Onions from seed

[plot51A]

Advice needed please!
Trying for the first time - Ailsa Craig. All growing fine in modules most have leaves about 6" long - when can I plant out? They have been in mini greenhouse thingy on my balcony for 3 weeks or so now, no heat. Can I put on the plot next week - under fleece maybe?

[plot51A]

[growmore]

If You have the room I would be inclined to pot them on into 3inch pots ..I think its a bit early to put them into open ground yet ..I would wait till the soil warms up a bit ..But I am in south yorks maybe its a bit warmer where You are ...
See what others think..Cheers ..Jim

[jonny211]

You're ahead of me Periwinkle, mine are still at the 'blade of grass stage'. Do you know if onions that are at this stage will mature this year - I have Bedforshire Champions on the go? I'm a newcomer to all this by the way.

Also is it true that onions planted with carrots get some protection from each other vs the fly things that attack them?

Jon

[RobinOfTheHood]

Hope so, Jonny, I haven't even sown mine yet!
Job for the weekend, I think.....

[weedin project]

I put mine out as sets ages ago (south Hampshire), but as yours have been raised in the warm it maybe best to harden them off for a while before planting out.

Once they are hardened off for a few days/nights your six inch high seedlings should be OK planted out into a shallow trench (use a draw-hoe) at 4-6 inch intervals and then gently but fairly firmly earthed in.

If you are worried about frost you could just plant ½ of them now and save the rest in the plugs for a couple more weeks.  Onions are surprisingly hardy though.

[plot51A]

Thanks for the replies all. Think I'm going to risk planting at least some of them out next week - I was at my plot today and the soil temperature is 10 degrees - amazing how quickly it warms up.

Jonny, I assume they will mature this year - I hope so! - I've only ever used sets before. I read that you get bigger onions growing from seed - which surprised me, you would think it would be the other way around. So I'm trying to see what happens!  :)

[MikeB]

Hi periwinkle, I'm growing bedfordshire champion, Lancastrian and Red baron from seed. At the moment I would say they are about 4-6" high.  They have been in the cold frame since last weekend and I'll plant them out this Saturday.  Normally they would have gone out in mid March, but the weather has been really bad, so its this weekend.

[weedin project]

I assume they will mature this year - I hope so!

Yup, Periwinkle, they certainly will.  And very nice onions Ailsa Craig are too.

p.s. weed them regularly, they'll thank you for it.

[Tora]

My ailsa craig sown on 5th March started germinating today! They were sown outside so took a long time before they germinated.
Glad to hear it is a good variety. Hope I can harvest some this year. :D

[theothermarg]

I always grow mine from seed . they don't seem to bolt as often as sets do
just hardeninng mine off before I put them in  their app 3in but growing fast

[jennym]

Have Bedfordshire Champion seedings in a tray, they are about 3" high. Would like to put them out but the soil is still so wet and sticky that I can't work the bed. Hopefully they'll go in in a couple of weeks!