Monday, January 30, 2012

Plants with onion-like bulbs? I'm in Arkansas, and scattered throughout my front and back yards are bunches of

deep green plants. They are about 2 1/2 -3 inches high, texture like really strong hard grass, deep green with a faint stripe up the middle of each leaf. They stand straight up. I pulled a few out of the ground. The bulbs look exactly like small onions. about the size of golf balls but more oval in shape. They have skin just like onions. I took one in the house, cleaned it and sliced it like an onion. It had the rings just like an onion. Well, I Know I shouldn't have, but I tasted it, just dabbed it on my tounge, it was extremely bitter, then it made my tounge numb for a few minutes. My cousin said they were bulbs for flowers. I do know that in the area in the fron yard during late August to September, there were spider lillies growing in the area, but I don't think they originated from these bunches. I thought they may have been shallots or leeks, but from what I've seen online, the plants don't really look like that. Does aybody a clue, I can't find them online?

Plants with onion-like bulbs? I'm in Arkansas, and scattered throughout my front and back yards are bunches of
Yes, you probably have either wild onion or wild garlic. The way to tell them apart is by the leaves. The leaves (stem) of wild onions are solid. Cut it cross ways to see. The stem of the onion also tends to form at ground level. The leaves of wild garlic are hollow and form higher up on the stem compared to the lower formation of the onion. The garlic also smells like garlic. They grow as a perennial in the winter time. When you mow the tops off you will get the smell of garlic which is very pungent. If you wish to get rid of them, you will need to spray them with Ortho's... Weed B Gone "max" concentrate. It contains a good percentage of 2,4D which is about the only herbicide that will kill it systemically. The weed is built for survival with its waxy thick coated stalk. Not much can penetrate it but Weed B gone Max. Do not use Roundup if you treat the lawn. WBG "max" can be used safely on the lawn as long as you don't have St. Augustine or Centipede grass. It works especially well on cool season grasses. Here is a link for you to read about these weeds. It shows all the characteristics of both weeds for you to try and match up with. Hope this answers your question.

http://www.american-lawns.com/problems/w...



Added Info: You can pick up Ortho Weed B Gone at WalMart, Home Depot, or Lowes garden centers. It comes in concentrate that you mix or a handy hose hookup "ready to use" formula.

http://www.ortho.com/index.cfm/event/Pro...



PS... why so many thumbs down? Do I detect a certain amount of jealousy in this catagory? Or don't you think my knowledge and years of experience are worthy enough? Perhaps you should take the info seriously. You may learn something that you thought you already knew. FYI.. I gave "no" thumbs down to anyone at this question, if that is what you are thinking.



**Billy Ray**
Reply:They sound like crocus bulbs. Pretty little flowers that start blooming before anything else usually in late February or early March. They are good for naturalizing the yard. No their not edible. If you want, this is a good time to move them and put them in a border where you want them, or just wait until spring and see where they bloom. Good Luck.
Reply:they are some kind of bulb.. check out flower bulb pictures on yahoo images.... lilies usually are from bulbs so check those out too..
Reply:If they smell very strongly like onions, then they sound like wild onions to me. From what I know of them they are edible and shouldn't hurt you. You might want to look into that closer online though before you start eating them up.
Reply:I agree with the other Master Gardener - sounds like a flower bulb. If it has a strong onion odor then it's a wild onion or wild garlic, otherwise it's a flower bulb. You could always look up the location of your local Botanic Garden or Master Gardener group and take some there, they should be able to identify it for you.
Reply:Wild onion perhaps? does it smell oniony?
Reply:I'm im Missouri, and what you probably have is Star of Bethlehem, ornithogalum. It is a native wildflower and spreads like crazy from seed, pretty white starshaped flowers in spring. Her is a web site, U of Ark extension, as a matter of fact, with pictures. I think you will find that identifies your mystery bulb.

http://www.arhomeandgarden.org/plantofth...


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