# Will onions freeze...........



## Lunkerman (Dec 27, 2004)

in these cold hill country temps we are having? Probably too late to cover them now.


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

Yes, but they will tolerate temps down into the teens before dying. 

The lowest I've had experience with on my onions is 5 deg. ... and they didn't make it through that. However, several times over the years I have had them do just fine after temps falling well into the teens. 

One thing that helps them is to make sure they are very well watered before the freeze...also wait a couple of weeks afterwards before declaring them lost. They are surprisingly hardy.


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## peckerwood (Jun 9, 2012)

The only time I lost any was when it got down to 10, 2 nights in a row after they had only been in the ground a couple days.


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## JoeD (Feb 15, 2006)

Freezing weather causes onions to bolt and go to seed producing a hard core stalk


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## Lunkerman (Dec 27, 2004)

Thinking about covering them with hay this afternoon when we are supposedly going to get above freezing. Going to be colder tonight. They don't look dead at this point.


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

Lunkerman, how cold did those onions get?

It hit 21 here last night, but I don't expect any problems for mine. Last winter they went through 17 and I had the best year ever for non bolting. Not any, none, bolting out of 300 onions. It just isn't true that freezing causes them to bolt. 

In my experience big temp variations are much more of a problem...very warm days followed by a freeze and warm up during the growing season can be problematic....but a freeze during winter dormancy just isn't a problem...unless you get single digits.


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## Lunkerman (Dec 27, 2004)

18 last night. I did cover them with hay. After tonight I'll uncover them. I think they'll be fine cause I uncovered the strawberries to take a peek and they were fine.


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## nikki (Apr 14, 2011)

Still looking great after several nites and days of low 20's, along with the beets. Broc, cali and cabbage took a beating and my tub full of near ripening tomatoes are forever gone. Some orange, grapefruit and lemon were stung but should be OK.


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

This one will be an interesting test...12 deg. last night here.


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## 3192 (Dec 30, 2004)

How about the cauliflower? I have several that are/were ready to pick. We got down to 22f last night/this morning.


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## Mattsfishin (Aug 23, 2009)

I sure hope not. My onions are covered in snow and ice now. If I loose them I will be ok but I sure hope my Republic of Texas orange tree makes it. Sure got cold here.


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

galvbay said:


> How about the cauliflower? I have several that are/were ready to pick. We got down to 22f last night/this morning.


It might make it at 22...anything in the teens normally kills my cauliflower and broc ... at best you will probably see some brown where you normally see white.


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## Sugars Pop (Jul 10, 2008)

How long are you going to wait to see if the onions froze, survived, replant, hold off!!!!!!. Neighbor said it was in the teens at the lake house last week where my garden is. Some of the small sets didn't look very good but the larger ones looked normal.


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

Onions planted this time of year and after around here tend to bolt early before making a big fruit...and they don't store well. 

I'll wait and see what happens, but if my 1015s are dead, which I doubt, I'll probably just plant some bunching onions instead. 

The tops may look bad even though the roots are ok. Time will tell.


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## 3192 (Dec 30, 2004)

Meadowlark said:


> It might make it at 22...anything in the teens normally kills my cauliflower and broc ... at best you will probably see some brown where you normally see white.


22f turned our cauliflower into a jello like yellow mush. So ready for spring /summer gardening!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Rubberback (Sep 9, 2008)

galvbay said:


> 22f turned our cauliflower into a jello like yellow mush. So ready for spring /summer gardening!
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Me too! Think my foot is ready and I've missed not playing in the dirt.


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

Pretty amazing results here after one night of 12 deg followed by one night of 14 deg.:

1) 1015 onions appear to have survived 

2) carrots have survived but a little browned in spots

3) Brussels sprouts and kale look great

4) cabbage heads still okay but plants basically dead

5) turnips no problem

6) beets, radishes, cauliflower, broc all froze

Time to get ground ready for planting potatoes in a few weeks


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## jm423 (Sep 18, 2011)

Onions good, broc leaves burned but heads seem ok, little nipping on other stuff. Think one satsuma may be terminal--time will tell.


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

jm423...how cold did your onions get? I think mine were right on the edge of death but somehow made it.


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## jm423 (Sep 18, 2011)

Lark-I don't have a good temp measure real close to them but we were at 21F for a few hours by my thermometer. Local weather reports showed tad warmer but we are in in little micro-climate--top of bald hill.


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## Sugars Pop (Jul 10, 2008)

Think I lost about 30% of my 10-15's at the lake. Looked at them closely yesterday and they are brown etc...............


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

How cold did it get SP?


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## Sugars Pop (Jul 10, 2008)

Lark ,
Don't remember what my neighbor said but I assume it was similar to what you had.
15 miles south of Groesbeck TX.


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