how to plant onion sets?

[hemajo]

I have some onion sets ready to plant out - not sure how deep to put them in, or what their requirements are exactly.  Any help appreciated - I'm new to all this!

[hemajo]

[hemajo]

thanks for the quick reply Wardy!  I'll get out now and plant them while I'm able to remember your advice!  I have the stuff to make a net covering, so will do that too while I'm at it!

[tim]

Trust me for an alternative?? Apologies to the award winning girl! Just my opinion of course.

DON'T push them in or they will just push themselves out again.

DO dib a little hole.

And I firmly believe in bringing the soil up to just hide the set, so that it is less likely to be pulled out by birds or worms.

[Trenchboy]

I thought that the sets were to go in in about a month from now. But maybe that's because I am in the south.

As it happens they have yet to arrive.. so for me it's academic.

[hemajo]

Well, they are in now anyway!! ;)
These were a garden centre impulse buy (Unwins Electric).   The packet said plant Sep/Oct.  I have some more ordered on internet, due to be delivered end Sep/Oct, so will be putting those in at later date, along with garlic I've also ordered. 
As it happens, I did just push them in and didn't completely cover them (as per Wardy's instructions).  I'll use Tims suggestion for the next lot!!  See what happens, eh? ::)
I made the netting nice and tight - over some Water Pipe and cane hoops.  Will have to unpeg it (doh!) to weed though.  And I know OH will complain about the pegs when he mows between the raised beds as I pegged into ground outside the bed, not inside.  Might have to re-think that!
So, what's my next job.......

[Crash]

I put mine in this morning(well some of them... I bought far too many!) and covered them as instructed by my lottie neighbour. Will try just pushing in the rest. Anything for an easy life!

[Bionic Wellies]

I have been given some advise on tghis subject by an old-timer (only slightly onder than me as it happens).  Don't just push the bulb into the soil because it compresses the dirt and stops the roots from penetrating (therby pushing the set out from the hole/depresssion you made - instead "wiggle" the bulb into the dirt.

The reason that birds pull the bulbs up (apart from wanting to eat the green bits) is that they see the damp squiggy bit that is left some of the sets and just get interested in it - so give it a tug, pulling the bulb up.  The solution is to pull that bit off before you plant them.

These gems have always worked for me - never needed any net (except when I wanted to snag some sparrows) and all the sets seem to stay in the ground.

-- Alan

[gayle]

thanks for the tips, im planting my winter onions this week. :-*

[tim]

B/W - Ijust my point, but I have to suggest that 'wiggling' them into hard ground can damage them. Costs nothing to use a dibber?

[hemajo]

Well, I received my delivery of onion sets today - so will try Tim's dibbing method this time.  I'll compare the results with just pushing them into the ground when (and if!) they get to harvest time.
Garlic still to come.  Do you do the same with garlic cloves??

[Bionic Wellies]

I normally dig the ground over before I plant the bulbs (at lease hoe it so that the surface is crumbly) so I don't use a dubber because it compresses the soil directly beneath the bulb - well actually I don't use a dubber Cos stabbing a stick into the ground 150 times gets a tad boring (no pun intended - yea, wanna bet!).  ;D

To be strictly honest, it doesn't really matter about how you plant the bulbs - but you do need to plant them.

[Sarah-b]

On my light soil (the top inch of so will be washed away by the end of winter) I intend to bury my onion sets - just like I did with the garlic last year (which I put 4 inches down  - and got fantastic results). I will experiment with the onions - don't think I am brave enough to go for the full 4 inches!

sarah

[Robert_Brenchley]

I got my overwintering onions in the market today; I'll be using the dibber myself. I won't put then 4 inches down though. With the tops level with the soil will be more like it

[ellkebe]

Would all of this advice hold true for shallots?  I have onions, shallots and garlic to plant for the first time ever tomorrow, so I'm a bit nervous!!
Thanks in advance for any help.

[ellkebe]

Actually, I'm not nervous - I'm excited!!  No wonder my friends think allotmenteering is making me sad  ;D

[terrace max]

Have to say planting onion sets is one of the few gardening jobs I find REALLY boring. Don't know why, because I can sow seeds all day.

Anyway, I use a teaspoon to avoid dibber-related compaction (nasty...) which explains why there's so few spoons in the kitchen drawer...

[tim]

ellkebe - shallots, yes - but garlic, allow 1" soil over them.

tm - so you use a teaspoon for your leeks as well??

[terrace max]

I must confess - yes!

I know you're meant to dib and drop the leekling in the hole, but mine are always a bit wispy for this so I just plant them out like any other seedling. With a (different) teaspoon. 30+ big strong leeks have resulted from my patented teaspoon method this year...

[ellkebe]

Many thanks Tim.

[joniandmoss]

just spent the afternoon putting in the honions, as they call em down our way, and spent much of it takin them out and puttin them back in the right way up since mossa clearly needs new glassis.