Onions and Leeks

I didn't plan on planting onions this year but as I was picking up my started leeks there were some "Candy" onions and I thought I would give them a try.  I normally start onions from sets but this time I am trying them from started plants.

I know how to prep the leeks for planting so I did the same for the onions.  After teasing the roots apart I trimmed them to about two inches in length.

I couldn't find any specific depth to plant them at on the tag or in any of my books so I planted them 6 inches apart about four to six inches deep.  We will see what happens.  The leeks I planted eight inches deep.



2011 Bean, Leek, Garlic, Onion Reviews

Tendergreen Snap Green Bean - I was happy with this variety.  It grew quickly and provided one main crop with a second picking.  I liked that it was a bush variety and didn't need to be trellised.  The beans were typical green beans with good flavor.

Royal Burgundy Snap Beans - These beans are a wonderful deep purple.  I picked them specifically just for the color.  They were prolific bushy plants.  My only wish is that they held their color when cooked.

Kenearly Yellow & Jacobs Cattle - Both of these drying beans did similarly.  Both had trouble with disease and were spotted with yellow and brown splotches.  The harvest was mediocre.  I have extra seeds so I might try them again but I'm not sure if it is worth the space.  I will have to try the beans soon and decide if they have excellent flavor worth taking up the space.

American Flag Large Leeks - This was my first time growing leeks.  I was overall happy with the final plants.  Some were very large, some skinny.  I still have some in the ground waiting to be picked, I want to see how well they do with in ground winter storage.

California Garlic - This is a soft neck variety that did poorly two years in a row.  Every bulb was tiny and if I was lucky some were small.  I don't ever want to try this variety again.

Yellow Stuttgarter - These onions also did poorly.  All of my onions were tiny and small.  It might be my clay soil, despite the fact that I have amended it and loosened it.  But I am still on the quest for an onion that does great for me.

Winter Harvesting

 

The weather has officially turned to from Fall to Winter despite what the calendar says.

After being able to loosen the soil and get some leeks and parsnips I finally got around to taking some precautions to make sure that I can harvest them later in the Winter.  I planted both specifically because they can last in the ground through the Winter.  I would be thrilled to get anything from the garden in the middle of January and February.

The chard has seen their last days and did not make it through the frost we have been having.  I pulled them out and used their leaves along with the harvested leek tops to insulate the soil around the leeks still in the ground.  I then piled old leaves on top of the parsnips.  Hopefully both of these efforts will keep the soil from freezing and allow me to harvest through the winter.

Garden Chores

This week in addition to regular wedding and watering I also hilled up some soil around the leeks to help blanch the bottoms.  All I had on hand was some extra potting soil, it probably isn't the ideal medium but it will work.

Last week my thyme was doing well and I harvested a bunch for a lemon thyme chicken salad.  I'm not sure what happened but this week it is mostly dried out and died.  I harvested what I could then pulled it out and replaced it.  I am hoping that what I was able to pick will last us long enough to allow the new plant some time to get growing.  I don't like to harvest from a new, small herb.