Topic: Starting autumn onion sets in units in the greenhouse

[gray1720]

I'm considering doing the above as I've not got my manure together to get the things in the ground yet, and the way the water is rising I could well have an underwater plot this winter.
Has anyone else done this? If so, hints and tips would be appreciated! Variety is Shakepeare, BTW.

Thanks,

Adrian

[Tee Gee]

Do you mean growing them on as a temporary measure until your ground is ready or growing them on until spring?

I have grown them one to a 3" pot as a temporary measure before but I wouldn't recommend it for months of growth as they may become pot bound.

You might be lucky and get away with it until they are this stage (see pic) but I would not risk it later than this!

But you never know with the winters we have been getting of late!

[gray1720]

As your last sentence says, TeeGee! Who knows what we will get - after two ridiculously dry winters, it looks as though this one would make St Swithin and Noah sit down together and get the beers out.

I think I will try half and half by way of experiment - if they all die, I'll get some spring ones... Hopefully I'll be able to get them in before too long without needing water wings.

Adrian

[ancellsfarmer]

I have sucessfully started onion sets in late winter by planting directly into the 18 hole polytrays that garden centres receive their potted plants in. The size that takes 100mm pots seem ideal and have a large drainage hole. Pre-used compost, fill level and sink the sets. The sets eagerly root , trays placed on the floor of an unheated greenhouse. Within 3-4 weeks they fully fill the 'plug' and hold together the compost, making for simple planting out on to prepared ground. My concern would be that you may get prolonged winter conditions delaying the planting out  and that if kept at higher than outdoor temperatures, they will produce flowerheads , hence going to seed .But nothing ventured.....

[gray1720]

Well, I've planted half of them on my higher plot (height is relative, but high enough not to quite flood... though the edges squelched impressively today when I dug), and the other half are in 15-to-a-seed-tray units in the (cold) greenhouse. I had intended to plant them all next to my garlic on the other plot (not ideal, and needs care with manuring, but saves me cutting the mesh I shelter them with, having taken it off the leeks now), but didn't get the time to get it sorted.You can tell I plan carefully...

After yesterday's rain I now have standing water at the edges of the lower plot, so I'm hoping it won't rise too far (as we are on the Thames it can rise a lot, for several days). I had intended to take a photo to add to this thread but my camera battery went tits-up at the critical moment, so here's one from February 2014 - note that it's nowhere near this bad yet!:
Apres moi le deluge. by gray1720, on Flickr

This is a few hundred yards away, but gives you an idea of the situation. If I were to stand here, you'd be able to see me from my plots:
Des Res, running water by gray1720, on Flickr

Makes a change from worrying about dry winters, I suppose! We shall see...

Adrian

 

[pumkinlover]

Oh dear, it makes sense to try somethng other than direct planting.

[saddad]

As we have standing water on the lower plots again... hasn't gone away for more than a week all year... I have decided against any over-wintering onions this time.