Onions, collard green seeds and broccoli seeds.

1. I have a white onion that has been in the ground for a long time (so long that I've forgotten how long) and it is getting ready to flower. Is it time to pull up the onion?

2. I allowed two of my collard green plants to flower and go to seed. The seeds look like miniature green beans and have a collard green taste. At what point do I harvest those seeds and save them for next year or next seed swap? Is there anything wrong with eating them?

3. Same goes for the broccoli. I let two of my broccoli plants flower and go to seed. The seed pods look like miniature green beans, as well. They have a broccoli flavor, though. Is there anything wrong with eating them, too? At what point do I save them for next year or next seed swap?

Both the collard and broccoli seed pods are not dried out and have plenty of moisture. They are green and being watered, still.

Thanks, in advance.

Tags: broccoli, collard, greens, onions, seeds

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Permalink Reply by Catherine, The Herb Lady on April 9, 2012 at 2:46pm

Cassandra, you can pull your onion - if it is a nice fat bulb you will want to let it sit in the sun for a day and then air dry in the shade for a week until the skin is papery then it will be a storage onion - or you can use it right away.

On both your collard and broccoli flowers you can eat some of the seeds but you need to let them dry completely - on the plant - in order for them to be viable for re-seeding in the fall.

If you don't think you will use the onion, you can also let it go to seed - let the seeds dry on the plant and harvest for replanting.

Hope that helps.

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Permalink Reply by Cassandra on April 9, 2012 at 3:35pm

The onion is a nice fat bulb...super fat. I had no idea about the "sit in sun and air dry in shade" process.

Thank you so much.

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Permalink Reply by Catherine, The Herb Lady on April 9, 2012 at 3:43pm

Similar to drying garlic for storage - it 'cures' them for storage. If you only have one you can use it right away or do the curing.

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Permalink Reply by Trevor Ray on April 9, 2012 at 4:18pm

When we do this, are we supposed to cut off the top "green" part of it first?

I tried drying my Garlic last year in the shade but it seemed to rot.... Maybre I left them in a hot shed too long? Are there different kinds that do better at storing?

Thanks!

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Permalink Reply by Catherine, The Herb Lady on April 9, 2012 at 7:38pm

Hi Trevor,

The green part of the onion or garlic is what you hang it with, and you should have hung the garlic out under a patio awning or under trees - it needs the dry air to circulate around it. It rotted because the heat intensity in the shed was probably way too high and no air circulation. My garlic usually dries in 1-2 weeks hung under our patio cover or under my apricot trees - needs to just be out of direct sunlight.