Hi everyone,
I´m experimenting with different Onion populations/Grexes one for sweet Onions (Roscoff/Sweet Spanish types) and one for spicy, long storage ones.
For one strain i used only varieties claimed to be sweet and for the other one spicy.
In the first year i was/still growing and tasting every original variety separately (to be sure about the sweetness/spiciness)
Since i was able to eat whole onions of every variety was this approach quite convenient.
Now I´m wondering about taste testing the following generations.
I know that you can cut the top of the onion to select for one main shoot (not splitting in two).
Should I also use this as taste sample ?
Because i want to avoid different lines and then do line / family tasting.
I would like to keep it in a "lofthousian landrace gardening style".
Does it make sense to taste them individually ( around 50 onions, lightly steemed/baked in muffin trays) are they better bred in a progeny way? And how would you taste them ? Cut discs from the surface without hurting the bottom and shoot and then disinfect them ? Or more triangular shapes (like with radishes for example) without hurting the core ?
Any help is much appreciated!
All the best,
Max
That's an interesting problem!
I have no personnel experience, but I do know that quartering the basal plate is a method for cloning tulips, snowdrops etc.
I think I'd get a bag of onions from the supermarket and experiment. Cut some round the equator. Reserve the top half for eating. Quarter the basal plates, and experiment with different healing regimes.
Have fun!
Tim DH
If you go with quartering the basal plate, let them dry out good for a couple days before planting or they rot. But my experience is with flowers not onions