Sunday, October 7, 2012

Lesson from Onion (Seeds Give-Away)

 The Australian Brown onion and spring onion plant in our garden taught us something new about them this spring. Onions are biennial plants which flowers/seeds on their second year. After the plant has produce seeds, it will leave us as the plant has spent it last energy producing seeds for new progenies. Same goes for biennial flower like foxglove or hollyhock. Last spring, we left one plant growing in a polystyrene box after cutting out all the dried seed pods. I sowed some water spinach seeds in the same box after adding new compost, thinking while the onion plant spend it last days will helped deter some pest away from the young water spinach seedlings. Another spring came again for the onion plants, those water spinach plants long gone since autumn as they don't do well in cold season but those onion plants remain evergreen and produces seeds again this spring. I was really amazed that those onions kept on growing and produces new buds each time we cut the drying pods. These onion plants can be short live perennial with our mild winter. 
I discovered that growing Australian brown onion and spring onion for seeds once well-established in the garden:
~Require minimal care.
~Good companion for young plants.
~Does not require much space to keep as you can plant some plants in between.
~Require minimal watering
~Withstand scorching summer heat.
~One plant each is enough to give plenty of seeds or share for next season planting and save money from buying seeds.

 We have very small space to grow plants but I don't think saving seeds from these plants will take much space. Australian Brown Onion is a long-day variety and a long keeper. Sometime you find it in catalogue sometime you don't. I don't find the seeds available from the seeds company I got it first now this year, Digger has it in its catalogue at the moment.  I have experience several times of heirloom seeds that I like to obtain once again is not readily available anymore. Therefore, saving seeds of rare varieties are the only way to ensure I can continue growing the variety I like and suits my garden.

 I am giving-away Spring Onion and Aussie Brown Onion seeds for 3 seeds sowers of this post. The winner will be pick by the old-fashioned way of writing the name in the piece of paper, roll, shake and let see which paper will be pick randomly. I will announce the lucky recipients on my next posting perhaps tomorrow.
 Abby first passport photo. It was not easy to take as she keeps on turning the head side-ways rather than looking up at me. The photos were taken outside in the garden as I like to use natural light. 

31 comments:

suka suka said...

K Mar harap I'm the lucky one.

Mark Willis said...

Those onions are impressive enough to grow as flowers rather than vegetables!

Mama Pongkey said...

Wah you are reading my mind, I was just thinking yesterday if I can grow my own onions :-)

Umm AA said...

Ah..how wish i can have the seeds ..dying to plant own onions... :)

mashelly said...

adorable little one you have

Unknown said...

please don,t forget.....me too.

Sue Garrett said...

I bet it can be difficult to get her not to smile too. Not sure your onions would like our climate!

cikmanggis said...

selalunya Cm tanam bawang menggunakan bawang yang dibeli di kedai.Tak pernah lihat biji benihnya.

macamana Abby boleh berdiri tegak macam tu? nampak seperti kanak-kanak yang boleh berjalan hehe.Selamat kembali ke malaysia Abby:) nanti dapat jadi tukang kebun di sungai buloh pulak.

Cm bari balik dari melawat aqeel..Bertambah sihat tetapi masih menyusu melalu tiub.Harap Aqeel dapat membesar cergas seperti abby:)

rainfield61 said...

Smile, baby.

Kelly G. said...

I would love some onions seeds!! :)

lena said...

cute little abby! she seems to be growing fast! how many months is she now?

Sean L said...

Wah, a cute passport photo for her.

Rini said...

sempat lg ke nak joint ni ;)

Pakupayung said...

Nak join jugaks bole ke..huhu

gardenglut said...

What good learnings about onions. I have yet to attempt onions, partly becasue I have limited space now (will have acres soon) and partly becasue the have scared me a little (silly to be scared of vegetables, right?). So tips like these are valuable observations to store away for when I get the courage - and the space.

Zieta green said...

ayoyo...sapa lah yg bertuah tu...
alahai bby abby macam bby korea pula...pinky...

olive said...

i wan! never see onion seeds before. BB girl look like chinese/korean girl

JaSSNaNi said...

amboiiii comelnye dier... dah wat pasport kan.. :) kiss sama dia.. :)

Anonymous said...

Linda pun nak jugak onion seeds boleh? :)

Malar said...

That's beautiful onion flowers! I get some idea from this post on onion too!
You daughter is just so sweet!

James David said...

I never seen an onion flower like that. Really very beautiful.

baguznet said...

lawa pulak bila tgk jambak dia tu...

Unknown said...

That onion seed pod is looks humongous. Abby is a cutie pie.

kitsapFG said...

I really need to start letting a few onions stay in the ground to go to seed. Based on your excellent experience, I am being very foolish not to.

Love the newest pics of Abby for her passport.

Liz said...

I haven't been good at saving onion seed in the past but at the moment I have spring onions sending up seed heads and after reading this i think I will leave in a couple of my red onions to produce seed as well.

Unknown said...

Hi, MK Girl...lama tak jln2 kat sini...Terlepas bas! i assume Abby ni ur baby la kan....Congratz! comelnya Abby! ;)

Just sow some onion and garlic from bawang beli kat Tesco a few days ago...tak pernah pulak tanam onion from seeds..that would be interesting.:)

& fyi, larkspur seed sdg bertapa dalam fridge...baru semalam masukkan dlm fridge..patotla tak tumbuh....tak betol kaedah tanam rupanya hehehe...

Malay-Kadazan girl said...

Kak Mar~Sorry nanti ada rezeki lain saya selit-selit ok.

Mark~I like watching bees goes crazy with the onion flowers.

Mama Pongkey~Onion takes a long long long time to grow about 8 months for nice size bulb.

UmmuAidan~Tunggu ya.

Joyfulhomemaker~She getting heavier and heavier :).

sm forestgarden~ tengok kalau ada rezeki lebih.

Sue~I think this onion will suit your climate much better than mine. Especially you are very good at growing them.

Cikmanggis~Abby tak berdiri tegak. Kami kasi baring dia atas kad manila biru beralas tikar dalam kebun untuk dapat cahaya yang baik. Susah juga lebih 10 minit nak tunggu kepala dia pandang ke atas. Lepas tu papa Abby photoshop gambar. Aqeel kuat nanti minum susu mama Aqeel banyak-banyak ya. Nanti mama Aqeel tak cukup tido macam mama Abby.

Rainfield61~ Setiap hari Abby punya senyuman buat mama susah nak pergi school :).

Kelly G.~ May be next time will have another round of seed give-away.

Lena~She is 2 months old now.

Sean~First photo passport paling cepat compare dengan abang-abang dia. Rayyan nak dekat setahun baru buat passport di Malaysia High Commissioner dekat Canberra.

Rini Jy~ Sempat pun.

Pakupayung~ Boleh-boleh nanti join next seed give-away juga.

Gardenglut~~I was scared of planting flower bulbs last year and now I am addicted to it :). Hope you have bountiful onion harvest next year in your new place.

Zieta Collection~Mama Abby baru ada chance nak beli pink pink...hehehe...puas warna biru.

Olive~Baby mata sepet ikut mama dia.

Malay-Kadazan girl said...

JaSSNaNi~Dah siap passport Abby. Baru dapat birth certificate Malaysia juga.

Linda~ Nanti join in lagi give-away next ok ;).

Malar~Hope its helpful.

James Missier~ Onion flowers make them look like ornamental in the garden.

Baguznet~Hehehe....

Stiletto~ Some ornamental allium flower are more gigantic.

KitsapFg~You only need a plant or two for collecting seeds for 2-3years onion seeds stock.

Liz~Save money from buying seeds every year. One plant gives you many years of seed stocks.

Hang Kebon~Dah masuk anak ke-3 sekarang ;). Larkspur bagi pre-chilling treatment for breaking dormancy, kasi tipu sama dia.

Wendy said...

awwww! She's precious! Babies need passports too I guess.

Chris said...

Congratulations! Such a lovely baby girl :-) Glad to see that you are still so actively gardening despite all your busy schedule. You are a super woman!

Malay-Kadazan girl said...

Wendy~ It took me half an hour to get a good enough passport picture for her.

Chris~ Thank you. With family support I am able to spend sometime in our garden.