I could have Celeste cuttings for you, however, I live in NJ so I am not close. If you want to try the mailing route with perhaps your dormant cuttings, send me an email! Christy

cyrus - I had to hill up one of my leggier plants that fell over in the wind. And I was just wondering if those roots that'll start growing out of the stem (like you'd get from a cutting), are the tap root kind, that seem to be more adapted for going deep to find water. Or if they're the kind that, if I understand correctly, typically develop later, and are supposed to be better at soaking up nutrients. Or if they're some other kind of root. I think you're right that later in the season it makes more sense to start from cuttings. So I'm wondering if I can save myself some work when I do that, by skipping the potting up step, and still get the "recommended" root structure. organicislandfarmer and rockguy - I had to pinch off a small seedling, since I accidentally had 2 seeds in one block. I felt bad, and wanted to give it a chance, so I stuck it in it's own block. It was really small, and I didn't think it had a chance. But it started growing again after it got established, and now it's doing really well. dave - Thanks. I'll be putting my cuttings directly in soil blocks. I didn't think I'd be getting a bunch of tap roots, but I wasn't sure I'd be getting those fibrous roots either. I want to skip the potting up step, if I don't need it to get that fibrous structure. I'm only talking about indeterminates. carolyn - My original question had nothing to do with determinates. Organicislandfarmer asked a different question, so we got 2 different discussions going.

I couldn't understand why I've had luck with planting onion at the end of May and I didn't think there would be that much difference between our zones, but I found out the reason why. "...the US zones are based entirely on average minimum temperature, and the zones are not subdivided. The Canadian index is far more complicated, and is based on a complicated mathematical formula that takes into account snowfall, wind, rainfall, the warmest month, etc." From a different site "The hardiness zones are informative: the extremes of winter cold are a major determinant of whether a plant species can be cultivated outdoors at a particular location; however, the USDA hardiness zones have a number of drawbacks if used without supplementary information. The zones do not incorporate summer heat levels into the zone determination; thus sites which may have the same mean winter minima, but markedly different summer temperatures, will be accorded the same hardiness zone." Of course I am also in a slightly cooler zone so I am sure that is the biggest factor now after hearing you say it's way to late. The ground is still frozen in April here half the time. We just had 0c temps on Friday, last year had snow on Mother's day and killing frost on Sept 1st, year before frost at the beginning of June. The old couple I buy my hay from said they never do seeds and almost plant in June because they've had frost in middle of June here. Luckily I haven't seen that yet, and hope I never do. I was devastated enough to go from middle of October frost dates for a 5b zone to early September for 5a. It was a shocker that first gardening season for sure. We do also have a bit of a micro climate here with a almost 50 foot elevation level between the upper and lower garden so that could be part of the reason since this is the first year I've had onions in the upper garden we'll see how they'll do. So far the sets have grown 8 inches in about 2 weeks with three frosts in that time. With all that jibber jabber said, I'd still much rather prefer a pearl onion to bitter carrots. Only reason I put some seeds in now was for the livestock. I guess it's a preference thing though.

Figs: I have Celeste, green Ischia and what I have been told was Violette de Bordeaux. I also have several blackberry vines. Whatever Lowe’s sold with Native American names. Ha. Sorry. I am the worst about keeping labels. Large berries, thornless. Kiowa and something else Also have smaller dewberries from my aunt but I think those are more of a Southern thing. Interested in trading for any edibles