the accidental smallholder :: diary archives

Onions, garlic and shallots

It's been a lovely day here today, as was yesterday, so I've lifted all the garlic, onions and shallots and put them to dry in the sun. This involves quite a lot of our garden furniture so if you're coming to visit, bring your own chair! Of course, I had the hens helping me to clear the bed, so I wasn't lonely.

A significant number of the onions show white rot, so these have been discarded for burning. However, there's still a reasonable crop. My vegetable book says not to grow onions on that land for eight years, so I'll need to think about that. The shallots and the garlic don't seem to be affected, fortunately.

The shallots have done well - so Dan can get pickling this weekend. Peeling the shallots is mind-bending; given the reduced number of onions, I might keep some shallots unpickled. We planted four varieties of garlic and the yields look pretty good - the elephant garlic has lived up to its name.

The bed that the onions etc were in this year will have peas, beans and carrots next year, so I'll have to decide what to do with the bed now. I don't know whether to sow a green manure or mulch it with horse poo or compost. Decisions, decisions. I'll see what Dr Hessayon says!

Our five compost bins are full. They really need to be emptied and turned and the useable stuff put to use. I cleaned out the hens this morning and was carefully dividing the hemp between bins, wherever there was a wee bit space. A(nother) job for Dan, I think.