When is the best time to sow these? i keep readind stuff about them being overwintering
I have grown these for years.
they will grow from a fall/autumn planting(late August) and a Spring one. The fall one is best, the onions are sweeter and bigger when over wintered.
So mild that they can be munched raw.
300 days fall sown,125 days Spring sown roughly.
A really great onion although not a good keeper
It is quite a local onion to me and is OK overwintered at temps which have a normal low of -10f/-23c
Mine are going in anyday now.
XX Jeannine
where has anyone found seeds or sets for these. I love sweet onions
Here we are..they are the cheapest..and recommended.. ;)
http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Premier-Seeds-Direct/Onions-/_i.html?_fsub=1328159018&_sid=79364908&_trksid=p4634.c0.m322 (http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Premier-Seeds-Direct/Onions-/_i.html?_fsub=1328159018&_sid=79364908&_trksid=p4634.c0.m322)
thank you goodlife for that. sweet onion addiction about to be fed
Good for you, you won't be looking back, you will munch them like an apple if overwintered.
XX Jeannine
ok question time now. If I get them as seeds, do I propgate them first and plant the as seedlings in a month or so , or do I put the seeds in direct
Never ever done an onion from seed let a,lone for overwintering :)
This is what I do..
Sow 3 seeds to a 72 cell sowing tray.When up usually with 10 days, transplant each clump spacing 6 inches apart,in fertile,well drained soil.Or sow 5 seeds and remove two, you want to end up with three seedlings per cell.
Or direct seed in a row then thin to 4 inches apart in February.
You can also start in bigger pots then transplant each seedling seperatley but I find the first one works just fine and they grow quite well like that.
XX Jeannine
Quote from: Jeannine on August 22, 2011, 22:54:49
Sow 3 seeds to a 72 cell sowing tray.When up usually with 10 days, transplant each clump spacing 6 inches apart,in fertile,well drained soil.Or sow 5 seeds and remove two, you want to end up with three seedlings per cell.
You can also start in bigger pots then transplant each seedling seperatley but I find the first one works just fine and they grow quite well like that.
XX Jeannine
Jeannine, can I just check...as I was planning to sow some Florence Onions tomorrow....3 per module and plant out the clump of three as a whole?
If singly, are the smaller root-trainers good for this?
By modules is it those ones with little pointy cells?
If so, would this work with leeks as well?
The ones I use are quite small almost cone shaped minus the tip.Then yes I plant the little module in the hole with the three little plants in which is why I give them 6 inches rather than 4, They grow just fine like this and it saves all the hassle of transplanting tiny plants. Some folks do more than three but I find this is best for me. I have never done it with leeks so can't answer that one.I think the root trainers would work just fine but I would think they are too expensive to do alot of onions. I will try to find you a picture of the ones I use. XX Jeannine
Pictured is a 60 from the Uk and a US 72 both are OK
Interesting to read they can be autumn sown I just assumed they were spring sown, which is what I've been doing until now..... thanks
Those cell growing trays look pretty similar to ones I have used for onions, spring onions and leeks. They seem an ideal size and it is really easy to pop the plug out and then plant them in a bed.
I understand now. That's super. Thanks for taking the time to do this :)
Thanks for this Jeannine. Im going to order my seeds now and hopefully enjoy a onionfest next year :)
Yes, thanks Jeannine, I will get some in over the weekend. Really glad asked now, will give some florence a go to. ;D
Oh good, I have been trying to spread the word about Walla Walla for years, it is a very different onion to most and I love it..
it grows really well in the Pacific North West (PNW) as originally from Walla Walla in Washington just over the border from me. Of course they say there that it only grows the very right way in Walla Walla itself but they do just fine for me and everyone else who grows them here.
Let us know how you get on
XX Jeannine
Oh wy oh wy am I so easily misled? Reading posts about walla walla - now can't decide whether to cancel myordeer for my overwintering sets.
Ooh I am tempted ... Was about to do red florence, I have loads of seed, but these sound gorgeous. I like a sweet onion.
Please, how short is short-keeping? Maybe I will do a short row to over-winter?
Thanks :)
Morris, have pm'd you :)
my wolla wolla seeds arrived today so looking forward to them :)
Gosh..your order arrived quickly..where did you end up ordering them from?
When I first read this thread, I was wondering where I had heard of walla walla onions.
Just had a look through my seed box, and there they are, a packet of them from Kings I must have bought year before last and have not got round to trying, although they don't seem to do them anymore.
It says sow Feb-Apr, but I am now off to sow a few now in some modules and see how they do.
There's going to be a lot of Walla Walla going on ;D ;D ;D.
Goodlife. I ordered them on ebay from premier seeds like you suggested
I would recommend Premier every time. Lots of seeds in each packet.
Brownowl, were you good & just ordered the walla walla onions ;) ;D.
Oh you boogers, I have just bought some Walla Walla seeds on ebay too.
(and the pink pansy seeds but that's all I promise)
Quote from: grannyjanny on August 24, 2011, 12:36:54
I would recommend Premier every time. Lots of seeds in each packet.
I thought I would sow 4 or 5 per cell in 18 cells now, and then do the same in the spring, but I think there was only about 100 seeds in the kings packet :(
Quote from: grannyjanny on August 24, 2011, 12:39:12
Brownowl, were you good & just ordered the walla walla onions ;) ;D.
I was good, but only because the boys were hassling me yesterday so I didnt get a chance to have a perusse. I might have to do some perusing though :)
Chrispy, I think there's 1000 in Premier. There's always plenty to share & swap with the size of their seeds packets.
About an hour later i have finally sussed out how to buy some on e-bay- Thanks for the link!!(thought I'd better before they got bought up) :-[
Wish I had managed to be a little more restrained - temptation got the bettere of me.
I just bought some as well - thanks for the link!
Are Red Florence decent for overwintering as well - I have half a packet from this year?
Morris, you asked how long they keep, about 2 months is all,
Don't forget to read what I said earlier about the temps/soil they are OK with.
XX Jeannine
I bet they wonder in Premier seeds what is going on with this sudden rush with walla seeds.. ;D ;D
Well..I just yesterday lifted my big beauties up.. and I'm really happy with them.
Even we've had serious drought here..they've grown into good size with minimum efford.
Other onions haven't done as well.
Now I'm wondering what would they been like if we would have more rain..footballs ?:o
Quote from: grannyjanny on August 24, 2011, 12:36:54
I would recommend Premier every time. Lots of seeds in each packet.
I'll second that, Jeannine, when do thin to one seedling?
Dave,I don;t underastand your question
You said 3 seedlings per cell, do they grow to full size as 3 seedlings grouped together or do you thin them to 1 at a any time?
No, I grow them as three to a planting hole which is why they are 6 inches apart, if you want them singly you can thin them to 1 then put them 4 inches apart.
If grown three to a hole it works fine, they kinda push sidways a bit but grow well.
XX Jeannine
Thanks Hector ;D have pm'd you back.
And thanks Jeannine also for info. My garden is quite sheltered and in the south, all my psb and wsb came through last winter (shh don't tell the people whose plants died ;) ) so I think I'll give them a go. They should fill the gap nicely before the main onions come through.
PS I'm another Premier Seeds fan. Had loads from them this year, great value, excellent germination and good strong plants. Speed of despatch amazing!
Thank Jeannine, never seen that done before, i will give it a go
Want a laugh..
I went into my local garden centre yesterday to pivk up seeds and they didn`t have any..I think they shipped em all to the UK LOL
No probs I found them online here.
The garden centre was full of fake Christnmas trees and things with snow on but no seeds of any type.
XX Jeannine
;D ;D ;D
Err.. fake Christmas trees- in Canada ???
Yep, crazy eh, and I am surrounded by firs of every description, the view from my window has a whole mountain full of them.
XX Jeannine
Thanks to this onion and thread I have been singing Walla Walla Bing Bong for days and didn't know why...daughter informs me its this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYgOlqinH7A
orgionally released in 1958 by david seville ::) same age as me ;D
PS mine are in but not up yet, lazy tykes.
Mine started today.
I bought Walla Walla eating onions yesterday too, debating wether to plant a few for seeds.
XX Jeannine
Is their still time to put more in?
Yes,, if you are quick..should be planted August.
XX Jeannine
Haven't got time to start any off and will be away till end of month. Can they be grown as summer onions
Yes,,,many folks do grow as such, they are still a great onion but not quite as sweet
XX Jeannine
:) Thanks Jeannine, I' do some tomorrow. My first lot ar now up, looking good three to a cell (sounds like porridge) but I could do with a few more.
Oh dear! I forgot to sow my Walla Walla! Probably too late now, but I think I'll experiment with a short row under fleece anyway. What do you think?
Does Walla Walla go by another name? or is it just any sweet onion seeds you can buy? I looked on the link site but none were called Walla Walla. Taa Ann
http://www.wallawalla.org/onions.cfm
you can get them on e-bay from premier seeds, I have sown mine and they need pricking out, I would think may be a bit late to start now, but they were cheap enough to try.