Topic: hows your onions and shallots?

[ruffmeister]

Hi there,

been down the plot to find the onions and shallots going wild with growth and thickening up nicely, nipped a few seed head of bolting red onions but bar that should be a good year for onions,

click here for pictures of our Impressive onions

hows yours? bigger? smaller? more bolt? or even the dreaded white rot?

other news this week, celery in, pumpkins in, brussels in, runners in, and dwarf beans in.

regards
lottieblogs

[Rosyred]

Onion sets planted Oct, on the small size but going to seed. Red onions growing nicely from seed not sure when they will be ready though.

[SueSteve]

Onions and Shallots were planted late, so smaller than yours, but looking great too. The onion seed are also growing, well either that or I have a line of fine grass just under an inch tall!!

[carolinej]

I grew Buntons Show Stopper, Bedfordshire Giant and Walla Walla from seed this year. They are all doing fine. I decided to try some in the greenhouse bed to see if they liked the extra protection, and they are looking like they will be whoppas! I just hope it wont get too hot for them soon and they run to seed.

Does anyone think that will be a problem?

cj :)

[BarbaraGood]

To be truthful I have *no* idea! I planted red onion sets, but only at the beginning of April, so am guessing it will be ages yet  :-\ No idea how long they take tho!

They are thickening up on top, about 12-18" long, but if I rummage just below the surface, its just like a purple extension of the thickness of the stem above ground?!!

[miniroots]

It's my 2nd try at onions - they are doing much better than my first attempt - thickening and swelling nicely...

But they have all run to bolt!! Are Red Baron well known for this?  Or is there something I'm doing wrong?  I got all the flower heads early - so they should still be good onions? Yes?

They've also had a lot of slug attack - but they've coped okay - on the rainy days I've collected 50 or 60 slugs just picking them off the stems and leaves!

[electric landlady]

Apparently bolting can be caused by the sets going into cold wet soil - although as you're supposed to plant them round about Feb I don't know how you're supposed to avoid this.

3 or 4 of my red onions have bolted; I nipped off the seed heads while they were tiny and they're just doing their own thing now. I understand that the onions will be fine but won't keep so long.

My onions both red and white are still small - I guess up to now they have been concentrating on growing leaves, and now they've done this they'll turn their attention to swelling. (Or I will just have very small onions with lots of leaves.)

[ruffmeister]

shame red's start to bolt, got them quick enought they should still be good

[miniroots]

It's true, the ground was cold and wet when I planted them in Feb - surprise surprise - or were you watching me Electric Landlady?  Maybe I could have pre-warmed with cloches / black plastic?

Well it's too late now.

I'll just have to eat them all very quickly.

[queen of the cobs]

I've heard that it's worth putting down big panes of glass on your onion bed before sowing your sets to warm up the earth a little.

[Chris Graham]

Yeh my onions look like they are doing well.

[ruffmeister]

definitley looking good, there spuds arent bad too

[veggie lover]

After all my failures last week!  this week i have found out i have the dreaded white rot, all my japanease onions shallots and garlic etc covered in the white mold and also maggots :'( so been up today and pulled them all up and binned them... i can't believe how unlucky i've been :-[

[norfolklass]

planted shallots and red and white onions from sets mid-April, I think. I spotted three onions that have bolted so will need to take off the flower heads, but other than that they seem to be doing fine! :o

[manicscousers]

After all my failures last week!  this week i have found out i have the dreaded white rot, all my japanease onions shallots and garlic etc covered in the white mold and also maggots :'( so been up today and pulled them all up and binned them... i can't believe how unlucky i've been :-[

can you plant some in troughs and tubs from seed, veggie..I could send you some seed if necessary  :)

[veggie lover]

Thankyou so much manicscousers, but im so short of room as it is! my plot is 150sq yds and i've seperated it into 3 beds for rotation! i have managed to get a small raised bed at the top for my carrots! I am so tempted to water in some jayes fluid once my lettuse and beans are finished! i know i should'nt but 8 years is a long time when you are short of space to start with! ???
I will try again with a few onions next year where my potatoes have been, just to see! and my brassicas will be where the onions have been this year!
I just can't believe in the space of a fortnight that i can be so unlucky!
but i keep smiling in the face of adversity ;D

[Uncle Joshua]

My onions and leeks are looking very good,I did around 100 onions from seed which should make great pickled onions that I'll give as xmas presents. (god am I sad?)

[Sprout]

Mine are still quite small although no bolting yet. Shallots are dividing up nicely. Currently have 1 row of shallots and 4 of onions covered (again) in bloody weeds!
 

[Uncle Joshua]

Mine are still quite small although no bolting yet. Shallots are dividing up nicely. Currently have 1 row of shallots and 4 of onions covered (again) in bloody weeds!
 

Ahh weeds, if only the plants would grow so fast.

[Robert_Brenchley]

If they did, the plants would be the weeds and we'd be forever grubbing them out where they weren't wanted! Mine are all weedy as well this year; work's been so hectic I haven't had a chance.