I plan to have a go at some overwinter onions and I need to get my seed bed prepared so some advice for a newbie is required please :)
These are the seeds that I have: http://www.suttons.co.uk/Gardening/Vegetables/Vegetable+Seeds/Onion+F1+Hiball+Seed_173945.htm (http://www.suttons.co.uk/Gardening/Vegetables/Vegetable+Seeds/Onion+F1+Hiball+Seed_173945.htm)
There are currently some sweet peas in the bed I plan to use - can I just dig them into the ground or should they be pulled up and put in the compost bin?
I was going to dig in some compost and growmore this weekend then rake over and leave the ground for a couple of weeks and plant the seeds during the last weekend in August. Does that sound about right?
Any advice or tips will be greatly received.
Hi, I am no expert but I've grown Senshyu overwinter from seed these past 2 years.
On the packet it says sow thinly in the ground then thin out in the Spring but I have started the seeds off in a seed tray then planted out end September (but I have poor soil and lots of weeds).
Compost your sweetpeas then dig the ground over so it's clear of old roots. Soil improver stuff worked in (I use chicken manure pellets) but I give mine their big feed in March (this year it was Phostrogen). They don't grow much over winter and you think they are not going to do anything but they get going early Spring and it is amazing to see it. You get fewer bolting (Putting up a flower and going to seed) than with the autumn planting sets too.
I read on one of the allium breeder sites that Senshyu Autumn sets are now much closer to Radar than they used to be. So maybe seeds are the way to go as the sets will become much of a muchness. Those you've got sound worth a go, might look out for them for myself.
Good luck.