Need Help With Onion Damage Assessment

[GoDawgs]

After weeks of spring;like weather, a cold front came through yesterday and we got down to 24. I was able to get veg transplants protected but left onions, garlic and leeks uncovered. The garlic and leeks weren't affected at all. However by today the onions look terrible.



These are the best looking of the bunch:



These are the most damaged:



Questions:

- Do you think these are too damaged to survive or will they put out new foliage from the center?

- IF these will put out new foliage, should I cut off all this burned foliage?

Input will be greatly appreciated!

[bower]

Give them a week or two, and when you see the new leaves coming on strong, you can cut back what is frost burned. If no new leaves, pull the whole thing. They may be a little more tender than leeks and garlic, but they're still alliums, so I'm betting they'll come back if they have any roots at all. Meanwhile they'll use every bit of leaf that is still connected to get back on their feet.
Not an onion expert by any stretch, but amazed at what alliums come back from, in general.

[worth1]

They will more than likely set seed this year because they think they have been through two years due to the cold.

[GoDawgs]

They will more than likely set seed this year because they think they have been through two years due to the cold.

They bolt just about every year. They get planted in October which is warm weather. Then they get cold in Dec/Jan. That's Year One. It warms up again for about a month or so and then we get one of these blasts. That's Year Two.

Because of this weather pattern every year I've about decided to quit growing onions and stick to scallions and leeks. I wonder if Texas 1015s are sweet as a scallion.....

[worth1]

They will more than likely set seed this year because they think they have been through two years due to the cold.

They bolt just about every year. They get planted in October which is warm weather. Then they get cold in Dec/Jan. That's Year One. It warms up again for about a month or so and then we get one of these blasts. That's Year Two.

Because of this weather pattern every year I've about decided to quit growing onions and stick to scallions and leeks. I wonder if Texas 1015s are sweet as a scallion.....

1015 is as sweet as the soil allows it.

[GoDawgs]

I cut all the foliage off the onions except for two little green undamaged shoots I found. There's rain moving in tonight and all day tomorrow so I'm glad I got that done ahead of time. We'll see what happens.

Thanks for the input!

[worth1]

I have green onions growing in a container that I planted from old dried out store bought green onions 3 or 4 years ago.
I seldom water them.
Not any this year at all.
They bolt every year and make pretty blossoms and they divide.
If I need a green onion top I just go out and cut one.
They have lived through that big freeze we had last year where temperatures got below 10 degrees.

[brownrexx]

I gave up growing onions a few years ago because of this issue of bolting and also the arrival of a non native and invasive Allium Leaf Miner which lays eggs on onion leaves and then the maggots get into the bulbs and destroy them. Covering the plants would prevent this but I decided that it is not worth it.

[worth1]

It's the weird weather swings that makes them bolt the first year.
It's happening all to often.
Nothing more disappointing than to have a crop of onions with 14 or 15 leaves bolt in the spring.
They would have been whoppers.

[GoDawgs]

It's been twelve days since the freeze happened. There's a Univ. of Georgia weather station 3 miles up the road and they recorded a low of 27 the morning of the 12th and 22 the next morning. It was pretty windy all night and all day as the front came through.I cut back all the foliage and the plants got an application of Miracle Grow.

This is the bed today. On the near side are Australian Brown onions with recently planted scallions toward the back. On the other side of the bed are the Texas 1015 onions all the way down. The Australians fared a lot better.



Here's a closer shot of the Browns and then the 1015's:





The garlic wasn't affected at all.



And the leeks did fine. The only gaps in the row are from me harvesting some.



I've been trying to decide for several years now whether to mess with onions at all seeing how they like to bolt here. The bed can certainly be used for other stuff. I think I will stick to scallions and now that I can grow them, leeks. The onion seed will go into the freezer "seed vault" just in case I ever get the itch to do them again.

[GoDawgs]

The damaged foliage was all cut off and now most have recovered. However, the Australian Brown onions in the foreground are starting to bolt. And in the background, a lot of the Texas 1015's didn't make it. Lots of skips now.

Recovered onions now bolting.JPG

Most have recovered. However, the Australian Brown onions in the foreground are starting to bolt. I might as well start pulling them for use as scallions! And in the background, a lot of the Texas 1015's didn't make it. Lots of skips now. It will be interesting to see if they too start bolting.

[Tormato]

You likely know that the central seed stalk is too tough to consume.

[worth1]

You likely know that the central seed stalk is too tough to consume.

But it can be finely chopped and cooked in a soup or stew as soon as the plant bolts.

[Tormato]

You likely know that the central seed stalk is too tough to consume.

But it can be finely chopped and cooked in a soup or stew as soon as the plant bolts.

Just what I want in a soup or stew, very very tiny little pieces of green fiberglass strewn about.

I have a few hundred allium plants, where it's much easier to just cut the very tender green parts, with no need to go real fine in size.

[worth1]

You likely know that the central seed stalk is too tough to consume.

But it can be finely chopped and cooked in a soup or stew as soon as the plant bolts.

Just what I want in a soup or stew, very very tiny little pieces of green fiberglass strewn about.

I have a few hundred allium plants, where it's much easier to just cut the very tender green parts, with no need to go real fine in size.

Mine right now are so tender they snap in half with no effort.
I have no idea what you're growing.

[ponyexpress]

Recovered onions now bolting

I wonder if you had watered your onions before the cold freeze if they would have done ok?

https://www.onionpatch.dixondalefarms.c ... the-storm/

[GoDawgs]

Recovered onions now bolting

I wonder if you had watered your onions before the cold freeze if they would have done ok?

https://www.onionpatch.dixondalefarms.c ... the-storm/

@ponyexpress, thanks for the article link. Having worked in a large production nursery, I learned back then the value of watering plants before any cold events. It helps insulate the roots. Dixondale had the extra advantage of some snow insulation to help protect the roots and the lower parts of the leaves. It looks like they also cut off the ratty foliage when they bundle the plants for shipment.

Interesting comment in the article about bolting happening around the time of the 7th leaf. Something new learned!

[worth1]

I was going to mention the 7 leaf thing but never got around to it.
Dixondale has some youtube videos on onions.