having concluded that spring planting didn't give terrific results for onions and garlic I have decided to autumn plant. But I don't really understand how it works. Can someone explain?
I mean, do the plants shoot then stop? do they continue to grow during the cold weather? or do they stay dormant in the ground? What do you do in case of heavy frost (here that doesn't really happen but you never know)? I suppose it is the growing cycle that confuses me.
cambourne I checked out the Baumaux site you linked to, their stuff seems quite high quality if the descriptions are anything to go by.
I know this one!
Well I know about garlic...
Most varieties should be planted in late autumn (November-ish), they shoot up quite soon (a month or so??) - although this probably depends on the climate - where you are it would be mild in November?
Then they slow down over the winter, they actually need a heavy frost to prompt the cloving - if it's too mild you end up with a lot of 1 clove bulbs (this happened to my friend in Kent who planted the same garlic as me (in Manchester) at the same time) - Although we didn't have a lot of frosty weather up here, so you probably only need a few days to kick it off.
Then come spring they grow like crazy - and by July / August you have lots of good size bulbs!
Onions are more complicated (if you start from seed) so I'll not try to advise on those...
Sophie
Normal onions are day length sensitive... winter or Japanese ones have been bred to do the opposite. I always strat onions as sets, just bought several kilos will get them in asap... they will grow a bit, ease off in the coldest months and grow rapidly in spring, having already established their roots they grow well and can be ready here by early June.
;D
Ok so there are special onions for winter planting? I would be using sets I guess I don't know how to do onions from seed... Are there any varieties that do well? here we get a mild and damp winter. I like red onions and shallots, can these be overwintered too??
Red? This is quite interesting? http://www.elsoms.com/PDFs/23-26.pdf
Shallots? February.
Quote from: antipodes on August 27, 2007, 10:23:18
Ok so there are special onions for winter planting? I would be using sets I guess I don't know how to do onions from seed... Are there any varieties that do well? here we get a mild and damp winter. I like red onions and shallots, can these be overwintered too??
Best overwintering onions I have grown are Radar (from sets) Good size and good flavour.
Plant overwintering onions early, about October, as they need to be well established before winter. They produce shoots, then stops growing till the weather warms up. Garlic needs the cold weather, but doesn't have to be in so early. Garlic cloves will lie dormant without coming to any harm, while overwintering onions that aren't well up before December never do anything, at least for me.
Robert, do you plant the early Japanese types in autumn , if not what? I have never really tried these except for a half-hearted attempt some years ago which failed. However I have a friend who always plants this type. Personally I nearly always grow Sturon or Stuttgart Giant from sets planted late March or early April.
I will be planting them soon...
;D
what about all of the downy mildew thats been around this year, my summer onions have suffered quite badly ... obviously I don't plan to plant in the same beds, but will the winter sets be infected too ?
I tried overwintering onion sets last year for the first time - senshyu. They were very tasty and strong. I had worried they'd be a bit watery because they seemed quite big. But they were very good. And ready really early - like early June I think.
I always do sets. Don't do onion seeds. Both red onion & overwintering usually have no problems and do well.
oh someone has confused me. If overwintering, you do use sets don't you??? Or seed?
Tim I have taken note of thse overwintering red onions, but don't know if I will find the right variety.
I did sow a little seed but it hasn't really worked, although perhaps I should go weed that patch and take a better look.
I have started a new thread about my garlic - any of you cluey people know what has happened?
Quote from: HO on August 27, 2007, 19:55:56
Robert, do you plant the early Japanese types in autumn , if not what?
I do indeed, and sometimes, as this year, they do better than the spring-planted ones. I buy sets in October; you can grow them from seed, but I've never tried. I grow the spring-planted ones as well, but they were badly affected by onion fly this year. The Japanese types were unaffected.
I grew both red and white from seed this year, started them off at home then transplanted them on the plot. Not a great harvest but looking passable in size.