From: Bob Klebba <nicmad!klebba%astroatc.uucp@spool.cs.wisc.edu>
Subject: Re: Stop me before I kill again!
X-Xxdate: Fri, 29 Apr 94 13: 23:48 GMT

In article <2pog55$cd3@news.doit.wisc.edu> Bob Mulroy,
MULROY@EPISAS.EPI.WISC.EDU writes:

> As I admitted in a previous post, I have no success with onions,
> garlic or other alliums.  It isn't the climate, soil or other factor
> beyond my control, because other gardeners in neighboring plots do
> quite well. So please, help me.

Onions aren't easy where we live, but garlic surely is.  All alliums
like fertile soil.  If you haven't added a lot of compost, you can
still add some more now.  Garlic, shallots and multiplier onions
should be planted in the fall, like spring bulbs.  The bigger the
clove you plant, the bigger the bulb you dig up the next summer.  The
onions and leeks are planted in the spring, in mid April.  You can't
wait too long, because the onions are daylight sensitive.  As soon as
they sense the days shortening, they stop growing.  You should pay
attention not to buy onion sets and only buy the seeds of varieties
adapted for the north ('Sweet Sandwich', 'Copra', 'Mambo').  The
onions sold as sets are best for the south.  Good luck.

Robert Klebba  USDA zone 4
Nicolet Instrument Corp.
Madison, WI, USA
"Submit to Barney"