Topic: Onion from seed

[Derekthefox]

As my very first posting, I thought I should stay on a 'simple' topic  :D

This morning, our chairman told me he was setting his onion seed, as he always gets a better crop from seed than from sets. He is planting Bedfordshire Champion and Red Brunswick.

Having agreed to 'give it a go', can anyone suggest suitable varieties, perhaps for the 'larger' white onions? I only wish to eat them, not for showing.

One final comment, isn't this a brilliant site! Congratulations to the Admin team.

[cleo]

Welcome.

You could do  a lot worse than Bedfordshire Champion,if I was not plagued with white rot that would be my first choice with `Sturon` running a close second.

As it is now I grow `Golden Bear` which has as least some resistance.

Stephan.

[tim]

I'll second Golden Bear.

And, Stephan, I'll let you know later if Armillatox has worked.

Please, what is 'setting' seed? Like 'sowing'? = Tim

[Derekthefox]

Yes, I meant sowing, have I used the term 'setting' incorrectly, as I have always taken it to mean sowing. I couldn't resist popping into our gardening pitch at the local market this afternoon, ended up like a kid in a sweetshop, had to keep my hands in my pockets but still walked out with packets of Bedfordshire Champion, Red Brunswick and Crimson Forest salad onion, the last one intrigued me, as most things do at this time of year.

[cleo]

Hi again-nice choice,Red Brunswick is a good one(but earlier you asked about white ones)-as regards spring onions-here I must post  :-[

Stephan.

[Derekthefox]

Yes, only intended to get white onion seed, but so many packets, all whispering - buy me! The spring onions looked so enticing, I have never had much success with White Lisbon or Ishikara (have I spelt that correctly?), but I am a sucker for the pictures on the packets! ! ! The Red Brunswick packet said they store extremely well, so I could enjoy red onion salad on Christmas Day! I may well end up going back and getting some Ailsa Craig as well, so I can have a few 'large' onions for soups and stews.

[tim]

Don't blame Ishikuro or Guardsman or whichwhat - I believe that some folk can grow them & some can't. Last year was our first good year - after years of fumbling. = Tim

[Derekthefox]

I don't blame anyone or anything Tim, other than myself, but I do appreciate that science has only a tenuous relationship to the art of growing stuff, as the 'old timers' consistently prove! Hence the very existence of bulletin boards such as this one, and humble creatures like myself who welcome advice, and are grateful when it appears!

[flowerofshona]

Like you i am trying onions from seed for the first time this year have some mammoth seeds in and red mammoth, have put them in an unheated green house will that be ok or should i bring them indoors there just starting to germanate.