May 9, 2016

avalanche column

May 5, 2016

Recently when I gave a presentation I was discussing the use of cold pressed neem oil. I talked about that it breaks down in eight hours of day light. The hormones within the neem oil cause pests to stop molting and then stop eating with death of the pest soon thereafter.

A comment that I made resonated with the participants, to only mix enough spray mix to use at that time. The unused mixed oil soon starts to degrade (eight hours) and becomes useless.

I have frequently commented on the effectiveness of this pesticide to control bugs. A participant commented on how they would mix up a spray bottle and use this mix all season with no positive results. This may be why I have felt my ears burning. Ah yes, so going forward this person will have better results.

Ah Ha moments are always such great things to happen.

It has been a few years back that I had one in regards to growing bulb onions.

I grew bulb onions with no problem up in Oregon but for the life of me, I could not get anything but green onions that would bolt before a decent bulb would form.

I like to push seasons. I always thought a larger over wintered onion plant would work better for bulb onions. How very mislead I was.

First I learned that there are onions that are adapted to different latitudes. This was news to me. I found that short day onions are best suited for us. In Oregon things stayed cool until spring arrived. Down here it is hot and cold running winters most years. Sixties one day and freezing the next. This was the source of my problem.

I constantly search and glean information out of gardening books and sometimes I hit the jackpot. I found one gardening book that was written for growing onions in the South.

I had heard that you did not want to start onion plants too early but never read a plausible reason to do so (my folly). This gentleman commented that when growing onion seedlings, they MUST remain less than ¼ inch going through the winter, onions ¼ inch or larger have developed hormones that can trigger the flowering process once they resume growth in the spring. Here lied my big problem. I would start my onions at the end of September and would grow seedlings that were ¼ plus inches in size to transplant in the spring.

Now I start them at the beginning of November and have the right sized seedlings to transplant in March. Bulbs follow in June!!!

Good luck and happy gardening!!! Questions? I can be contacted at markdirtfarmer@gmail.com. Or more garden notes at redwagonfarm.blogsot.com