Topic: Planting over wintering onions now

[bluecar]

Hello all.

If over wintering onions are planted now will they produce a decent crop or is it worth the effort?

Regards

Bluecar

[goodlife]

The idea with over wintering ones is that you should get earlier crop..if you were to start now they will just perform as would 'normal' onions.
If you have sets left you might as well use them.

[cornykev]

Overwintering onions should go in about Oct time, so they get a bit of root on them and overwinter and start to grow again now, if you mean you have them left over and will they grow now I'm not sure what have you got to lose except a bit of ground.    :-\ :-\ :-\

[bluecar]

Thanks for your advice. I did lose some over winter so I shall replace those ones.

Regards

Bluecar

[darkbrowneggs]

Hi All - Years ago I read somewhere that overwintering onion increased the risk of onion fly, so since them have never bothered to grow them as I try to use no sprays or chemicals.

What has everyones experience of this been?

Having said that I usually grow Jet Set and another long keeper (who's name eludes me at present), and find that my demand in the kitchen for onions tails off as the weather improves, so I usually last out with some shallots as well.  And if I am desperate and spring onions or chives won't do I just pull a couple of half grown onions and use those

Interested to hear what others have found
Sue

[Unwashed]

Hello darkbrowneggs, welcome to A4A.

I've never seen onion fly and I always grow over-wintered onions.

Hi bluecar, I don't think I'd bother with the leftover sets as I doubt they'd catch up with the others, but then again I can't see that it does any harm putting them in in the gaps.

[bluecar]

Hello darkbrowneggs and a welcome from me as well.

Like unwashed, I've never ha problem with over wintering onions - but have had problems with the main crop. This year I will be using debris netting to help protect them.

Yes unwashed - it's worth a try and if just get small onions so be it.

[Robert_Brenchley]

I've never had problems with onion fly on overwintering onions; I think they're too big to be damaged by the time it's active. I have to fleece spring planted onions though.

[darkbrowneggs]

Sorry - I didn't make it clear

The suggestion was that by planting overwintering onions it allowed the onion fly to overwinter also hence making problems for the main crop.

So far I have not had problems with this pest (probably the only one which hasn't found a cushy berth in my spray free garden)

all the best
Sue

[saddad]

The fly probably has a different over winter host... or a pupae form... as the Winter sets aren't affected. On an allotment site not growing them would make no difference as lots of other people nearby will be... We have a problem with White Rot, on our site, which has been made worse by growing onions all year round...  and not rotating enough ...   :-X

[Robert_Brenchley]

It overwinters as a pupa, in the soil, so winter crops aren't relevant. Rotating won't make any difference either as it's obviously mobile.