WHY ARE MY ONIONS FLOWERING?!

We took a break from the backyard gardening videos last week, but we're back from vacation and there's lots to do! We'll start by giving a tour of all 10 garden plots to see how our plants are growing after lots of planting in previous weeks.
We'll also provide some detail on our onion trials and discuss why some of our onion plants are flowering and going to seed. Is onion bolting something we can control, or just something that happens in years with odd weather patterns? We'll also tell you what you can do once the onions in your backyard garden start bolting.
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[@sislertx]

I need to fertlize..and about 100 other things...ugh..im gonna take a nap

[@hollynelson543]

Whats up Trav😊

[@rogerrathbun444]

If I ever go to Nahunta Ga to pick up a Lang smoker Im stopping by your house Travis. We can smoke up some ribs while we drink sweet tea and talk gardening stuff . God bless from Michigan

[@rickthelian2215]

I hope you all enjoyed your vacation 😀😀😀

[@LazyDogFarm]

We did!

[@sislertx]

2023 and i sure am enjoying my leeks i just pull a few and have them as side dish...they dont look like those in the store..didnt hill them enough again...but taste great...man i love leeks...perhaps i will save some for a soup...naw...probably not

[@rickthelian2215]

The fish, or fish head theory, interesting have heard before as a replacement for fish emulsion 😀

[@earlshine453]

It seems the rich Victorians ordered cartloads of fresh caught herring to fertilize their gardens ... many years ago I saw a BBC tellie program with Gardeners World by Monty Don on that item.

[@WayneTX254]

Old folk would say the opposite. Fish emulsion is a replacement for fish. Lol

[@LazyDogFarm]

@Rick Thelian Seems like the fish emulsion would be a lot easier than burying fish unless you had a plethora of fish carcasses available to you.

[@charitysmith5245]

Pickled red onions in white balsamic vinegar are the bomb! I usually will do a jar of them with radishes sliced thick and some garlic. My leeks are bolting due to the bipolar weather we’ve had down here by Savannah. Some things we just can’t control. Your gardens are looking beautiful, Travis…lots of groceries on the way yee yee!

[@LazyDogFarm]

Need to try some radishes and garlic with our pickled onions this year. Great idea!

[@theworkingmansgarden7638]

Hey, Travis. If you plant your lacinato kale in the spring, it'll grow all summer, fall, winter and flower the next spring. Or at least mine did before I knew better than to grow ot in the heat of Texas summer. It just doesn't taste good until it gets a good frost. And you obviously have to keep the aphids and cabbage loopers off. More trouble than it's worth if ya ask me.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Ours bolts in spring regardless when it was planted. We tend to get better production through the winter months from it.

[@suepatterson2702]

Thanks for the tour, and onion update. I've had one bolter so far. You still have some time to get good celery, but you need to blanch it. If you don't blanch it, it will have a too strong and bitter taste. The easiest way to do this in a home garden is with paper grocery bags (free at Publix, too). Use the bag flat or unopened, set a long side on the soil at the base of the celery, bundle up all the celery branches, and wrap the paper bag around the celery bunch. Then tie it with twine. The finished tubular bundle will be about the size of a store-bought celery. There should be some leaves poking out over the top. The paper bag will keep the sun off the stalks and force them to grow upright, like celery should. Since they are a wee bit late, and it's getting hot, they may need extra water, otherwise the stalks will be thin and dry. Blanching should be done 3 to 4 weeks before harvesting. I'm eating my celery now, and was pleased at how easy this was and how well it worked.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Can we blanch them by hilling them high?

[@stevefromthegarden1135]

@@LazyDogFarm I would think you can. I'm going to use mulch and plant mine in a trench in a few weeks but hilling would work.

[@rainspringing]

In South Carolina, I've only bought intermediate day onion plants. Short day onions from seeds are usually a two year process, and those don't bolt before bulbing for me. (Technically only 15-17 months.) Possibly they don't bolt because they spent their entire time in our crazy whiplash weather? Not the most convenient thing though, keeping them happy over summer during their first year. Purchased intermediates plants have never bolted on us. Problem is they take up space, and start sprawling out of their lanes, until the middle of June! Found this video hoping to understand what I'd be getting into if I purchased short day plants.

[@vallotree]

Are you the Travis from the Hoss videos about a year ago. You were the only reason I would watch those videos.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Same me! I resigned from there in April 2021 and started this channel shortly after. Glad you found us!

[@tgood9344]

I just planted my onions last week and last night we got a little snow. I checked the weather and it will be like this for the next three days. I’m going to cover my little crop with agribon 30 and I hope that helps. Yikes 😬. You’re in a warm zone and I love to watch your channel and see and learn how your garden beds progress. Thank you for all the information! 🌺

[@LazyDogFarm]

Hope those onions make it! That Agribon should do the trick.

[@10HERBERT]

Hey Travis, Saw some of my red onions bolted over this weekend, Weather is crazy. five days ago it hit 90. Sunday morning it was 38. Hope gets better soon.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Same wacky weather here. Bad news for onions.

[@judyjohnson1012]

My curly kale never bolts here in south east Texas. It’s actually grown continually for 2 years before I pulled it up. I can’t imagine what you do with all those backyard groceries! I follow you to find out when to plant, transplant, harvest. I was raised a city girl and my mother said I had a brown thumb😂, but I don’t let that stop me, I just keep on keeping on. My garden looks so much better this year. So keep giving all this good advice! Thank you so much.

[@gmcvay4]

Our chickens love that wheat grass from the straw.

[@LazyDogFarm]

We'll probably give this to them soon if we don't see any taters emerging.

[@gmcvay4]

@@LazyDogFarm you can just pull out the grass.

[@Happy2Run4Me]

I think since I grow heirlooms I’ll let some of my onions go to seed to collect the seeds for next growing season or cut the top off and replant that top to produce seed for me. I know onion seeds don’t keep well for long so I like to keep a fresh supply on hand each year especially for my favorite varieties. I look at an onion flowering as a blessing! More free seed for next time. 👍🏻☺️It so satisfying to be self sufficient.

[@robertlee6479]

Put your seeds in the bottom of the fridge they will keep for years.

[@mrc3458]

Thanks for the video. You answered my main question on why I have a couple onions that are bolting. Two out of over 200, don't guess that is bad. I'm going to pull them and enjoy them. Weather has been crazy here in north Texas this year, I do have loose soil and I have fertilized the crap out of them. All the reason that are possible reasons, lol. I have started watching you enjoying videos.

[@teffyvargas5916]

Yes i needed this video

[@rickthelian2215]

Agree

[@nolawarren3560]

x2

[@LazyDogFarm]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@teffyvargas5916]

@@LazyDogFarm i agree with you , with the first reason why onions bolt 👍 all my multiplying onions bolted my slicing onions just a couple did

[@carolavant3778]

Great tour! Like I've said before, next year I'll put in onions. This year I'm concentrating on things we eat a lot of. I've noticed that though, that the onions I'm buying at the store seem to go bad very quickly. They look fine, but start getting soft on the outside in a few days. I think they've been frost- bit. Anyway - any time I think onions are going bad, I cut up what looks okay and dehydrate them. They'll store for years in glass jars and they're very easy to use that way.

[@LazyDogFarm]

I've never made onion powder, but we do use a lot of it in the kitchen. Might need to try that!

[@Frank-fs5nv]

I feed my garden soil throughout the year with coffee grounds, vegetable scraps and ground up egg shells buried about a foot deep. No meat or fish because I don't want to draw rodents. Results have been spectacular!

[@earlshine453]

Yep, trench composting. I only do that when I start a new raised bed. Anything organic goes into that, along with native soil. But I'm into no-dig so I use that stuff only to mulch the beds not in use. It's also a good weed suppressor.

[@jettyeddie_m9130]

And what makes you think the smell of veggie scraps wont attract rodents ?

[@nolawarren3560]

it's different between vegetation matter and protein matter. just my opinion

[@TMesser74]

I’m covering fish with garden lime to prevent animals from sniffing it out. Got that tip from Hollis and nancy KZbin channel. Will see if it works!

[@paigesteele4406]

I can’t believe those tomatoes grew that much !

[@LazyDogFarm]

IKR!

[@randybingham1342]

Hey Travis and family. Used the Lazy Dog code to get a discount on my Agrothrive. It showed up today and I had to use some 🙂😂. Appreciate all the work on the channel and in the garden, you inspire us. Still waiting on Titus to kick off the "We Grow it We Cook it " channel.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Awesome Randy! Hope you enjoy the Agrothrive. Titus channel will be years in the making ... lol

[@TMesser74]

I have a bag of fish heads I’m going to put under my tomatoes but I’m going to add garden lime over it to prevent animals feom smelling it. That’s what Hollis and Nancy does so I’m giving it a try!

[@LazyDogFarm]

You should not put fish on a couple of them to see the differences. And share the results with us if they are conclusive!

[@TMesser74]

@@LazyDogFarm will do!

[@damicolicious]

Great video! I really enjoy seeing how your garden is coming along. I hope I have as much space as you do someday. Appreciate all the tips as always. Have a great week, and also looking forward to the Florida weave video you mentioned.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Thanks Michael! Florida weave video coming on Wednesday.

[@laurierich5161]

Started tomatoes just last week. Still in the 20's at night but days are 40 to 50. Looking at yours makes me so excited.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Slowly but surely getting warmer for you!

[@michaellockwood4237]

Enjoyed it.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Glad you did!

[@robyndudley9684]

Since onion are biennial and if they are exposed to their ideal bulbing hours in fall, they may think they’re in their second year and bolt in spring (which, in onion years, is it’s 2nd year). I don’t expose my intermediate onion to 12-14 days until spring. I have to keep them under lights indoors in fall until days are less than 12 hours long. I keep my lights on for 16 hours a day. Hope that makes sense.

[@LazyDogFarm]

That does make sense. Our onions are in the ground a long time -- from November to April or May.

[@advillwertz6585]

I see some cabbage moths fluttering around that kale Travis. They are the worst enemy of my Brassica plants. I use BT on mine.

[@LazyDogFarm]

We get a few here and there, but the damage usually isn't too bad.

[@justinhair5409]

I was on Hoss live the other day asking these questions. You just answered them all! Thanks brother!

[@LazyDogFarm]

Glad to help

[@cindyelmore7784]

I’ve had 2 red onions bolt last couple days. We’ve been as high as 95 and the low of 40 in the past couple of weeks. And wind hitting 25mph just about every day. So just taking it in stride and doing what I can!

[@LazyDogFarm]

Yep. Not much you can do about that. Wind has been really rough here.

[@gerhardbraatz6305]

I am in SE N. Carolina and have good luck with red Russian kale not bolting fast.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Been a while since we've grown that one, but good to know.

[@markb3129]

Your garden is looking great 👍.. Nothing like some good old rain to make plants grow!!! The wind is crazy this year, been blowing strong here since last week... ✌

[@LazyDogFarm]

Seems like that wind gets going every afternoon pretty good.

[@jackwest5123]

Yup. I blame that late-season freeze event for my onions bolting.

[@LazyDogFarm]

A freeze followed by a quick warming will do it every time!

[@sadon0423]

Stache is looking nice Travis.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Thanks Sam!

[@timfetner8029]

Good morning Travis! Really missed my LDF vids from last week but glad to hear you and the fam got away for Spring Break. Great vid and the garden is looking fantastic. Good info on onions as well. Like most fruits and vegetables,when they get stressed it is a signal for them to start their seed generating processes. When I grew some heirloom onions, I picked two or three of them and quit watering and feeding them. Sure enough they bolted and I collected seeds for the next season. As always you have great info and insight and I’m really glad you share that with the KZbin community.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Thanks Tim!

[@aviswhitfield8311]

Some of our yellow and white onions bolted but have many that haven’t that are close to softball size. We are giving away and eating the bolted onions and we cut some up and put in the freezer.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Good idea to share and preserve the bolted ones. All of ours aren't softball size, but we do have a few that might be that big.

[@marilynclayton3430]

Young celery stalks are so good.

[@LazyDogFarm]

They look good!

[@waynekahlbau9549]

I didn't know that onions could think! I believe that they are out thinking me. Not a difficult task.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Haha!

[@KrazyKajun602]

You should tried Agrothrive? It's made out of discarded fish. It works great for me.

[@LazyDogFarm]

We use a lot of Agrothrive in our gardens. It's good stuff.

[@HawkeyeTX549]

This has just happened in my onion patch! Most were planted in early Feb (zone 9a) and all were on the end that got the most sun. Just a few were over wintered plants. On another note, I have placed fish below each tomato plant for 3 growing seasons and all have grown in excess of 7-9 ft. All indeterminate. This season I have both determinate and indeterminate.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Try planting your onions in November. I think you'll have much better luck.

[@HawkeyeTX549]

Interesting you would say that. I planted 1 onion set on Dec 1 and a second set in Feb. The majority of onions that bolted were the ones that were planted in Feb.

[@kjrchannel1480]

Bolting is why I won't plant Leaks in the fall anymore. If they reseed then I will just harvest some sooner. I am trying a variety called Highlander along with White Candy, and Red Candy because they are supposed to store for months unlike WallaWalla that sprouts after a month it seems. On occasion I will allow on or two that is bolting to flowers so I can use it in the kitchen since they smell and taste good. I thought about using onion seeds as a spice.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Funny thing is that I've never had a leek bolt ... ever.

[@esumk]

Your Alliums are looking great 👍. I’ve never seen lacinato go to flower like that, mine usually just makes side shutes like mini kale plants.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Ours will make side shoots too if we don't harvest clean from the main stalk.

[@esumk]

@@LazyDogFarm thanks, I’m going to keep note of that. I keep them pretty clean, but I do let the leaves get really big. I’m just now getting plants in the ground, Ill tag you some of my kale pics this summer to check out.

[@scottstewart6260]

ive only seen fish planted in a garden in Charlie Brown’s Mayflower/pilgrim special. Apparently its an indian technique. Makes sense since organic fertilizers have bloodmeals in them

[@LazyDogFarm]

Does make sense. The question is whether it breaks down soon enough to be available to this years plants?

[@rickthelian2215]

Onions, garlic and leaks looking good, I’m gathering the chickens will get some greens and compost will get the other in regards to spinach and perhaps some lettuce leaves. Have a wonderful day Travis.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Yeah we'll give the good stuff to the chickens and the rest of the scraps to the compost pile.

[@BroqueCowgirlHomestead]

Found my red onions bolting today.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Surprised that any of our reds haven't bolted yet. It's bound to happen though.

[@brittaneepruitt3707]

My onions did the same thing here in New Orleans. The weather played havoc on my onions and garlic this year.

[@LazyDogFarm]

I bet. Our garlic is hanging in there somehow.

[@4corander]

North Georgia mountains are beautiful! I've lived/gardened in Dahlonega for the past 5 years; rocky, clay soil everywhere but wouldn't trade the scenery/culture for anything. It's quartz rock too so just hard enough to break your tiller tines lol jk God bless!

[@LazyDogFarm]

It's so beautiful up there. The soil looks like it's very nutrient-rich, but I can imagine the rocks would be a pain.

[@angelasmith2140]

Do you have to cut the tops back on onions and can you eat the tops

[@heatherfranklin9197]

My Red Creole skunked me. They bolted and have very small bulbs so I pulled them. I also planted Red Maiden and 2 varieties of white onions that are doing great! I'm going to make pickled onions, I've been looking forward to this since I watched yalls video last year! Thanks for the website and sharing your recipes too!!

[@LazyDogFarm]

You'll love those pickled onions!

[@mousiebrown1747]

Wow! English peas are something else!!! Beautiful plant. Is that one of those where you can eat the tendrils? ( why eat tendrils anyway? )

[@LazyDogFarm]

Never heard of eating the tendrils, but I guess you could. We'll patiently wait on the pods to fill though. lol

[@linklesstennessee2078]

My onions have not been planted here but a little while still small had snow and cold weather but pulled through good going to shoot the juice to them again tommrow I planted about 300 slips I raised all but 30 was the candy onion 30 I’m trying savannah sweet last year I raised the Texas legends and the other half candy onions both made good big onions last year I pulled the legends first about the first week in August candy tworad end of August best crop of onions I have ever raised my beets are about ready to plant I planted the Merlin beet this year I raised a half bed of merlins last year they done real good and them tops was tasty also we’ll have another cold snap about the 19th or so here running behind a little this year

[@LazyDogFarm]

Glad the Merlin beets did well for you. That's a great variety!

[@leahdusenberry9765]

I'd like to have the recipe for pickled red onions

[@LazyDogFarm]

We have it on our website. You can find it right here: lazydogfarm.com/blogs/recipes/pickled-red-onions

[@altonfender5168]

This year's the first time my growed onions after you harvest the onions what do you do after that I have never rode onions before

[@tommathews3964]

Frost over the weekend and a couple of 80 degree days coming this week.......prime bolting conditions! Mine aren't quite far enough along, so hopefully we'll moderate and get more "constant" on temps. Everything looking good there, I'm interested to see your trellis for the indeterminate maters.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Prime bolting conditions indeed! 40 here a couple days ago and 85 today.

[@prestonberg9604]

Seeding my stuff Saturday trav!!! Trying Seeding red onions cuz dixondale was out. So I got some 388 trays to try it. Praise God

[@LazyDogFarm]

That should work very well. Once you get the hang of growing your own onion plants, you won't go back to buying plants.

[@prestonberg9604]

@@LazyDogFarm my aunt has grown onions that way for years in their greenhouse business I just haven't had the time

[@gerhardbraatz6305]

Another test for your onions I' would love to see is which variety stores the longest.

[@LazyDogFarm]

We'll try to keep track of that so we can share that info as well.

[@reneebrown2968]

I bought a 6 pack of crook neck and planted all of them in 2 raised beds. Each cell had 2 plants in each. Well so far all are looking good, so by summer I'll be buried in squash. But that is awesome for me. I planted so many figuring 1/2 of them will be killed by squash bugs or vine borers.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Good idea to plan for some insect damage on the squash!

[@CareysRN]

Guess I need to pickle some red onions. My sweet onions are still looking good. I don’t know if it’s the drip tape, better fertilizing schedule, or starting my own seeds but these are the biggest I have ever grown.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Here's our recipe: lazydogfarm.com/blogs/recipes/pickled-red-onions

[@crystals14acregarden61]

I have only planted lacinato kale, but last year I planted it in almost full shade and it lasted all summer. I think I pulled it out in October, but it was still fine.

[@LazyDogFarm]

The shade probably helps.

[@petitjeanriverhomestead]

I may have that much Elephant Garlic here too but I have to dig it up and thin it out. It may be 20 years old or more. I didn't know it was out there when we moved here 2 years ago because they mowed it all down before we got here so I just kept mowing where it was mowed. Where I did get it thinned it is much bigger now.

[@LazyDogFarm]

That's awesome that you inherited a nice garlic patch when you moved there!

[@tnjon66]

Glad everyone is doing well. We were wondering. Price top rail fencing here it's near the same . John S.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Thanks John!

[@markware7748]

That would be an interesting comparison between 1" x 10' EMT conduit and 1-3/8" x 10'-6" chain link top rail at a similar price point. Certainly, the top rail is stronger and more durable long term, but neither one would clear span 10' fully loaded with tomatoes without excessive deflection.

[@mattingly1217]

I love that curly Kale also..... holds more dressing ... what was the name of it?

[@LazyDogFarm]

Pretty sure that variety is called "Darkibor"

[@briankubik4252]

Just thought I would chime in, here in Michigan haven't seen that in the say 8years I've gardened onions bolting! I have seen where if I left last year's onions say the small ones for some reason I didn't harvest them, they grew the next year and then that is the flower to get seeds to plant. Never seen first years onion bolt!

[@LazyDogFarm]

It's probably more likely to happen with short-day onions just based on when we plant and when they mature. Good that you haven't ever had to deal with them bolting.

[@waynec3121]

never had curly kale bolt in central Florida,afids can be trouble

[@LazyDogFarm]

No aphid issues for us this year. That Azera has worked like a charm.

[@mayee6180]

Travis, I also have a few onions bolting. Which seems really early compared to last year. Looked at last year records, I harvested in early June. Planted 2021 and 2022 about the same time in Jan. I'm east of Atlanta zone 8a. Think I may let s couple go to seed

[@LazyDogFarm]

That's unusual that you have onions bolting and you just planted in January. I would have guess that they wouldn't have started bolting until another month or so.

[@nicoletynes5975]

Travis, where is ur fav place to order cover crops now?

[@LazyDogFarm]

I get some from Green Cover Seed online and some from True Leaf Market.

[@mccujo03]

Travis can you share more on this spreadsheet map you speak of? Is this a program you use, or basic excel? Also has Lazy Dog farms ever grown Videla onions?

[@LazyDogFarm]

I just use Excel to create a list of what's planted where. Nothing fancy. We have grown some of the same varieties that are grown in Vidalia. There's not a variety called "Vidalia." But if an onion is grown in Vidalia, GA, it's called a Vidalia onion.

[@rickthelian2215]

Travis have you heard of the breaking an egg next to seed potatoes on planting ?

[@LazyDogFarm]

I've heard of doing that with tomatoes, but not potatoes.

[@rickthelian2215]

@@LazyDogFarm I’m going to do it on my next plantation of potatoes, have some eggs that have expired a little more than I like.😀😀😀

[@markware7748]

Welcome back home to Funston. I hope that speckled trout won't be the Treasure Hunt grand prize between Stella and the local raccoons. Following the growth rate closely on those eye-popping tomato plants especially the determinates since we match so closely on cultivar selection. You're a good ten weeks ahead of me in 5b. Mine are just now popping for a Memorial Day planting. Those pine needles used as mulch in the garlic bed look very tidy. Jasmine Street Farm

[@LazyDogFarm]

The pine straw on the garlic has worked wonderfully. You'll hopefully enjoy Wednesdays video on the weave.

[@michaelturner2691]

Looking great so far, my potatoes never made, so disappointed I guess it's too late to try again? My onions still not bulbing, my soil may be a little to hard. Where I put them at last year it's not light and fluffy but compacts pretty hard so I may be end up with nothing but green onions to eat. Weather is warming up around here in Savannah so I'm just going to leave them alone and see what they do.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Probably too late for potatoes at this point. With days around 12.5 hours, the onions should be bulbing by now.

[@marysurbanchickengarden]

Well Travis I suspect I won't be getting any real big onions, but none are bolting yet. You have a good harvest coming. If I knew fish would work I could have already buried a truck load, I have a few fishermen in my family.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Haha! I've seen some pretty good compost made with wood chips and fish remains. Takes a little while to break down, but it's good stuff.

[@Daddyo_farms]

Just got done billing my taters. As far as onions bolting is that about the same for garlic and more specifically elephant garlic. I have had a few of them bolt. I just broke it off. This is my first year planting garlic and onions.

[@LazyDogFarm]

We don't mind if the garlic bolts. That's kinda what it's supposed to do. But we don't like to see it on the onions.

[@nolawarren3560]

dang, sorry about the taters. mine are going crazy. HOWEVER, the catapillers tried to wreak havoc.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Sorry to hear that. We haven't had any pest pressure on ours yet, but we'll see. That mustard cover crop prior to planting taters seems to really help with pests and diseases.

[@nolawarren3560]

Army worms. I think we caught them in time, but whoa. Those things are brutal

[@stevefromthegarden1135]

I'm surprised by the Texas Legends. From what I know, they make some BIG onions. I have had the oddball sweet onion bolt but it's really rare. Being up north, my onions start to bulb around the summer solstice so no big drops in temperature. Most likely that oddball plant got stressed for some unknown reason.

[@LazyDogFarm]

The legends do usually make big onions for us too. Maybe they just need a little more time.

[@Caseylawton]

I've had some curly Kale make it through an Arizona summer without bolting. I was shocked. Only one made it but still... It's typically the aphids that get after it before the heat causes it to bolt.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Our kale doesn't get heavy insect pressure for some reason. They tend to go for the more tender greens we plant like mustard or pak choi.

[@Caseylawton]

@@LazyDogFarm interesting, the white Aphids LOVE my brassicas. They could care less about my lettuce, spinach, everything else really.

[@Giros25]

I had a similar delay on the seed Potatoes I grew myself. Interested to see how they do in comparison to each other. Zone 9a northern ca.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Maybe a fall harvest and spring planting is too soon for them?

[@Giros25]

@@LazyDogFarm honestly, that’s a good point. Never thought about that aspect before… interesting!

[@gailpetchenik3048]

Do rutabaga greens taste like collards?

[@LazyDogFarm]

Very similar. Maybe the rutabaga greens are a little sweeter.

[@MrSymbolic7]

I had 2 onions -1015"s that bolted out of 100 so I wasn't upset , i did note that they where on the end of the row facing west / northwest for what it's worth .

[@LazyDogFarm]

That is interesting. Our two bolters were at the end of the row as well facing west.

[@4corander]

Any tips for dealing with the surface of clay soil cracking after it rains? I thought I remember you saying in a previous video you dealt with that in your beds too. I added some gypsum and some 10/10/10... added compost and woodchips also before I tilled this past fall and it seems to keep crusting over no matter what.

[@LazyDogFarm]

My best suggestion is to lightly cultivate the soil while it's still a little moist. This can be tricky because you have to time it just right. If you try and cultivate when it's too wet, you'll just end up with clods. But we like to cultivate the first couple inches with the wheel hoe before it crusts and that really seems to help. Also makes the ground more receptive to more rain when we get it.

[@mattpeacock5208]

When do we find out the fish results?

[@LazyDogFarm]

It'll be a while. We probably won't make any conclusions until the end of the tomato growout.

[@Coastal.Redwood.Homestead]

I have a couple of my onions bolting my garlic have been in the ground for 5 months now and some of my onions are starting to grow nice and round

[@LazyDogFarm]

Good to hear! Ours have been in the ground a long time too.

[@joshuab738]

It is looking like some of your softneck garlic split or divided (two stocks really close to each other). This happened to me when I grew softneck here in Alabama. So you will mostly get multiple small bulbs. I think it is just the big temperature swings that do it --- we get big changes in weather here in the south which can make this difficult. I know that OAG (deeply miss him) and I tried to figure it out one time as we didn't live that far from each other and that is what we figured. Luckly I am still north enough to grow hardneck if I time it right and use the right type (I like the taste and the scapes of hardneck better anyways and it does not split or divide easily). I had a number of my bunching onions start to flower. I wanted to let them the save the seed --- but my wife went out and harvested them.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Yeah it's going to be interesting to see what we have when we pull the softneck garlic. I'm hoping for the best, but first year follies are always likely.

[@patriciadaigneault6324]

Which variety did you cut the tops off before planting and how are they fairing compared to the rest?

[@LazyDogFarm]

The first row of Chianti onions -- can't really tell a difference except for the fact that we lost a lot of the transplants that we trimmed immediately before planting.

[@mikemccleery7253]

Chickens will love the kale

[@LazyDogFarm]

They definitely do. The kids are always picking bottom leaves and taking it to the chickens.

[@SonderSurreal]

Hey man would my elephant garlic bolting be any similar?

[@LazyDogFarm]

No. You want elephant garlic to bolt. Once it bolts and the leaves start yellowing, that's when you'll want to harvest the elephant garlic.

[@SonderSurreal]

@@LazyDogFarm Thanks man it looked happy to me :)

[@pamelaremme38]

Do you "spoon" around your onions? (loosen up the soil around the bulb) Onions LOVE LOTS OF WATER. That is what I have learned. You have beautiful onions. Just wondering if you spoon them to get them above the soil as your video shows?

[@LazyDogFarm]

I don't spoon them. Have never found it to be necessary. They'll emerge naturally as they grow.

[@pamelaremme38]

@@LazyDogFarm Ohhhh thanks!!!! Much appreciated. Love your channel.

[@usn038]

if i just let them go to seed can i use that for fall seed

[@LazyDogFarm]

We could for the open-pollinated varieties, but many of these are hybrids.

[@usn038]

@@LazyDogFarm thanks

[@russellharris5314]

I tend to let the flowering onions go to seed then leave the plant in the ground over winter. that way I get seed for the next year and the onions that stay out in the cold split and I can separate them in spring to get some onions to eat a bit before the others grown from seed are ready. I get the occasional onion pop up in places I didn't plant them but its just a happy accident

[@LazyDogFarm]

I could see where that would work for the bunching onions we have planted. But not sure the timing would work for the short-day onions. We wouldn't need those to sprout until September down here, and they'd likely sprout much sooner than that.

[@russellharris5314]

@@LazyDogFarm the climate here in the UK is pretty different to your place, we still had frosty temperatures this week even. I haven't seen too many people online treat onions the way I do but it gives me about 3 months worth of growth ahead of the seeds. might not work if its not cold enough though over winter

[@matthewking2209]

Planting at the right time, mine seem to bolt if I plant to early. The Bermuda onions are bad about bolting but I might use it as an opportunity to collect seeds from them. I had no storage issues with the bolted onions last year the rings are not uniform though. I had onions from a May harvest to almost planting time again over six months. I kept them covered in my little greenhouse on a wire shelf with a piece of panda plastic to keep the sun off of them. I did have some that were starting to grow again once it got cool which I could have replanted to harvest seeds I guess.

[@LazyDogFarm]

The centers always rot on ours that have bolted. Because the stem is hardened and doesn't ever soften during the curing process, they don't seem to store as well.

[@matthewking2209]

@@LazyDogFarm That's what I was told but not what I experienced though. I found that If I broke the scape off short it would fill with rain water and rot and never dry. I did dry them a long time on my shelf in the hot house maybe that had something to do with it. The bolted onions lasted over three months and the others over six. I'll try it again and see how long they store this year. I just know I harvested them in early May and finished eating my last onion in November

[@LazyDogFarm]

@@matthewking2209 I've definitely seen that where the water fills them and causes them to rot if they break. That's why we never cut the tops on ours -- save the bunching onions for that.

[@chadstrutzenberg9171]

They’re trying to sow their wild oats!

[@heavenlyhillshomestead9465]

The Dino kale/black palm tree/lacinato/Nero Di Toscana cabbage up here in WV grew for almost a year here. I planted it last spring and it grew ok then when it got hot(80-100) it slowed but didn’t bolt and then as it began to cool off they took off again. I dug them up in December and transplanted them in the greenhouse and then in March just about all had went to seed so I pulled it. I was quite surprised in its growth and how long and big they got, some was pushing 5’ tall. Pumpkins are looking good, if you put a dose of calcium nitrate to them all they take off like a rocket 🚀!! Tomatoes are looking good, be interesting to see the one you put the fish beside because there’s people who swear by it but I still believe the first year it done you reap zero benefits but every year after I think it could have some benefits but in that case why not just use fish emulsion is my thinking.

[@LazyDogFarm]

That's my thoughts on the fish as well. Why not just use fish emulsion?

[@heavenlyhillshomestead9465]

@@LazyDogFarm should be interesting to see what results you get! Is agro thrive a fish emulsion?

[@LazyDogFarm]

@@heavenlyhillshomestead9465 It's a combination of fish emulsion and corn steep liquor.

[@heavenlyhillshomestead9465]

@@LazyDogFarm should get some pretty conclusive results out of that then!!

[@eroggero]

Very interesting and good to know, we do get quite a bit of fluctuation sometimes. Have you had any onions ever split, seems to me I had quite a few that split and grew two separate stalks.I know people say if you had more than one Seed it can do that but these were all started from sets. Any thoughts on why onions would split?

[@LazyDogFarm]

I have seen a few of ours split. Probably planted a double and didn't realize it.

[@jackwest5123]

@@LazyDogFarm I don't think so.... all my seeds were started in trays, and I was very careful when sowing and planting. Much like bolting, the internet says many factors can cause this.

[@meddler69]

Potatoes that you save grow better if you stratify them in the fridge, I think its something like 4-6 weeks, anyway I remember seeing that somewhere

[@LazyDogFarm]

Interesting. We put seed potatoes in the fridge one time and they rotted not long after planting. Guess we didn't have the humidity just right in the fridge.

[@j.reneewhite915]

How much land do you have?

[@LazyDogFarm]

2 acres. About 1/4 acres of it is garden.

[@SparksWilly]

Hey Travis, Will the back yard light screw up the daylight hours on my onions? We usually only use it for 15-20 minutes a night to take the dogs out.

[@LazyDogFarm]

It shouldn't.

[@auntiereeses5864]

I wonder if planting your lacinato kale so that it has morning sun and afternoon shade could help. Here in SW Washington (very mild to cold weather, generally), mine grew for well over a year, being shaded in the mornings and hit by sun in the afternoons, until a heat wave finally told it to bolt. Here, some of the produce has to see the afternoon sun in order to get them to grow (especially where I can't get full sun), so I'm thinking that if you did the opposite, you might be able to extend the season. I like the lacinato because it's so much easier to clean and chop than curly varieties...and fewer places for bugs to hide. Oh, and when our leeks bolted, I cooked up those scapes and they were dee-licious!

[@LazyDogFarm]

Probably could get the Lacinato kale to go longer if it had some partial shade. But most all of our plots are in full sun, so it's not as easy as it seems.

[@auntiereeses5864]

​@@LazyDogFarm Finding some shade might mean planting 2 rows in different directions or putting in a row next to a building. You're right - not so easy. I sure do enjoy watching all of your experiments. Best of luck to you!

[@clinthutcheson2640]

My taters looks the same way really spotty this year.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Sorry to hear that. Hopefully you still get a decent enough harvest to eat.

[@ranbec3237]

Did you start all your onions from seed and then transplant? Appx time in greenhouse?

[@LazyDogFarm]

Yes. We started the seeds in late September and then transplanted in early to mid November.

[@travisevans7502]

last year I grew red onions and about 40 % of them bolted first time for growing red onions I was wondering if they were more likely to bolt because none my yellow storage or yellow sweet onions did good to know it wasn't anything I did this year I didn't grow any because the red ones were real strong and didn't store well I may try another variety next year I was planning to do so this year but didn't remember to get any seeds thanks for the info.

[@LazyDogFarm]

You should try pickling the red onions.

[@travisevans7502]

@@LazyDogFarm how do you use them after you pick them just curious I'm sure there's many ways

[@LazyDogFarm]

@@travisevans7502 The pickled red onions are great on tacos, burgers, eggs -- use as a topping on just about anything you could imagine.

[@DaddyDave715]

Could maybe run the chicken tractor over the Spinach before you terminate it

[@LazyDogFarm]

I could, but it's a long way from there right now. If it was closer, I definitely would.