The Allium Thread

[Torreya]

Hope this is the right place, I've got some 'Babbingtons' bulbils. Never had them before, anyone know the best thing to do with them?

[zazen999]

Separate and pop them into some compost until they germinate.

[Snadger]

My Musselburg leeks are now up and my Firenze red onion also. They will go into the greenhouse this weekend and make way for something else (yet to be determined) to be put in the propagator.

[marathon]

Growing onions from seed doesn't seem to be popular on our site and whenever i mention it the old timers all shake their heads and so "no,no,no you don't want to be doing that"

Are they really difficult to grow from seed?

Have to say this winter has been the best ever for over wintering onions all 200 are doing really well.

[Lazgaot]

Growing onions from seed doesn't seem to be popular on our site and whenever i mention it the old timers all shake their heads and so "no,no,no you don't want to be doing that"

Are they really difficult to grow from seed?

Have to say this winter has been the best ever for over wintering onions all 200 are doing really well.

They may not be too keen on it because growing from sets are much easier and faster! Also I think one or the other keep better. I'm keeping an eye on mine this year because last year I had a bunch go bad very quickly, I think these were the ones grown from sets.

Same as you, most (90%) of my onion sets have survived the snow, but the garlic hasn't, none on the lottie are showing up and I think they've rotted.

I planted out some Ailsa Craig onion seeds and Mussleburgh leek seeds at the beginning of Jan and they are just showing up now. Very odd, I thought they'd be faster than that.

[zazen999]

Growing onions from seed doesn't seem to be popular on our site and whenever i mention it the old timers all shake their heads and so "no,no,no you don't want to be doing that"

Are they really difficult to grow from seed?

Have to say this winter has been the best ever for over wintering onions all 200 are doing really well.

No, they are really easy. They take well to being sown now and moving to their final position around the time of the last frosts for your area.

Tearing the seedlings apart and breaking the roots seems to spur them on, strangely enough...go on, do it!

[Lazgaot]

No, they are really easy. They take well to being sown now and moving to their final position around the time of the last frosts for your area.

Tearing the seedlings apart and breaking the roots seems to spur them on, strangely enough...go on, do it!

Same with leeks, chopping their roots when dropping them in their holes and they keep growing.

[marathon]

Same as you, most (90%) of my onion sets have survived the snow, but the garlic hasn't, none on the lottie are showing up and I think they've rotted.

I'm pleased you said that as none of the 60 cloves i planted in Late October have grown. i even contact my supplier and they are checking to see what I was sent. I ordered SW for Autumn planting but I asked if it was possible I was sent sping planting SW. Maybe they will still send up shoots.

No, they are really easy. They take well to being sown now and moving to their final position around the time of the last frosts for your area.

Tearing the seedlings apart and breaking the roots seems to spur them on, strangely enough...go on, do it!

I'll give it go and keep my fingers crossed

Same with leeks, chopping their roots when dropping them in their holes and they keep growing.

Well I grow great leeks which I will be sowing this week so maybe I will have some success

Many thanks for all the advice

[Rocketron]

To those of you that are concerned your garlic isn't showing, don't worry. The same thing happened to me last year,so I planted more. Three weeks later they all came up! I haven't bothered to sow any this year as I have so many left.

[marathon]

To those of you that are concerned your garlic isn't showing, don't worry. The same thing happened to me last year,so I planted more. Three weeks later they all came up! I haven't bothered to sow any this year as I have so many left.

Fingers crossed then. I went to the lottie today but still no show but ggod to know it happened to you last year.

[reddevil]

Shallot Seeds

I have never planted any onions/shallots fom seed before and I would therefore like some advice on how to plant some banana shallot seeds which I received today.
Is it OK to plant them indoors now?
Any special compost required?

All advice most welcome

Many thanks

Red Devil

[zazen999]

Yup, ok to sow them now, no special compost needed.

[Lazgaot]

marathon, same as you too, Solent Wight.

[Snadger]

Sowed the other half of the packet of Golden Bear onions today.

[gan heather]

I had moved my onion (ailsa craig) seedlings out into the polytunnel over the past two weeks. I went to visit them today and they were looking so sad! The smaller seedlings (those still at the crook stage) looked ok, but the taller ones were all falling over and looking pale. Have I killed them? I thought onions were supposed to go outside after germination, so what's gone wrong?