Allotments 4 All

Hi everyone,
Just wondering about onion sets...
Is it possible to plant onion seeds now, and use them as sets in the spring?
Also wondering about planting onions now for winter?
Can it be done, does anyone so it?
I have also been trying to get some seed pots for now, but to no avail, can anyone recommend where to buy them?
Thanks,
Sue

I think there is an article in a recent ameteur gardening mag about planting onion seeds now to grow as sets for next year, I'll try and find it when I get home tonight.

I remember them saying something about they are more likely to bolt ,  heat treating them at home to try and stop this usually ends up in small cooked onions!!!!!
But it sounds like fun and I've got some spare seed that I thought I might have a go.

some of the seed companies have potatoes to plant now, we used some of our small first earlies, they're in bags and are doing well  :)

Only know this through reading, not experience.

Some of the seed companies have specially stored potatoes they'll release in August/September for a "Christmas crop". (google Christmas potatoes)

RHS says best to use second earlies and grow in a container

RHS Link
http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles0903/Christmas_potatoes.asp

e.g. supplier Link
http://fothergills.co.uk/en/content/late-crop-potatoes.aspx


Pretty sure that someone on this site said they keep some of their earlies in a cool/cold place, then replant them in late summer/early autumn in a container they later bring into the GH if it gets freezing, but couldn't find the thread.

Ok, it was amateur gardening june 23 edition for the onion sets grown from seed.

You need to sow now.
You need to broadcast seed thickly on a light, poor soil that is well moistened initially and later kept dry. Resulting seedlings will form hard little onions, ready for lifting in late summer. Once you have dried them they will become your sets for next spring.

They are more prone to bolt more than commercial sets, but home grown sets will work most of the time.

Dizzy

With due respect to you all, if I was to go to the length of sowing seed only to know that the possibilities of them bolting was high,  I think I would hold on to Dec/Jan and sow them in a propagator and grow them on continuously to avoid this problem.

It is the interruption of lifting/drying/replanting that is the likely cause of bolting.

I would leave 'sett' production to the specialists and buy theres.

Thanks Teegee,
I don't really know what I was thinking about growing sets from seed!
I guess it just came out of my row where I planted my onion seeds has little tuffs, but I don't know if they are onions or grass!! LOL!
So I though rather than waste the onion seed tht I have, I could try growing them until they are a half decent size and then planting them in the lottie! That way I would know that they are onions!
I have had a great sccess with the sets that I have grown, just not the seeds.

Thanks,
Sue

Sue/Steve,
I think you are late with your suggestions - sorry.
However, if our fellow enthusiasts have solutions, go for it!
Must visit your plot as a happy past resident!

There are onion sets available specifically for autumn planting - perhaps easier to get those instead (do a search in yahoo on 'autumn onion sets' brings up quite a few sources). 
I'd play safe and experiment on your own but have some bought in sets too - useful to compare results as well.

I'm planting onion seeds this year, all the overwinter reds went to seed and the whites got neck rot  :( :)

Thanks.
I've done a bit of research....Dobies do autumn onion sets, and they also have seed potatoes for now. So I might have to place and order!
Thanks
Sue

I'm hanging out for this lot to have some in stock, good price and all the bulbs I got from them last year were great and did well...I've just emailed them to see when they are expecting new stock in.

http://www.grovelands.com/acatalog/onion_bulbs_by_taylors_bulbs_uk.html

I've just had an email from them, stock available in August. ;D