onions again!!!!

[gunnerbee]

Brought some sets the other day, could i start them off in trays then move them on at a later date? do i keep them in a greenhouse? Thanks.

[gunnerbee]

[Curryandchips]

Yes you could, I understand your eagerness but there is no rush. Planting them out anytime from mid March to the beginning of April will be fine.

[Mothy]

Thanks Gunnerbee, I was going to ask the same question!!

I have 700 onion sets I want to get in!!

I haven't put my shallots in yet cos it's been so cold, when do they have to be in by?

[gunnerbee]

Not so much of being eager, just had a knee operation and wondered if i could start them in trays because i cant get out in the garden at the moment!!

[Robert_Brenchley]

You can plant them when the weather warms up a bit, no need to worry. Mine are going to sit in the shed till it's a bit less arctic.

[tim]

And Mothy - with that number, unless you want exhibition bulbs, plant them close together. Much more useful in the kitchen.

[djbrenton]

One of our 'experts' swears that transplanted sets grow bigger than ones planted straight into the ground.

[Mothy]

Tim,
Many thanks, exhibition sized onions are certainly not the intention. What spacing do you recommend? I hope to be able to store them in either nets or string them up, does size affect the storage properties of onions?

I lost some larger ones from last years crop that went rotten, most of the smaller ones have been great.

[tim]

Liking them small, I put them in about 3" apart.

Don't know, but I can believe that the smaller ones keep better.

[jonny211]

Hiya,

Has anyone grown onions from seed before... I have some 'Bedfordshire Champion' seeds but am wondering whether to sow directly into the ground or start in biodegradeable modules and plop these into the ground at a later date. Also if I start them from seed now will they mature and swell before the frosts come?

All ideas are welcome!

Jon

[tin can]

I like to put my shallots on compost on a seed tray so they start rooting prior to planting out as I find the birds have more trouble tugging them out of the soil.

[Zippy Seale]

I have red barron sown 2 weeks ago.  I sowed in a seed tray and then into modules when they are 2 inches tall.
seem to be alright.
have to be in the warm to germinate though.

[sandersj89]

Hiya,

Has anyone grown onions from seed before... I have some 'Bedfordshire Champion' seeds but am wondering whether to sow directly into the ground or start in biodegradeable modules and plop these into the ground at a later date. Also if I start them from seed now will they mature and swell before the frosts come?

All ideas are welcome!

Jon

It is normal to sow onion seed early in the year, I started min of in January and they germinated at about 21 days. This is in a warm greenhouse in trays. They will get potted on soon and then into a coldframe prior to planting out.

If you sow them now they will be fine but just a little smaller than normal but some say the smaller onions store better than the large.

HTH

Jerry

[MikeB]

Hiya,

Has anyone grown onions from seed before... I have some 'Bedfordshire Champion' seeds but am wondering whether to sow directly into the ground or start in biodegradeable modules and plop these into the ground at a later date. Also if I start them from seed now will they mature and swell before the frosts come?

All ideas are welcome!

Jon

Sowed my bedfordshire champ on the 13-02-2006 and will pot them on into a ' box ' in about two weeks and then plant out in April after hardening off.

Champs as of now, also the potting on crate and the onion dibber for when I plant out.

[supersprout]

Thanks for the pictures MikeB, they help a lot - especially the patent Onion Dibber, did you make it yourself? Love these patent devices lots, would love instructions if you have them ;D

[Jimmy]

What a good idea! Do you have multiple plates with different size dowels for different plantings?

[MikeB]

Hi SS,

It's a 12" x 12" piece of plywood, divided in a 4 by 4 grid i.e. 3" in all directions.  A handful of doweling plugs, drill 16 holes, hammer in dowels.  I use it for transplanting onions and for planting carrot seed.  For the carrot seed it's three seeds per hole, a bit tiresome, but saves thinning out and the risk of carrot fly later in the season.  If more than 1 seed germinates I snip off the weakest seed(s) with a pair of nail scissors.  I also have other ' dibbers ' on a 4" and 6" spacing.

[supersprout]

Thank you for the instructions mike  :D, will deliver them pronto to my son's friend who runs a school woodworking class. My those little fingers will be busy. This gadget will be the envy of the allotments, better get a new lock for the shed. Oh, better get a shed first  :-[ ;D

[scotch-mist]

;)  Great idea :D

[Mothy]

What a terrific dibber Mike.....I'm gonna have to make one!!  ;D