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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Snow could hamper Turkey Day travel ... Free Thanksgiving dinners offered for those in need ... Mt. Ashland Ski Area preps for winter season ... Snow could hamper Turkey Day travel ... Free Thanksgiving dinners offered for those in need ... Mt. Ashland Ski Area preps for winter season ... SINCE YOU ASKED Since You Asked: Onions could grow in a mild winter Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Nov. 24, 2015 at 12:01 AM Posted Nov. 24, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News I'm totally perplexed. On Nov. 13 in the stories from 100 years ago, you have a story about a Mr. William Packard and how he grew onions. In the story, it indicates he plants the onions in November and harvests them in February. Onions do not grow in the winter, so somehow the story doesn't track. Do you guys have any way to look into this? — Deborah, via email We're no green thumbs here at Since You Asked headquarters. In fact, newspaper ink has a knack for turning our thumbs black. With that in mind, we reached out to Rhianna Simes, Master Gardener coordinator for the Southern Oregon Research and Extension Center, to find out if onions actually can be grown in the winter. Simes explained that depending on the weather, a crop of root vegetables could theoretically survive the winter. If the winter was particularly mild, such as the winter we experienced last year, then overwintering onions from bulbs could be possible. "The mulching would be the key thing," Simes said. She said mulching when they were planted as bulbs and then mulching again once they grow about 6 inches tall would be an important piece in the crop's survival. Simes' highlighting of the importance of mulching coincides with the story of Mr. Packard, who moved to the Rogue Valley from the frigid East Coast and was devoted to winter plowing, according to the Nov. 15, 1915, Mail Tribune article. "Those root crops can be more resilient because of the soil, but if it gets to be one degree again, all bets are off," Simes said. Simes also believes a possible shift in language could have occurred over the past century, and the words scallions and onions could have been used interchangeably. "They can be harvested all season long as scallions," Simes said. Send questions to “Since You Asked,” Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by email to [email protected]. To see a collection of columns, go to mailtribune.com/youasked . We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Nov. 24, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501