Easy Gardening Tips
Today, I’m starting a series of simple gardening tips that have not been published everywhere. Random topics to be sure, the sort of tips we share back and forth with friends, your comments are welcome.
James Cassidy, soil scientist, began the Organic Gardening Club at Oregon State University. At a recent Master Gardener meeting he recommended sowing onion seeds in four inch pots filled with moist seed starting mix. Let these grow two to three inches, just large enough for transplanting. I started onions, shallot seeds and leeks this past weekend. I’m growing the Nichols Tri-Color Onion Blend, Ishikura Improved single stalk scallion, Prisma Shallots and Kilima Leek. We’ll have some more varieties growing at the nursery trials but this is for our home garden. These are sown fairly thickly and will be transplanted into garden beds in about three weeks.
Filed under: Easy Gardening Tips, Gardening, garden | Tagged: onions
Hello, As I have heard, growing garlic, leeks and onions has another advantage: Repelling deer!!?? Sounds too good to be true, but I heard that it “jams” their sense of smell just long enough for them to get uncomfortable and move on. In any case, I adore home-grown onions. They are in another world compared to the onions from the store. Thank you for the nice blog and I look forward to more tips. Cheers! - Bonnie
Actually, there is one deer repellent that is garlic oil saturated cotton stuck in a small vial with a clip so it can be fastened to a branch. I had not heard the odor disorients the deer before. I think it does have to be an oil or bruised foliage to have an effect.
Transplanting onions and scallions is one of the most tedious jobs I know, at least in market-garden quantities. This method might be a great time- and back-saver!! You don’t say how many to sow to a pot, and whether you separate them to transplant, or leave them in a clump. (BTW I have had great success with your Prisma seed.)
Bonnie - The other advantage to growing scallions is that often grocery-store bunching onions are just that - immature bulb onions without the delicate flavor and texture of true scallions grown from seed.