winter onion sets advice

[helly]

Hello, I've received my winter onions sets today, should I plant them straight out or start them off indoors to get shoots showing 1st then plant out?
cheers Helen

[zazen999]

I used to put them straight out, but they do have a tendency to pop out. So, if I was going to use sets again, I would put them in modules, until the roots show at the bottom, then plant out.

This is what I am going to do with all the garlics and the little onions that got crowded out to grow on over winter.

[Newbie]

I put my garlic into modules last year then transplanted into the veg patch in very early spring & it gave great results. I am planning on doing the same with my onion sets this year - i have never grown them before but am trying Radar.

[markwcel]

we just planted ours straight out...growing well

[FionaH]

I was planning on planting mine in troughs this year while the horse poo rots into the patch, and was going to just stick onions and the garlic straight in and see what happens. But for heavens sake dont listen to me I know zilch

[Snadger]

Our local Garden centres must be the last ones to get Jap onion sets in the country!

I've called in every couple of days for the last month and they are STILL waiting for them to come in!

[bluemoon]

I always order mine from Dobies and they never arrive until late Sept/early Oct. I generally pop them straight in as soon as they arrive and always have an excellent crop. I thought they bolted if you put them in any earlier than this?

[FionaH]

[QUOTE=bluemoon;278334]I always order mine from Dobies and they never arrive until late Sept/early Oct. QUOTE]

Glad to hear that was starting to wonder where mine had got too

[helly]

thanks for the replies, should I wait a few weeks or put them in 2mor? I'm also going to be adding some sand to the beds for drainage, does anyone suggest a particular type or just go to Wicks and buy a bag or 2 of builders sand
cheers H

[SarzWix]

I'd hang on a couple of weeks, if you can keep them somewhere cool and dry? If not, plant them, especially if any of them are starting to sprout
I think it's sharp sand you want for drainage, but could be wrong!

[Farmer_Gyles]

i'm still waiting for onion sets to show up in garden centres round here too ........

[Two_Sheds]

mostly they don't come into stock until mid Sept - October.
QD have some Senshyu now, but I won't be planting them out until October - I don't want them to put on too much growth if September is warm.
I will do half in modules, half straight in the ground.

I've got Senshyu seeds too, so I will see which does best - sets or seeds.

[Iwantgreenfingers]

Would it be wrong then to plant onion sets that I've got left over from spring planting?

[Rocketron]

There is no such thing as "wrong". This is known as "experimentation".

[hawthorns]

i have just got my winter onion sets.
radar yellow and electric red is anyone else trying these ?

instructions say that to plant out in september. im going to try direct sowing and some into small pots to plant on.

should the soil be feed with anything before sowing ?