Onion fail

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28

So far, I've had to pull up two of these red onions because they bolted, and the bulbs aren't much bigger than when I originally planted them in February. I wasn't sure when I should try to harvest them, so I researched it via my ever-helpful friend Google, and learned that they should be ready when the tops fall over, but must be harvested immediately if they begin to bolt. Once they send up flower spikes, the bulb begins to be consumed to nourish the bloom so it can do what plants naturally do...set seed and die.

At this point I'd consider my onion experiment mostly a failure. I didn't get the large bulbs I anticipated, but green onions are also tasty and have many culinary uses. Next year I think I'll try planting them in the fall instead of the spring, so they will have a longer time in the ground before the lengthening days encourage them to flower.

My onion failure caused me to think about failure in general. There are many things in life that don't work out the way we predict or would prefer, but generally I think very few things that happen can be classified as total failures. Usually something positive can be salvaged from most disappointments, even if it is only that we learn something that may help us or someone else be more successful in the future.