Topic: planting onion sets / clay soil

[STHLMgreen]

We've been digging out a section of the allotment that hasn't been used in years. The large majority of the couch is gone but the soil is quite lumpy and is pretty hard to break up. I've mixed in some old potting soil which seems to have helped. There is much more to be done so I'm toen between wanting to soil to be nice in this bed and seeing everything else that could be done.

So, how fine/smooth does the soil need to be for onion sets?

If it needs to be fine, can I just put a little of the old potting soil around each onion and hope its roots with get the nutrients in the clay?

Everyone says that organic matter is best for clay soil, but what does this mean exactly? I have a half compost bin full of organic matter but it isn't ready yet. Should I be putting anything in without composting, like tea leaves or coffee grounds or something else?

Thanks!

[cambourne7]

HI

I have heavy clay and onions did fine in my plot.

I forked it over, made big holes with dibber added a small bit of sand and compost planted bulb and back filled with compost. As the bulb grows it moves through the compost and when it gets to the clay its a bit bigger and i suppose can cope better.

cambourne7

[Gordon]

Hi

I have heavy clay soil also I just used the hoe to break up the soil in rows where the onions were going last year they did fine.
Hope this helps.

Gordon

[Mouseski]

We're on heavy clay and have had a no problems with growing onions. Just like Gordon advises we broke down the surface a little. We whacked the surface lumps down a bit to make the ground 'sowable' and bobbed the little sets in. Only difficulty was getting them out of the baked soil without hacking or soaking the onion.
We try to keep the soil broken up around the onions ,  it helped make removing the weeds alot easier.

Good luck :)

[Robert_Brenchley]

The only time you need a tilth is when you're planting small seeds. Onion sets are quite happy growing among great clods, as I know from the first year on my own plot. The best way to get rid of them is to add loads of organic matter. over a year or two, it can really change the structure of your soil, but you do have to shove it on by the barrowload.

[saddad]

but the end result is the best soil type around,     8)