Spring onions - secret to success?

[1Bee]

It almost sounds like I should give up on spring onions and just grow lots of leeks....

Bal, I would hate you, but then your signature has that highly accurate quote about cats, so I can't!

[lyndonj]

My spring onions are fine sowed in a container which I had done the previous year and had a great crop, but I want to try some in the ground so what depth do I plant them and what distance between each plant and each row

[JMCKG]

Never had any problems in the two years I've had an allotment. Just sprinkle into large pot containing compost, water every two days, leave in greenhouse. Nae bother!

[Mark Lottie]

we've always been able to grow them in thinly sown lines but weeding around them is a pain as grass out-grows them

this year we had our biggest success by sowing in clumps about the size of a 9 inch pot. Easy to weed around and you just yank up a clump when you need them.

current favourites are ishikura but this should work with any bunching/thin onion rather than a bulbous onion

[TheChemist]

We shoved them in the ground in a row filled with MPC, watered a little (occasionally) and off they went! They were White Lisbon.

[Yasai]

I decided to give myself a break from the frustrations of trying to grow spring onions this year. They look like they should be the simplest things to grow but in this case looks are clearly deceiving

[Lisasbolt]

Sow them in seed cells, about 10 seeds to a 1 & 1/2cm square cell. put them on a shelve or windowsill. In other words away from any little creatures. only about 1/2 will grow but perfect for pulling out in clumps for dinner.
I have a lot of ants here and onion seeds seem to be their favourite to steal, i can plant them in the morning and a hour later go back and see the buggers walking off with them. I once had my cells in the poly tunnel and you can see little holes that the ants had dug to get to them. But once germinated they don't touch them.

[skeggijon]

I always direct sow where I want them, give them a good water and forget about them. Maybe some of you are just overthinking?

[vixylix]

I have grown White Lisbon for the first time this year and have had no problems - apart from them taking forever to get to anything near edible size (I had the first two on sunday that were near enough appropriate size and they were sown early april). I literally sprinkled them on the soil, covered with a bit of compost and watered - even sowed a new row a month or so later which seem to be fine too (although still tiny). They have spent a lot of time in the shade, due to poor positioning between radishes and bolted spinach. I thought this was what had slowed them down but maybe this has helped!

Ironically my leeks and chives wont do anything at all!!!

[Bill Door]

Well well. Yep always sown packets of seeds and never had any results, until this year.

I took the following steps

1. take kitchen paper, one plastic container (small mushroom container best) and cling film.

2. place very damp kitchen paper in base of mushroom container add spring onion seeds and cover with cling film. Place sealed container in airing cupboard or similar (warm dark place best). Check every now and then for germination.

3. when germinated take a fruit carton (tetra pack type) and cut two holes from one side. Fill with compost and water well. Cut kitchen paper into smallish squares and place on the wet compost. Place in warm light position and keep well watered.

4. when plants are fairly big plant out in the ground in their paper squares and water in.

this has been the best success rate i have ever had. It feels like I reached to top of the world with the results. Cheese sandwiches with my own spring onions.


regards

Bill

[vixylix]

So after reading this thread I went home and checked my failed 'chives' - turns out they are spring onions too - and pretty good ones! In a very small pot with no drainage. Maybe the key is entirely ignoring them?!

[Nannysally99]

Spring onions grew well the first year I sowed them. Since then - nothing. I give up

[rosiepumpkin]

No success here either. Think I'll put the seeds in the VSP for someone who can grow them!

[jackarmy]

You may be interested in this, theres a few other vids that are similar out there , maybe worth a go

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOgN9uLF2ZU

[Mr Gardener]

I stick mine in toilet rolls, raise them in the greenhouse or on a window ledge then plant out when they're starting to fill out and look a little less weedy, never had a problem but then I've only grown them once so it might have been beginners luck