Onion/Shallot seed saving question

[PondDragon]

We got a good crop of banana shallots 'Zebrune' last year (seed originally from DT Brown), so I was thinking to replant 20 large bulbs to produce seed to sow next year (Feb 2018). Does anyone here have experience of growing onions for seed who could give me some advice?

Mainly I'm wondering when best to plant them out and whether they should have any pre-treatment first, such as a few weeks in the fridge so they experience 'winter' and will grow and flower properly when it warms up. So far the bulbs have been stored in a cool part of the house. Alternatively I could move them into the unheated part of the greenhouse before planting.

[PondDragon]

[laurieuk]

I grew show onions from seed for many years and my way was to save a couple of good size/shape onions in the autumn. Save them in a dry cool place and about end of Feb. replant them in large pots using general compost. Be careful not to overwater in the beginning, you will need to support the growth, they will start to send up a flower stem followed hopefully by a good flower head, at this time if you do not seem to have a good supply of bees , I would  at midday shake or tap the stem to help pollination. Some people will cover the head to avoid cross pollination but I did not as saving more than one onion you hope to get the best of both worlds. Once the seed heads start to turn brown , I would then bag the head to avoid losing seed. I used to shake and shave the first fall of seed to avoid poorly set seed. I would sow in gentle heat around Christmas. I grew on the same ground for 14 years as it was a good area. The variety was Kelsea.

[PondDragon]

Thank you Laurie. I have moved them out to the greenhouse now to get a bit of cold. End of Feb sounds reasonable for planting out. Did you start your seedlings under lights over the winter?

[laurieuk]

Hi , I used to keep my onions growing under cover until early March, this meant potting them into larger pots but the do need hardening off before planting out. When you go to plant if you look carefully you will see the leaves grow opposite each other, it is worth while planting them so that the leaves line up I the row so that it leaves more space to hoe between. We used to use my onions in a display in the Tunbridge Wells flower show for several years .

[Vinlander]

I'd like to think I could trim the flowers off Zebrune and wait for the tiny offsets to appear like leeks. I will certainly try both methods when I get some decent bulbs... I may buy some if I see them at a reasonable price (ie. at the greengrocer).

Cheers