Idiot guide to onions

[Andraste]

OH arrived home with red onion sets today. Whenever we've grown onions (only ever white/yellow) in the past they've been the leftover dregs of a plot neighbour - gratefully received but generally just shoved in a gap & never with any success. I think I probably put them in too deep/shallow/some other wrongdoing.

I'd be grateful for any tips from the most basic to avant-garde.

& is it really worth potting them up (our ground is probably going to be cold & wet for weeks yet)? Is it realistic to store the sets? What should I do if they start sprouting before I'm ready to plant? Is there an Onions Anonymous group for plotters who've become far too obsessed within less than 24 hours?

[Nicos]

Good thread!

I guess the most basic tip would be plant them pointy end up!

I don’t do well with onions so I can’t really give advice, but what I do with shallots and onion sets is start them off in seed trays of potting compost putting them out in the day and bringing them in at night so they have a head start against the birds. No idea which bird ( maybe blackbirds ? ) tend to pull mine up until the roots get established.

Putting fleece over them can also protect them against birds during their early growth.

I did read somewhere not to push them into the soil if you have heavy soil as it creates a compacted area making it more difficult for the roots to establish. No idea if that’s true but I guess it makes sense?

My neighbours on a previous plot had a designated onion bed. Never rotated them which I thought would cause a potential build up of disease - like fungus- but it never did. Maybe his soil hygiene was second to none.
He also used chicken pellets in the soil.

Interesting to hear what others do!