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Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: Dandytown on January 01, 2011, 19:27:30

Title: How are your onion sets doing?
Post by: Dandytown on January 01, 2011, 19:27:30
After the snow, my onions are looking a little ropey.  Wish I had a picture to show as I am not sure if they will survive or bounce back.  They are extremely weedy and limp.

Last year was my first and I grew excellent kelsea onions of which I had no cause for concern at all.

Time will tell but one of the things that I have learnt this year is that even the most pathetic looking seedling can grow to give a strong and productive plant.

Title: Re: How are your onion sets doing?
Post by: daitheplant on January 01, 2011, 19:56:21
Are you talking about Japanese onions or maincrop, and, are they in the ground?
If Japanes they are hardy and should pick up, if maincrop they shouldn`t be planted before the end of Februaury. :D
Title: Re: How are your onion sets doing?
Post by: Dandytown on January 01, 2011, 20:09:08
Fingers crossed then.  They are Japanese and red ones (radar?).  I planted them in the ground late September
Title: Re: How are your onion sets doing?
Post by: PeterVV on January 01, 2011, 20:11:55
mine seem to be springing back up after the 6 or so inches that flattened them, some have broken shoots, but I am hopefull they will recover.
my seeds I just planted are germinated now.
Title: Re: How are your onion sets doing?
Post by: cornykev on January 02, 2011, 11:08:20
Mine looked a sorry site last year but bounced back and did OK, I haven't been over for a while so I don't know how they're looking at the moment.   ???     ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: How are your onion sets doing?
Post by: saddad on January 02, 2011, 11:45:07
We only had 3 or 4 inches of snow and they were sticking valiantly through it when I last looked...  :)
Title: Re: How are your onion sets doing?
Post by: Robert_Brenchley on January 02, 2011, 15:00:06
I haven't put any in yet. 90% of my overwintering onions died last winter so I didn't bother.
Title: Re: How are your onion sets doing?
Post by: schmelda on January 05, 2011, 11:55:07
Mine only have tiny green shoots - not much to see above ground.  Should I be worried?
Title: Re: How are your onion sets doing?
Post by: Robert_Brenchley on January 05, 2011, 12:25:29
Not necessarily. If they weren't above ground at all, that would be the time to worry. They need a good start before winter, but it's the root system that really matters.
Title: Re: How are your onion sets doing?
Post by: manicscousers on January 05, 2011, 18:19:46
ours are looking good  :)
Title: Re: How are your onion sets doing?
Post by: Mr Smith on January 05, 2011, 18:53:04
At the weekend the onion sets and garlic looked fine also the winter brassicas, :)
Title: Re: How are your onion sets doing?
Post by: kt. on January 05, 2011, 23:30:28
Mine are all fine.  I put them in the ground mid November but put a tunnel plastic cloche over them to get them started with them going in late.  Just as well really because if they were in on time I would not of bothered.   With the recent snow it has paid dividends.  Just removed the cloches today to allow some rain and will recover tomorrow.
Title: Re: How are your onion sets doing?
Post by: pigeonseed on January 06, 2011, 10:27:41
Isn't it incredible, the way some plants can withstand such cold and ice?

I've also sown overwintering onions, they're very small indeed and though the leaves haven't grown all winter, they have just poked through the snow and ice and have all survived. I just hope the wet weather doesn't do for them instead.
Title: Re: How are your onion sets doing?
Post by: Busby on January 06, 2011, 12:40:33
I no longer plant onions in autumn - over the past years most of them vanished before spring came - I presume that they have been taken from underneath by mice.
Title: Re: How are your onion sets doing?
Post by: shirlton on January 06, 2011, 12:50:16
Ours were looking ok. Perhaps not as advanced as other years but then winter came early didn't it
Title: Re: How are your onion sets doing?
Post by: Sparkly on January 06, 2011, 13:00:04
My garlic isn't showing yet, but I didn't get them in till Nov.
Title: Re: How are your onion sets doing?
Post by: Carls3168 on January 06, 2011, 15:53:11
Quote from: Sparkly on January 06, 2011, 13:00:04
My garlic isn't showing yet, but I didn't get them in till Nov.

I didnt plant my garlic till last weekend!!!!  :-\
Title: Re: How are your onion sets doing?
Post by: Poolcue on January 09, 2011, 23:39:56
Is it too early to plant Bedfordshire Champions in modules in an unheated conservatory.
The packet says to start in mid March
Title: Re: How are your onion sets doing?
Post by: cambourne7 on January 10, 2011, 01:57:13
my onions looking good considering they were small sets 5 pence a bag from wilko planted in June and forgotten about so all sprouted :) garlic which went in same time is also doing well :)
Title: Re: How are your onion sets doing?
Post by: saddad on January 10, 2011, 07:23:03
Quote from: Poolcue on January 09, 2011, 23:39:56
Is it too early to plant Bedfordshire Champions in modules in an unheated conservatory.
The packet says to start in mid March
No they'll germinate and grow in those conditions... but I'd leave it a couple of weeks myself..
My garlic is showing through now too...  :)
Title: Re: How are your onion sets doing?
Post by: Dandytown on January 10, 2011, 07:56:01
Phew, the ice buckets and have melted, he sun came out and those little shriveled leaves on the onions are now pointing to the heavens
Title: Re: How are your onion sets doing?
Post by: EnglishRose on January 12, 2011, 07:43:29
The ones that survived the foxes seem to have been killed off by the snow  >:(  Given that they were pretty much the first thing I planted on my plot, I'm not a happy bunny.....
Title: Re: How are your onion sets doing?
Post by: Robert_Brenchley on January 12, 2011, 10:11:37
Try again with the spring-planted ones. I fleece them until they're well established, as a precaution against onion fly. I don't know whether you've got it in your area.
Title: Re: How are your onion sets doing?
Post by: Dandytown on January 12, 2011, 11:29:35
Hi English rose, I got my plot in Sept 09 and planted some winter cabbages ssoon after.  They grew well and then after the snow I removed the window frames protecting them.  They were my first plants and were decimate by ther blasted pigeons.

Looking back on the year that was just a small setback, but reminded me that with gardening you shouldnt count your chicks.. :)
Title: Re: How are your onion sets doing?
Post by: TheEssexYorkshireman on January 12, 2011, 12:33:58
Mine look fine at first glance, leaves all green & straight but dig a little deeper and all the bulk has gone from the sets, they are all soft and squashy - we had snow for weeks & weeks ....
Title: Re: How are your onion sets doing?
Post by: chriscross1966 on January 14, 2011, 22:42:00
Quote from: TheEssexYorkshireman on January 12, 2011, 12:33:58
Mine look fine at first glance, leaves all green & straight but dig a little deeper and all the bulk has gone from the sets, they are all soft and squashy - we had snow for weeks & weeks ....

Thats pretty normal, the food in the set goes to feed the growing plant early on, gives it a head start over things trying to grow from seed... it's the point of a set.....thing is you're fighting nature from that point on though, it wants that plant to run to seed, the seed grown ones in their first year don't have that urge...

chrisc