Author Topic: Anyone planted their onion sets yet?  (Read 4607 times)

Eristic

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Re: Anyone planted their onion sets yet?
« Reply #20 on: March 02, 2008, 19:16:29 »
Quote
if you put them in now they'll be ready in July.

Exactly right. But they keep out of the ground as well as or better than in the ground. Clearing the site in early July means another summer crop from the same spot.

Don't know why everyone is so worried. Onions are hardy and Mid Feb onwards has always been the traditional time to plant sets. I doubt a bit of snow is going to hurt them.

Plot69

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Re: Anyone planted their onion sets yet?
« Reply #21 on: March 02, 2008, 19:27:02 »
Quote
if you put them in now they'll be ready in July.
Don't know why everyone is so worried. Onions are hardy and Mid Feb onwards has always been the traditional time to plant sets. I doubt a bit of snow is going to hurt them.

I'll second that. I've already planted a Kilo each of Sturon and Red Barron two weeks ago and they're doing fine. If a week of -6 degree frost didn't faze them then an itsy bit of snow won't hurt!

My Mammoth seeds are up and ready to go out but I may save them for a week or two.
Tony.

Sow it, grow it, eat it.

Rhubarb Thrasher

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Re: Anyone planted their onion sets yet?
« Reply #22 on: March 02, 2008, 19:29:20 »
I planted mine last week. The quicker they're lifted, the happier I am

morton

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Re: Anyone planted their onion sets yet?
« Reply #23 on: March 03, 2008, 08:30:02 »
If a week of -6 degree frost didn't faze them then an itsy bit of snow won't hurt!


Its not now but later in the season when the temperatures increase that they may have a tendancy to run to seed.

robkb

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Re: Anyone planted their onion sets yet?
« Reply #24 on: March 03, 2008, 10:17:08 »
Put my onions and shallots in last week, and my garlic has been in for weeks. My plot is quite sheltered so hopefully they should be okay.

Cheers,
Rob ;)
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Drive-by abuser

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Re: Anyone planted their onion sets yet?
« Reply #25 on: March 03, 2008, 12:51:15 »
Just echoing most responses, sow them in cells indoors, this gives em a good start until the weather picks up. ;)
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cambourne7

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Re: Anyone planted their onion sets yet?
« Reply #26 on: March 03, 2008, 13:31:00 »
Temp here is dropping and the wind is howling so i dont think i am going to make it out to sort the minigreenhouse or even get to the plot now for another couple of weeks :(

Sounds like i am not alone though.

davee52uk

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Re: Anyone planted their onion sets yet?
« Reply #27 on: March 03, 2008, 13:47:56 »
Mine went out last week. As well as this I thinned out the over-wintering onions and these made three rowsa.

I have also sown Spring onions in an unheated greenhouse for growing under glass.

flowerofshona2007

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Re: Anyone planted their onion sets yet?
« Reply #28 on: March 03, 2008, 14:04:10 »
Not putting mine in till the soil is warm enough to sit on with a bare bum  ;D
How would you like to sit in cold soil  ;D

tonybloke

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Re: Anyone planted their onion sets yet?
« Reply #29 on: March 03, 2008, 17:30:08 »
I have planted early in the year previously, they tend to bolt. try planting at the equinox, they grow strongly as the day length exceeds the night length.
You couldn't make it up!

Plot69

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Re: Anyone planted their onion sets yet?
« Reply #30 on: March 03, 2008, 18:06:40 »
Not putting mine in till the soil is warm enough to sit on with a bare bum  ;D

I should very much like to observe the process involved in determining the correct moment  :o
Tony.

Sow it, grow it, eat it.

miniroots

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Re: Anyone planted their onion sets yet?
« Reply #31 on: March 03, 2008, 20:04:45 »
it was cold and wet when I put mine in last year - and about 90% bolted - so I'm waiting a bit this year - see if it makes any difference...

Might plug plant them in a cold frame first though...

Vortex

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Re: Anyone planted their onion sets yet?
« Reply #32 on: March 03, 2008, 20:17:22 »
Half mine went in in cell trays in the greenhouse about 4 weeks ago. I've just moved them to the cold frame. The rest will go in at the beginning of April.
I'm also growing from seed this year, but the mouse presences is decimating them as soon as the covers come off when they come out of the propagator.
I've lost most of my Bedfordshire Champion and Mamoth, but have a few surviving Alisa Craig. Strangely enough they've left most of the Musselburgh leeks alone, but had out most of the Atlanta.

ThomsonAS

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Re: Anyone planted their onion sets yet?
« Reply #33 on: March 09, 2008, 18:51:40 »
Rather than waste 'em I stuck out a bag of sets that were an impulse purchase in november.

They were either sad and shrivelled or sprouted. Not going to be wonderful - but since we're still eating last year's crop, I may have overdone the numbers in the past

Emagggie

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Re: Anyone planted their onion sets yet?
« Reply #34 on: March 09, 2008, 19:22:08 »
Bought sets for the first time this year and put them in a month ago. Will they ever sprout? Nuffin is happening :(. I have most things crossed as I don't want to do it again. Grew from seed very successfully the last 2 years.
Smile, it confuses people.

manicscousers

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Re: Anyone planted their onion sets yet?
« Reply #35 on: March 09, 2008, 19:26:56 »
have eventually got our sturon in today, I'm gonna leave the red ones for a couple of weeks  :)

SMP1704

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Re: Anyone planted their onion sets yet?
« Reply #36 on: March 09, 2008, 19:44:07 »
Centurion and Red Baron in today.  Had been warming the bed with clear poly for the last couple of weeks.  Fingers crossed ;)

Suzanne

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Re: Anyone planted their onion sets yet?
« Reply #37 on: March 09, 2008, 19:49:57 »
Not putting mine in till the soil is warm enough to sit on with a bare bum  ;D

I'd like to see the look on the other allotment holders faces if i tried this  :o Having said that is sounds theraputic.  ;D

allaboutliverpool

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Re: Anyone planted their onion sets yet?
« Reply #38 on: March 10, 2008, 10:56:27 »
Why not plant at different times.

I have some planted in September as well some waiting to go in.

Take a tip and plant the remainder close together as shown on my site

http://www.allaboutliverpool.com/allaboutallotments_Vegetables_onions.html

Many people have commented how pleased they were with my tip.

Columbus

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Re: Anyone planted their onion sets yet?
« Reply #39 on: March 10, 2008, 18:27:50 »
Hi all,

I put my first rows of onions in about two weeks ago and some more since then.
I will make multiple sowings depending on what space I have. If they start to go to seed in the summer I pull them and eat them as needed. If they don`t go to seed I store them for winter use and if they are small I pickle them. I also have shallots in the ground now and will later grow spring onions. I didn`t over-winter any this year because of the pipe-works.*

My soil is very free draining and so it dries very quickly.

Col

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