Several of the Super Star, Red Candy Apple, and
Candy onions I planted in my garden displayed signs of being ready for harvest.
The slips from Dixiondale
Farms out of Carrizo Springs, Texas were planted about 3
months ago in my garden. They were bent over, and the tops were dried
out. I pulled approximately 22 onions
out of the garden bed on Saturday, and hung them on one of my covered clothes
lines (under the patio roof outside) overnight.
On Sunday,
Bulldog Man and I rigged up an old sweater drying rack and a baby gate, to
continue the curing process of the onions inside our home. Over the next several days I will be adding
more onions to the drying/curing process as each of the remaining onions in the
garden show signs of needing harvested.
After the curing period I will be storing onions in
a burlap bag for use over the next several months. I’ll also be dehydrating onions to create
onion powder, making an onion marmalade (which I’ve never done before, this
will be a first for me), and freezing pieces.
Over the next several weeks I will follow up these processes with posts.
Sunday morning, I weed-whacked the front and both
sides of the property, then pulled out the Zen Machine (tractor) and push
mower, and mowed until I couldn’t take the sun and heat any more. I came inside our house to cool down, enjoy a
Mexican Popsicle (which wasn’t sugar free), and a nice cool shower.
This morning I woke up, had a large cup of coffee
with almond milk, a handful of honey graham crackers; then took Tylenol and
water to help get rid of the headache I’ve been holding on to since Saturday.
Instead of dirtying more clothes, I pulled on the
same grubby work clothes from yesterday, and proceeded to cut the grass in the
garden area and the back of the property.
*****
Update/Tomatoes
Okay, here’s the poop on my Okie
Drip System and tomatoes. I’m
totally sold on using this system for tomato plants, it works wonderfully. I’ll need to experiment with other plants to
let you know how it works. I know from
now on the only way I will grow my tomato plants is using this watering
system.
I have a tomato plant growing from my raised compost
bin. Maybe we will get some
tomatoes. I’m not sure what type of
tomato to expect from this plant, I guess it will be a nice surprise.
I need your ambition. It has been in the nineties and no work from me today!
ReplyDeleteGreat job on drying the onions. Dad made me an open screen (larger screen than window screen) bottomed box on legs for my potatoes years ago, It works great for keeping potatoes.
Gail,
DeleteIt's hot here too, today 104 (on my thermometer) and that doesn't include the heat index. When it's hot outside it's hard to have ambition. I just bite my lip, put cooler clothes on, and just go get the work done.
Thank you, this year is the first year we have a large crop of onions. I like the idea of a bottomed box with legs.
bahahahahahahahahahahahah! oh Sweet Sandy - i loooved this whole onion update but my favourite part was about saving the already dirty gardening clothes and putting them back on - we do the same - bahahahaha! me and jam re-use the same dirty work clothes for several days! your onions look they are doing great and it is because of you that i transplanted the roots of bought, organic green onions and have been getting additional green onions for months now! i am soooo glad that your Okie drip system is working - woohoo and congrats to you gurl!
ReplyDeleteas an aside, can i ask for you to check out our new blog layout? we put up a new layout and want honest opinons from our favourite people and you know that you are number 1!!!! do you like the layout, the pics, the font? we want honest answers and helpful critiques.
other than that - just sending much love your way as always! your friend,
kymber
Sweet Kymber,
DeleteI've checked out your blog and love.love.love your new header page!!! I've made a comment on your most recent post regarding your header as requested.
There's no reason to put on clean clothes when I'm going back outside to work in my garden, or do more work outside like grass cutting.
Sending love to you both,
Sandy
We may all be at different stages in our gardens, but we're all working toward harvest of good, nutritional, home grown food! I had to put so much bug spray on my gardening outfit today that I can't afford to throw it in the wash! I'll be back in it again tomorrow. Keep showing us pics of the "surprise" tomato. Hope it turns out to be a yummy one!
ReplyDeleteMama Pea,
DeleteYes Ma'am, were all looking forward to very large harvest this year.
No I wouldn't put my clothes in the wash until I'm totally done working outside.
I certainly will show you pictures of the compost tomato plant. I don't know what type of tomato plant it is. I'm hoping for a Cherokee purple.
I sure wish I could grow a successful onion crop, Sandy. I thought I had a good start this year until they all rotted in the ground from the rain. Maybe next year. Your onions look great!
ReplyDeleteFern
Hey Fern,
DeleteThis is the first year where my onions have come out very nicely.
Every time I planted onion seeds I had issues. This season, I ordered slips from Dixiondale farms out of TX. They came highly recommended from a blogger friend Texan. I really do love the onions this year.
Your o ions look awesome! I love the clothesline dry! Using whatcha got! Hugs
ReplyDeleteM.E.,
DeleteThank you!! My clothesline is under a canopy so it shades the onions at the same time. I have to, cuz I don't have anything else right now, :-)
Hugs,
Sandy
Sandy, I too have been known to wear the same dirty clothes a couple of days in a row. I am with you, that I can't stay out in the heat for as long as I used to either. What's a Mexican Popsicle? Is Tequila involved? Oh, & great job on the onions!
ReplyDeleteDFW,
DeleteLOL.....me too, especially when working outside. I think as we get older our bodies just can't handle the extreme heat. A Mexican Popsicle looks like the traditional Popsicle only they're flavored differently (banana, cherry, lime, blue raspberry, and orange). Full of sugar, and their flavors are not strong. They come in a large bag, and are very in-expensive, we find them in the Mexican section of our grocery store. I generally have one when I've worked outside and it's very hot and you've worked off all your breakfast and need something right away.
Wow. I haven't even planted my onions yet (this weekend or bust!) I like the sound of that onion marmalade! I followed your lead and made my own Okie drip system - how often to you fill them? I think the idea is great - all the water goes where it needs to be, the roots.
ReplyDeleteSusan,
DeleteI planted the onions about 3 months ago. I found a great onion slip source through Sandy, over at Texan and decided to order the slips. When they came I couldn't wait to plant them. This will be the first year trying to make onion marmalade. Not only can you use the marmalade as a spread on bread or crackers. You can spoon a bunch over cream cheese and make a appetizer for guests. Or you can put the marmalade over some meat and bake/roast it off.
I go outside every day to take care of the garden, and run the dog. I will fill my bottles when I notice there's only about 1/2 inch of water left. The point is never let the bottle run dry. Using a larger bottle will provide more time in between fills.