Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Onions Thinned, But Not My Waistline

I'm just amazed to see the stems of those onions expand like they are. Last year's onions were a total flop and I can honestly see that these onions are really going to bulb up. I went ahead and thinned out some of the plants that were looking too close together and boy were those roots deep! Take a look:
For each one, I actually had to dig down below the bulb, hook my finger under the bulb and through the roots and pull with all my might. It was more difficult to get them out than I thought it would be.

They didn't weigh much, but I'm starting my 2010 totals on the side. Last year I kept the weight by vegetable, but this year I'm thinking I may just keep an over all total. What do you all do?

We had my parents over for supper the other night and baked a brie topped with the conserve I made earlier. This is before it was baked, but it was nice and buttery, nutty and sweet.
I'm going to try to fix my bowed boxes and hopefully build my high rises this weekend so I can fetch my compost either this weekend or next. It's getting to be about that time. My records show I had already planted out a LOT of things by this time last year, but I also remember much of that failing or needing to replant a lot of it. I'm thinking to keep the spring veggies light this year. Covering everything with straw on and off last year was for the birds. I'm itching to get started in earnest with the summer crops!

The morning comes early. Sweet gardening dreams.

15 comments:

  1. Wow...those roots are pretty major. Those onions look great. Hopefully, you will get nice big bulbs this year.

    I don't think I would have the energy to break the weight down by the veggie. However, I think I might limit it to certain veggies that I'm most excited about growing like tomatoes, artichokes, cucumbers and maybe a melon count.

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  2. Finally, I can visit your blog. The firewall at work won't let me, but I have a few minutes to do so now (at home). The seedling eater is something that would really make me vindictive, and would certainly be inspired to create hell on earth for the little rascal.

    Onions definitely have long roots. I remember tugging on them last spring.

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  3. Those onions look really good. I keep a running overall total on my blog but I have an excel spreadsheet for each individual vegetable and fruit.

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  4. Looks like you should have some big onions this year! The bigger the tops the bigger the bulbs. Congrats! I had some of your conserve on a scone shortly after it came, it is really good. Still thinking of what else to make with it, the brie looks excellent.

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  5. Thomas, I wish I had reconsidered and recorded my totals from last year before I deleted them on the sidebar. It would be interesting to see how the amounts differed, but then again, planting different things in different amounts would skew the comparisons anyway. I keep going back and forth, but I do know a straight total is necessary.

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  6. EG, I can only get certain parts of blogs on certain computers as well. I can't get your videos on our upstairs computer, but I can on the laptop. I can't see Thomas's or Kate's pictures at school, but I can at home. It's all very odd.

    Yup, that seedling eater and I are going to come to an understanding, that's for sure.

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  7. Liisa, I know I'd never open up a computer file to record numbers. That's one of the reasons the blog total wasn't always up to date. I might do better off with a log book kept in the garden box. Hmmmmm That's an idea. Thanks!

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  8. Dan, there are some pretty large tops out there which I'm very happy about. I can't wait until harvest time. We've had the conserve over pound cake, but I think baking it cuts down on the sweetness and it goes really well with the nutty taste of the brie.

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  9. They look great.
    If I had the energy, I'd keep weight, individual plant numbers or fruit numbers, and price at time of harvest for each one. As it is, I keep individual plant weight totals. That's all I can do. Whatever you do is good.

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  10. The onions really look good.... they are quite cyclic, good this time, and not so good next time... ~bangchik

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  11. Price at harvest would be idea, but I'm so not that dedicated.

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  12. Rather I should say not organized

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  13. Thanks Bangchik! And thanks more for leaving a comment.

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  14. Your brie looks delightful. We've acquired quite a liking for brie wrapped in puff pastry and my derrier has paid the price.. but it was worth every penny!

    Your onions look amazing. Mine were a total bust last year. Do you have any tips?

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  15. Hi Caffeinated Mom!! Welcome! Onion tips, huh? Hmmm....You just have to hold your mouth right.

    Seriously, I think it's sun. Last year mine were a bust as well and this year I moved them to a new bed that gets two hours more sun and they're doing great!

    Then again, I may just have held my mouth right this year.

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