Japanese Onions

**Paulottie** · 21-07-2008, 02:09 AM

Never grown Jap onions from seed but I plant out sets in October. (Available from Dobies etc. but normally I get them from local store.) If I did sow I'd probably sow in a pot- but then I hate grovelling about thinning them.

I don't know how bad they winters are there but onions are tough...maybe the odd cloche if its really bad but should be fine outside. (but then I can boast three greenhouses but no polytunnel)

Old debate as to the worth of Autumn planting: I find that well dried they will last until Xmas+ and mains till March, I like to have land (and myself) doing some thing in Winter. and I think that its handy to be able to plant a follow on crop... as they are all done by the end of June. The other problem some find is they bolt...keep them weed free, in good soil and fed twice in spring - not one went this year.

I grow maincrops anyway, but I have lots of land, If I had a small space again I'd grow just autumn sets. Definite fan!

**SarzWix** · 21-07-2008, 08:17 AM

Originally posted by PurpleBecca View Post

I keep reading about Autumn planted Onion sets - I haven't see any in the shops here - might try and find some mail order - but what do you think about these in Ireland AND are they instead of my normal spring planting or as an earlier variety? In which case do I need Japanese and sets??????

Confussed!

'Autumn planted onion sets' and 'Japanese onions' are one & the same thing, just different names - I think that the whole thing of planting onions to over-winter originally came from Japanese onions such as Senshyu (sp?), which is why they are still termed that, even though there are British bred ones.
The 'Autumn planting sets' which the seed companies sell are just the same as you growing from seed in August - the seed company just does the fiddly bit of sowing thinning etc for you. If you want to try some, then Marshalls, Dobies etc sell them online, but I would think your local Garden Centre will get them in - they're not normally in store til August/early Sept.

Hope that helps

**PurpleBecca** · 21-07-2008, 03:41 PM

Great - thanks for the advice - I'm going to try them this year and let you all know how I get on.

I'll grown them from seed and put some in the tunnel again (hate to see it empty in winter too!0 and then I can set some outdoors. I will visit the garden centre later in the year and look for sets too - might as well try it that way and see how it goes!!

**Winged one** · 21-07-2008, 04:23 PM

PB, I don't have a tunnel, but I planted japanese onions on my plot last summer (late summer) and I have pulled most of them a couple of weeks ago (last few almost flopping this week so will pull them on next visit) - this is on a very windy exposed plot in Dublin. They have done quite well for me that way - nice mix of smaller and larger onions and I have been taking them from about May as needed (when th winter stores started running out, I was using these for really fresh dishes and old ones for more "stewy", comfort-food kinda dishes - stores now completely gone).

If you have problems getting them around Limerick (I don't know what the GC's are like there), maybe get on to Mr Middleton's shop on Mary St (or maybe even beyond that, but keep going from Henry St away from the Spire) and they may be able to help you. I am pretty sure that that's where I got mine last summer and they do a lot of mail order on seeds, onion sets and seed spuds. (Sorry, that's Middletons in Dublin, not Limerick).

I found that this year, they were a very nice way to tide me over between the end of the winter stores and start of the spring sown ones.

**Demeter** · 21-07-2008, 08:01 PM

Originally posted by SarzWix View Post

'Autumn planted onion sets' and 'Japanese onions' are one & the same thing, just different names - I think that the whole thing of planting onions to over-winter originally came from Japanese onions such as Senshyu (sp?), which is why they are still termed that, even though there are British bred ones.

Thank you, I was just deciding whether or not to show my ignorance and ask what a Japanese onion is

**gojiberry** · 21-07-2008, 08:49 PM

Am trying from seed this year a variety called Hi-Keeper from T&M. The seed is through and seems to be doing alright, will plant out in final position inSept.

Ian

**sarahspatch** · 22-07-2008, 10:33 AM

As Paulottie said, some people find they bolt - especially me!! I have grown them successfully in the past but the last 2 years I've had a poor crop. Some hardly grew any bigger than set size.
Am wondering wether I should have fed them more? I did plant them after potatoes but the ground hadn't been manured at that point.
What is best to feed them with?

**Paulottie** · 22-07-2008, 06:11 PM

I think the best results with Onions are on beds that are very well and deeply worked and fed with muck well in advance. Otherwise I give them a dusting of blood fish and bone 3 or 4 times. I always weed and scratch around them to keep surface from capping. When they are swelling I run my finger round each bulb to expose it for ripening.

Here they are at ripening...sorry not a great photo

Attached Files

DSC01923.jpg (0, 986 views)

**SarzWix** · 22-07-2008, 11:43 PM

I chuck some chicken manure pellets over the bed & rake them in before planting, then again in early spring. Seems to have worked ok so far

**Snadger** · 23-07-2008, 07:09 AM

The beauty of japs is they are of eating quality NOW. My spring planted onions are still growing well so these are useful 'hungry gap' fillers!

I plan to grow a lot more this autumn!

Announcement

Japanese Onions

Japanese Onions

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Latest Topics

Recent Blog Posts