back the asparagus ferns and tend to the poor strawberry plants that never got ‘tucked in’ for the winter. The June Bearing strawberry plants are already eagerly growing.
Anyway, I had no idea that these onions would hold over winter and start growing their green tops again! Some of the bulbs seem a little soft, but the tops are beautiful, so I let them be. If I get nothing but green onion tops for salads, and soups, and mashed potatoes, and all the other things that diced green onion makes wonderful, I’ll be a happy girl. If I actually get an onion bulb to slice? Bonus! They smell so good. And, taste good, too. I accidentally pulled one out with a handful of weeds, so I nibbled on it while I worked.
So, I have to ask…is this typical for onions?
Oh! I just found this photo ~ it was taken in early Spring, 2009. The June Bearing strawberry plants are barely getting started in the box in the lower left, and you can see one of the long asparagus boxes down at the far end (top of the photo) in the center row. Last year, we turned the three boxes to the right of that one into another asparagus box.
And…just to prove it doesn’t always look pitiful. This was early Summer, 2009.
Things besides weeds really do grow out there! This was Fall, 2008.
It is supposed to be a nice day tomorrow again, after a couple days of misty rain, so I am looking forward to getting back out there ~ I have to check on those onions! ♥
Once again, we’re participating in Farm Friend Friday. We’re talking adorable kids (goats), bunnies, kids (human, even), crafts, recipes, you name it! Be sure to check it out.
About The Author
I have had onions overwinter in the ground too. Whatever onion was there from the previous year seems to rot and feed the middle part (does that make sense?). But they come back like that, grow pretty well, and like you mentioned, I get green tops for salads and marinades. I can’t remember paying good enough attention to the final outcome (meaning, then ended up in with all the other onions that got planted in spring), but I think they go ahead and form new bulbs if they are bulb onion type.
Thanks, Laura! At first, I was a little concerned about eating the tops if the bulbs were a little soft and mushy. But, then, I kept looking at how healthy those tops are and figured there couldn’t be anything wrong with them ~ other than a few of the very tips having been bitten by a little frost. I ate the one I pulled, and I’m still alive to write about it, so I’d say we’re good to go!
I’m so glad you visited! Love and hugs to you and your family, as always.
Hi, did you get a heartburn from eating that onion? I love the taste, but, then I always have to face the aftermath…sure is good in so many ways of cooking, nothing like the flavor!
There are a few strange “items” coming up in my little spot of a garden, Maybe some seeds left over from last year…I know that the birds are sure gathering!
Hopefully, Spring will give us a sprout for a new start! I sure do love and respect you so much!
Glad you found those babies, I loved seeing the pictures, it brings back so many great memories of the time we shared in the garden. I especially love the last picture since you can see how your flower bed turned out. wink wink
Mom ~ No, no heartburn. I think I’m too ornery for heartburn. Heehee! Can’t wait to hear what ‘items’ decided to come back in your little patch this year. Love you more.
Buddy ~ You need to come back to the farm. I have a 5-gallon bucketful of lilies to plant and the gladiolus need thinned…and then there’s that poor little tulip that tries to grow every year in the lawn that I keep mowing over. He’s back again, and I promise to get him transplanted. Then, there were those other things next to the tulip that keep trying to come back, too. I haven’t seen them yet, but if I do, I will move them. Poor little things. How could I keep chopping their heads off?
What kind of Lillies do you have Buddie? Gladiolus will be easy to thin out, will take a day or two. LOL April & May flights are horrible, I keep checking on them. sniff sniff
the things next to the tulips were jonquils. LOL
I can’t remember, but I think the lilies are purple day lilies ~ I can’t seem to get away from the purple flowers around here. Heehee! Jonquils. Right. Like I’m ever going to remember that name.