1.In order to place an order @ $2.55 per bunch, we must have at least 30 bunches ordered. Ask your friends and neighbors to participate in your order, or buy some for the inlaws!
2.You may order any variety of onion Dixondale sells. See the link below.
3.Orders are prepaid, and all money for orders must be received by me prior to Monday, January 23.
4.No leek orders on this thread. There is a separate thread for leek orders.
5.I will request delivery the week of Februrary 6th. You will pick them up from me on Friday, February 10 between 6 and 7 p.m. I will email you privately with the centralized pick up location in Oklahoma City, and ask that you do not post the location publicly.
6.If you don't want to pick up in OKC, I will ship to you at cost for a flat rate box. A medium flat rate box ($10.95) will hold 9 bunches, and a large flat rate box (14.95) will hold 20 bunches. (If you recall with certainty paying for a small box last year, you are correct. The onions didn't fit, so I paid for the upgrade myself and wished you Merry Christmas.)

How to I participate?
1.Post your onion order on this thread. A copy of your post will be emailed to me.
2.Next, email me directly through garden web. It doesn't have to say much. The purpose is to ensure I have a current email for you, and can contact you directly.
3.I will email you my address with a total so you can send payment promptly.
4.Your payment must be received by the order date of January 23 or your order will not be placed. (Please note, there was not a single incidence of someone not paying last year. This policy reflects my need to keep things very simple, and allowing different payment schedules requires more record keeping than I want to do.)
5.Don't hesitate to ask questions. We had lots of good questions last year, and it helped the process go well for everyone involved.

Happy Onions,
Seedmama

I'll send an email to you now. Thank you so much for organizing this! :)

Heather

Keith

Much as last year, I would like to order:

(2) Red Candy Apple
(2) Candy
(2) SuperStar

I only am just now running out of onions, so this thread is most timely lol.

That makes 9 bunches. I think we'll make our "30" quota but if I need to add some more.....

Like okfella, I STILL have onions for fresh eating along with a LOT chopped & stored in the freezer. Dawn has told us for a long time that if the bulbs stay down there @ Dixondale until time to plant here, they'll do better. After last year, I'm a FIRM believer. I hate to cut out local retailers of Dixondale, but I've got to look at my pocket book also. I spent $20 on onions last February and haven't had to buy a single one all year since.

Thank you so much, Seedmama, for being the brawn behind this! As with last year, I'll be happy to deliver to the Norman and south area peeps if anyone is interested.

Paula

Thanks Seedmama for coordinating this again and keeping us on track with our rapidly approaching gardening season. You rock!

Candy (4)
Intermediate Sampler (1)

It is certainly to our advantage to get this order above 30, so if I need to add a few more I can do so.

It's my pleasure. P-mac has ordered 2 more not on this thread, and I don't see myself ordering less than 7, so I think we'll have 30 covered for sure, especially after jcheckers and carsons_mimi get back. Chandra will be chiming in after the first of the year, and he purchased 12 by himself last year. It will be interesting to see how the leek thing winds up.

If leek seeds don't last any longer than onion seeds, then I might as well take a chance, because the seeds will probably be no good after this planting season anyway. I think I have some a few years old from Willhite, and some newer ones that came in a T&M grab bag last fall.

I hope 2012 proves to be a better year for you because 2011 certainly had it's problems. Is your mother doing OK?

My order in bunches:

Bermuda (4)
Candy (2)
Red Creole (1)
Short Day Sampler (5)

I'm up to 12 bunches now. I don't think I need to "spread the word" to anyone else. This is for 2 friends, FIL, my mother and ourselves. ha!

Paula

3 Red Creole
2 Candy
1 Short Day mix

Seedmama, Thanks!

Congratulations! You put us right at 30!

Be sure to send me a blank email through GW, so I'll have your email.

Red Candy Apple (1)
Super Star (1)
Yellow Granex (1)
Texas Early White (1)

I'm still using onions saved from last year. What a bargain crop! Thanks again Seedmama for all your effort.

Congrats on making the move!! Save your empty cardboard boxes for laying in the garden beds!

Paula

Red Candy Apple (1)
Candy (2)
Super Star (1)

2bunches: 1015Y Texas Supersweet
2bunches: Contessa
2bunches: Candy

Already some interest from my coworkers and planning to really put the "Pitch" on 'em next week, so I expect to add several more to the list later...

Also for those who haven't ordered from Dixondale before, I've grown onions for years and never thought you could grow such Sweet onions in Oklahoma!

Keith

Please substitute 2: Yellow Granex for the 2: Contessa in the above order.

Thanks, Keith

Here are my quick list of about 15 bunches.

Red Creole (2)
Red Candy Apple (2)
Super Star (2)
Candy (2)
Yellow Granex (1)
Texas Early White (1)
Texas Super Sweet (1)
Bermuda (2)
Short Day Sampler (2)

Regards -Chandra

When does everyone starting planting their bulbs?

Thanks for your organizing the order for us seed mama!!

I sent canned emails this morning containing onion totals and my mailing address to facilitate prompt payment. At this point everyone should have heard from me except mrsfrodo.

mrsfrodo, please send me an email through GW so I will have your email address.

We now at 75 bunches, and I have yet to decide about my order.

1 Red Candy Apple
1 Candy
1 Superstar

Thanks! - mo

A gardening friend of ours would like to jump on your "come on down" offer for onions extended to family and friends. Actually, this is a friend of DH's at his corporate office. They routinely swap gardening news during his weekly corporate runs.

So, would you add the following for our friend who we'll just call "Corporate Gardening Guru" (yes, I have greenhouse envy despite my better efforts not to). She shared she had Cox hook up cable in her greenhouse so she can watch HGTV while planting her seeds... *sigh* ...the good life. Anyway, here's her order:

Red Candy Apple (1)
Candy (1)
Super Star (1)

I'll be happy to play go between so feel free to shoot me an email with her total and I'll forward. She's already offered to have her payment ready for pickup during DH's next corporate visit on Tuesday.

Thanks so much!

Please help me to keep things simple by including a single payment to cover "you and yours."

Can't wait to see you!

Now on a side note, my personal plan (and one I hope other participants will consider as well) is to apply a "rounding up" method in my payment as a cushion for Seedmama since she experienced out of pocket costs last year. Knowing her as I do, she would never dream of asking anyone for repayment. But think about it for a moment...she is graciously extending us a good amount of her time and effort in coordinating this from interest gathering, record keeping, payments, ordering, sorting and finally delivery.

Yes, she volunteered to do this;
Yes, she enjoys doing this;
Yes, she'll probably want to throttle me for this. (and what exactly does throttling entail anyway?)

The group order has saved each one of us a huge chunk of change so please consider this payment method.

Thanks again Seedmama!

I was recently given a 1956 Webster's unabridged dictionary, and this has been my first opportunity to use it. Woo hoo!

I do the onion project because it is fun. It allows me to meet gardeners I might otherwise not have the opportunity to know. I do not expect any compensation, and understand that volunteer work entails the incurrence of unexpected incidental expenses.

Carsons_mimi, you are a gem, but the only money I will accept from you is for the chiropractic fund, created by the need to hoist this 50 pound tome upstairs so I could type from it. Get outta here!

Seedmama

If you had a nickel for every time Seedpapa said, "Do you remember the mushrooms your friend gave us?" (like I could forget), you still wouldn't have enough to buy anything at Starbuck's, but if I sent you an email everytime, you would have to use spam blocker on me!

Now you've sent me into daydream land.

While I don't remember mentioning the word compensation however, SGM's offer got me thinking I'm working in the wrong currency. While the rounding up method will continue to be my plan (despite your objections and whether others choose to follow or not), I'm fairly confident it would meet with your approval if I showed up bearing a jar of the hab jelly you're so fond of. I'll even bring the spoon. However, I must caution you that the subsequent moans of delight emitted halfway through the jar may not be appropriate in front of the children. My rounding up gesture simply will not cover their future therapy needs.

I'd like to order:
Red Candy Apple (2)
Candy (2)
Red Creole (4)
1015Y Texas Super Sweet(4)

Thanks seedmama. You're a jewel.

Keith

Guess I forgot to hit send? I have now sent you an email. Please post here if you don't get it.

Andria

Medium box $11.35
Large box $15.45

Thanks,
Seedmama

Candy (5)
Intermediate Sampler (2)

Intermediate Day Sampler (1)

I live in Norman and would be glad to pick up orders for Norman folk in OKC or, if someone else from Norman picks up, to come to your place to get my order.

Thanks, Seedmama, for doing this. I really appreciate getting these onions at such a great price, and for the opportunity to meet some other gardeners.

Donna

Jay, That was fun to watch!

lizgyrl
Ihv2gratkids
justsaymo
daleok
miraje
aikimikey

Thanks all,

Seedmama

It's hard to believe there are 10 days left to get payment in. January is flying so don't delay. Seedpapa says, "No payment, no order." He's one bad teddy bear.

Thanks all,

Seedmama

Jay, thanks for the link. I watched several videos posted by the folks at Dixondale Farms. Good info.

8 bunches: 1015Y Texas Supersweet
6 bunches: Candy
3 bunches: Yellow Granex
1 bunch: Red Candy Apple

I'll be putting a money order in the mail this morning.
Thanks, Seedmama!

Keith

i'd like to place an order for

1 intermediate sampler
1 creole

i'll send you an email momentarily, seedmama.

Here's the list of people whose payment has arrived. If you think yours should have been here by now, please email me.
lizgyrl
Ihv2gratkids
justsaymo
daleok
miraje
aikimikey
p-mac
trees4ok
soonergrandmom
carsons_mimi
momfryhover

BTW, for anyone who is counting, we're at 113 bunches!

Keith, Your payment arrived. Thanks!

Paula

Sharon B.

It is not too late. Payment sent today should be here in time.

Be sure to check back and let us know how your long day selections perform in Oklahoma. I'll be very curious to know. I'm growing both types of cippolini. I don't expect them to get more than an inch or so big, but oh how perfect for shish kabob. We'll see.

Does anybody correspond with okfella? I haven't heard from him, and last year he was johnny on the spot. I hope everything is okay.

Thanks,
Seedmama

Thanks,
Sharon B.

(1) Intermediate Day Sampler
(1) Short Day Sampler

I have no garden started at the new abode, and only the vaguest idea of where it will eventually be, but hopefully by the time they get here I will have dug something! Emailing you through GW now, Seedmama. Thanks!

(Mirage - I think I may have yours from last years spring swap so watch for my e-mail)

Paula

Heather

For my own audit trail, I am posting Chandra's revised order here:
1 bunch 1015
1 bunch Texas Early White
1 bunch Yellow Granex
1 bunch Hybrid Southern Belle Red
1 SDS
1 Red Creole
1 Candy
1 Superstar

My own order is
1 bunch 1015
2 bunches SDS
3 bunches Red Creole
2 bunches Candy
1 bunch Superstar
2 bunches IDS
1 bunch Borettana Cippolini
1 bunch Red Marble Cippolini

My kids are already complaining about how the house will smell when these babies arrive. MMMMmmmmm! We now have the equivalent of 4 1/2 crates!

Thank you.

Dropped the check in the PO box this morning. Crossing my fingers that it will get from Warr Acres to OKC to Harrah by Monday. If it doesn't make it, just drop my order- that will teach me to not wait until the last minute!

Andria

Mrs. B. Your payment arrived today. Thanks!

If you missed the fun, watch the forum in December for next year's posting. Or, send me an email and I'll try to remember to notify you when the posting goes up.

Seedmama

This year, we collectively purchased 138 bunches of onions, up 42% from last year's 97 bunches.

Below are the varieties ordered, followed in parenthesis first by the number of bunches ordered 2011, then the number of bunches ordered 2012.This group clearly likes Candy, showed great interest in the new Red Creole offering.
1015Y Texas (12,18)
Texas Early White (n/a, 2)
Yellow Granex (1,5)
Hybrid Southern Belle Red (6,1)
White Bermuda (3,4)
Short Day Sampler (9,15)
Red Creole (n/a, 14)
Red Candy Apple (18,19)
Candy (17,35)
Super Star (12,10)
Intermediate Day Sampler (11,9)
Borettana Cippolini (0,1)
Red Marble Cippolini (0,1)
Big Daddy (0,2)
Ringmaster (0,2)

Sharon

Once I have a sound distribution list, I will notify you of the pick up location.

Thanks again,
Seedmama

This was also the reason I didn't round up on my check for my order - you don't mess with an accountant. They'll cut a @&#$@!

While the enclosed plants may appear dry, don't be alarmed; they're simply dormant. Don't worry if you can't plant them immediately, even if the roots and tips begin to dry out. the onions can live off the bulb for approximately three weeks.

DO remove the plants from the box immediately. Keep them n a well-ventilated, cool area until you can plant them. Do NOT put them in soil or water.

Mia, You are funny. It's true. Mess with an accountant's system, lose an appendage.

I am going back within the next several days to pick some up. If I can grow nothing else this year, I can still grow onions.

Jo

Jo

The way I remember it is this: The sets were onions grown last year, then dried, and held for Spring planting. In my mine, when planted this year, that makes them a second year onion which is fine for green onions but more likely to go to seed if grown longer, which is the nature of an onion in it's second year. A true BIENNIAL plant.

I think it is important to plant 'plants' as early as you can after receiving them although they will keep for awhile and still grow. Although the growth is briefly interrupted when we order them from Dixondale, it is a short interruption and we can still get them into the ground quickly while they are still a green plant.

Although Dixondale sells plants to many retail stores, you never know how they were handled after they reached the store and how long they have been in stock. I have seen them when there was very little green left on the onion. It is hard enough to grow onions in Oklahoma and keep them from going to seed because of our crazy Spring weather, so I think a direct order is a good thing. Seedmama's order is handled so fast that is about the same timeframe as ordering yourself but we get the benefit of combined pricing.

So will I be concerned when I see bunches of onion plants in the stores for less money than I paid? Maybe for 30 seconds, but as long as the date of receipt of our major onion order works with my planting date, I feel like it is worthwhile to get them fresh and straight from the grower.

Thank you for clarifying onion terminology to me. I had no idea!

I din't mean to crap this thread or compromise the group buy. Onions at $1 or $2 a bunch are still a great deal. I just wanted to point out options to local people.

Farmer's Feed is a TINY Mom and Pop store, and last year their bunches were excellent and provided me with a ton of onions. I got a few bunches from the group buy through a friend, and the Farmer's Feed ones did as well as (or even better than) the ones bought directly from Dixondale and passed on to me.

Jo
Jo

Everyone around me has gotten to where they carry only Bonnie Plants, including BP onions. I miss the good old days when different stores had different plants from different wholesalers/growers....in one store you might see onions from Bonnie Plants, Brown's Omaha and Dixondale.

When I was a kid, the only onions we could find for planting were the sets in net bags (at Montgomery Wards, of all places), and they always went to seed. Part of the problem was that they usually are long-day varieties which never will form large bulbs here anyway. (Except maybe at Jay's.) They looked like little tiny dried oonions when you planted them and that weren't worth a nickle as they often didn't grow at all, or went right to seed as Carol described. I remember how excited my dad was in the late 1960s or early 1970s when a little Greek market near us started selling bundles of onion plants in January every year.

Carol, One of my pet peeves is retailers that sell plants at the wrong time for planting, so last year I paid attention to when the local big box stores pulled their onions from the shelves in the garden center and stopped selling them. It was in May. Those bundles of unsold onions had set there in those wooden crates since February. I don't think they were getting in newer shipments periodically, but rather just leaving old, dried-up unsold onions out there for 3 months or more after the recommended planting date. I would look at those dry, dessicated bundles and wonder who in their right mind would buy them at that point, and would shake my head.

Jay, There is nothing that will keep you out of a nursery or garden center. Nothing. I understand it though as I am that way myself.

Dawn

I live in Norman and would be interested in meeting you to pick up the onions. I tried to send you and email but for some reason it gives me an error. Just let me know how to contact you and a time to meet.

Thanks
Lisa

Paula

My husband was in Atwood's today and called to tell me they had Dixondale onions and asked if I wanted more. He read me the list and I think Candy was the only intermediate day variety they had and all the rest were short-day. Since I had ordered Candy with the group order, I told him I didn't need anymore of those and didn't want the others. Although I live in that lap-over area that Dixondale says will grow both short day and intermediate day types, I am at the very top of it, and feel I will probably be better off with intermediate day types. That is another reason why I like to order with the group order since the local stores don't seem to pay much attention to that.

A BIG thanks to Seedmama for all she did to pull this together. She has done an AMAZING job of keeping this all straight for 2 years now. Considering the numbers she's processed, that's no small feat. GO SEEDMAMA!!! (And special thanks to Seedpapa, Seedling #1 and especially Seedling #2 for their contributions!)

Paula

It's my pleasure to do this small thing for the folks on the forum. If it continues to grow we'll have to rent a warehouse to sort!

Thanks to all who came to claim their onions or sent designated representatives. It really make my job go smoothly!

Weather was great today, left office early and planted all onions in two raised beds!

-Chandra