Hi Glenda,

Thanks for the update on the onions.

I'll definitely grow Red Candy Apple again next year. Mine didn't size up as well as yours, but we had 12" of rainfall in one day in late April and the onion plants (which were in raised beds, not that I could tell it helped them any) stalled and didn't grow for several weeks. I was just happy they survived because I didn't think they would.

I have always been very happy with Dixondale Farms and I believe Jay orders from them as well. They are more expensive than a local supplier but their transplants always do very well for me. I would use a local retailer, but none of them carry Candy or Red Candy Apple here in southern OK that I've ever seen.

I hope your gardening year is going well. We're fighting erratic weather, too much rain at the wrong times, high humidity and lots of tomato diseases here in OK this year.

Dawn

Dawn, I am fighting Japanese Beetles and disease is rampant on some tomatoes. Also most just set the first cluster and then due to our abnormally hot weather didn't set any more fruit. A few varieties have set better than others. The plums have bushels but may die before they can ripen.

I turned the blackberries over to the JB....after spraying...hoping to get a good kill before they lay too many eggs in the soil.

I am having to water the garden on a regular basis now. Weatherman says we have a possibility of rain....sure hope it hits us.

Back to the onions, the first year I raised Candy and Superstar, I raised them from seeds from Harris Seed Co and started very early in February. They were all of a good size, maybe a baseball or larger. The secret from seeds is plug flats and long growing time under lights or a greenhouse (lights for me) and getting them out fairly early.
Local places did have Candy this year but they were pretty expensive too.

Glenda

Glenda,

So your weather has been very similar to what a lot of us have had, right down to the early abnormally hot weather.

I'm having to water too, but don't know how long I can water it enough to keep it going. Probably when I see the next water bill, I'll abruptly stop watering. LOL

I generally don't raise onions from seed, mainly because I raise so many other plants from seed, and there's only so many flats I can fit onto the light shelf.

Most places here, and that includes the small local places, just have the "same old same old" Bonnie Plants, and I don't have anything against BP, but they don't have the onion plants I want.

I also wonder if every store will carry BP's plants next spring if the tomato late blight in the NE USA is ulimately traced back to plants from BP. The late blight thing may be a nightmare for them.

Dawn

Hi girls,

My onions from Dixondale did fantastic. Well worth the money. The candy apple is a treat for us too. My garden enjoyed the last week or so when heat was down. We also got blasted with inch or more of much needed rain on July fourth evening and another 1/2 inch Wednesday noon. Between the break in the heat and the moisture, seems everything came back to life. Garden phlox and hardy hibiscus are lovely! Will be short lived though as the hot is back with the hot south wind.....

Best to you both!
Laura

Hi Laura,

The rain has helped, hasn't it? I think my garden would be about dead without it. The cool spell, too, was so very much appreciated, although I surely do wish it could have lasted a couple of weeks instead of a couple of days.

My hardy hibiscus plants have been looking really lovely as well, As long as they get "some" water, the heat doesn't really seem to bother them. I need to plant more of them

Best wishes to you and your garden too!

Dawn