Vacant Winter Earth

[General Woundwort]

As the potatoes and onions come up, and I see vacant earth forming, it occurs to me that I hadn't prepared seedlings for the winter. So, I toddled out to a garden centre and bought some cabbage and radish seeds (the latter may well be joined by more when I decide how much I enjoy radish relish).

One thought, other list-members have insisted I can grow onions as far north as Caithness, and I do know someone gardeners who've had moderate success. But, there are no onion sets available oop here.

Can they be purchased on mail-order?

[shirlthegirl43]

I spotted onion sets in Wilkinson's the other day - the first I have seen this year so far. Do you have a store near you? (might be worth adding your location to your profile)

[General Woundwort]

Done! I'm in Thurso, but I don't think there are any Wilkinsons in Scotland.

[shirlthegirl43]

Ah, I think I have read that there are none up there.

Here's a link to their store finder - maybe you can buy online?

Store Locator at Wilkinson Plus

[oldie]

Nearly all of the online retailers will sell onion sets for Autumn planting. Kings, D.T.Brown, Garden Organic, Marshalls, Suttons, Tuckers all have selections. Radar might be your best bet as they are very hardy.

[Snadger]

Or even........your local garden centre..............if the jap sets aren't in ask them when they are arriving.

PS Not a big fan of Wilco's onion sets anyway!

[Two_Sheds]

There's plenty to be had on eBay
onion sets, Plants Seeds Bulbs, garlic items at low prices on eBay.co.uk

[Two_Sheds]

I toddled out to a garden centre and bought some cabbage and radish seeds

I can only grow radish from an October sowing (conditions are too dry otherwise).

A green manure will cover your bare soil, if nothing else appeals. Limnanthes is my favourite, followed by phacelia, having tried almost all the traditional green manures.

[General Woundwort]

Two Sheds, do I take it you're right on the coast with sandy earth? The Zimbabwean-style land-reclaimation I'm preforming is a pocket of wonderful, rich earth... I've noticed already that after just a half hour in the August sun, it's nice and warm whereas my main garden remains cold and wet for hours.

Green manure is certainly an idea, as is garlic. The local garden centres don't even have seedlings for winter veg, so if sets ain't too expensive online, I'll give it a bash and maybe get little onions even if the main crop fails. Could green manure be grown around onions?

[Two_Sheds]

Two Sheds, do I take it you're right on the coast with sandy earth? ...Could green manure be grown around onions?

yes, and yes-I-should-think-so

[SMS6]

Ii thought onions didn't like competition and you needed to keep onion beds weed free? wouldn't the green manure be a bit like weeds around the onions?

[Two_Sheds]

That's what I thought, SMS.

However, I got the best-ever crop of shallots this year (because I didn't weed them?). Because of my bike crash I couldn't get to the plot for a few months, and the shallots were completely covered in weeds, I had to hack it all down to get to them.

[burnie]

Sewer Rat would be your man for advice round your neck of the woods,he's a professional.I find once the sun sets for the winter nothing grows till spring anyway,plus when the sea freezes over the pesky Polar Bears dig all the onions up !!

[General Woundwort]

Ta', I've PM'd him.

Any polar bears which tried to snatch my onions would find a troop of panserbjorn set on them.

[basketcase]

Sewer Rat would be your man for advice round your neck of the woods,he's a professional.I find once the sun sets for the winter nothing grows till spring anyway,plus when the sea freezes over the pesky Polar Bears dig all the onions up !!

And what they don't get, the glaciers do...