Onions, Shallots and Garlic

[hamsterhead]

Good Afternoon

I planted some onions, shallots and garlic last October, (I think) and although I think I lost some owing to the bad weather, whats the tell-tale sign that they are ready to pick. Do I wait for the leaves to flop over, turn yellow or for seed heads to form?

[rustylady]

If you get seed heads forming nip them off!! Leaves should flop over and go yellow/brown, and you should be able to see good sized bulbs (if you haven't buried them too deep)

[hamsterhead]

Thank you RL

[chris]

Sorry to gatecrash your thread hamsterhead, but as I've never grown shallots before thought this would be a good place to ask too. I planted mine around the same time, and I can see that they've split into separate bulbs, but the tips of the leaves are now going brown/papery.. is this normal or a sign of something else?

[hamsterhead]

No need to apologise. My problem is that I get impatient after planting. I need to relax and mellow

[rustylady]

Sorry to gatecrash your thread hamsterhead, but as I've never grown shallots before thought this would be a good place to ask too. I planted mine around the same time, and I can see that they've split into separate bulbs, but the tips of the leaves are now going brown/papery.. is this normal or a sign of something else?

Sounds normal to me Chris. They usually ripen ready for harvesting around June.

[chris]

Ah, good good thanks

[lincslad]

Sorry to intrude on someone elses thread but this my first time growing a lot of veg and I too am wondering when to harvest my shallots and do they look ok , please see images

[zazen999]

See post 2...

[Aberdeenplotter]

When an onion looks like an onion, it is an onion it can be cooked with . Not to say it won't grow bigger if you leave it but that is the long and the short of it.

[zazen999]

And my first garlic is ready - it went in 18th Sept last year.....it had to be moved last night for a carrot net and is drying out nicely.

[hamsterqueen]

I am itching to pull my garlic up and have a look, but it is in pots and causing no trouble so I shall leave it for a bit..got a bit carried away and I have 39 plants..