can/should onion sets be mulched?

[misterphil]

The title says it all, really!

I have planted out around 800 onion, garlic and shallot sets (I got a little carried away on getting a second allotment!) - the weeds are starting to spring up amongst the sprouting sets and my hoe blade is too wide to fit between rows. I know that I have read that later on weeds can be left in so as to compete for moisture and consequently force ripening, but in the mean time, can I mulch the beds with grass cuttings?

[misterphil]

[Curryandchips]

Waahay! A man with an allium fetish, just like me!

I believe simple neutral mulches are fine, eg grass cuttings etc, but avoid stuff like manure as I was told this would cause problems, although nothing more specific. I would suggest you avoid putting the mulch over the onions themselves though to prevent mould and rotting.

[Robert_Brenchley]

I put an inch of grass cuttings over my sets when I put them in, and they come up through it quite happily. Don't put more than that, or it could start them rotting.

[tim]

A mulch won't choke the weeds over that time. Buy a smaller hoe!!

[amphibian]

A mulch won't choke the weeds over that time. Buy a smaller hoe!!

Exactly what I was going to say...it is, afterall, for this very purpose that onion hoes exist (though I use a very small mattock).

[Robert_Brenchley]

A mulch will stop most seeds from growing (not goosegrass unfortunately), but it won't stop anything established. If you've got that problem, hoe away, and dig whatever it is out when you lift the onions.

[supersprout]

I hand weed my onions, and mulch a little just to help keep the moisture in the soil. Nothing too heavy which might encourage neck rot. This year it's coffee grounds  :)