Onion Sets - Saving/Storing

[Dynamite]

Hello there. I have bought some onion sets, both red and white. I have too many of each to plant this year and want to plant half red and half white.

Question is, can I store the remaining sets for use next year? If so, how?

Kind Regards...........Rob

[Bigmallly]

I'm not 100% sure but I think they would still try to sprout even out of the ground & next year would go to seed.

[Bill Door]

As usual I am with Bigmally.

How about doing a swoppsie with neighbours near your home or at the allotment? Even if no one does a swoppsie you could leave them in two bags with a note saying what they are and offering them to a very nice home.

You could plant the sets you don't want very close together. Use a 24 module tray and put three sets in each module and then in about a months time plant them out . You will get smallish onions but they might be suitable to pickle!! Many cooks like small onions anyway.

You could put five or six in a plant pot and let them go to seed and try the seed the following year.

Finally, and I hang my head in shame here for stooping so low, you could plant what you can and then dump the rest in the compost bin UGHHHHHHH! I said it I said it. What a waste.

But as Bigmally said I don't think they will survive and produce onions the following year.

Best of luck

Bill

[fishpond]

Plant the extra ones close together or in groups and use as spring onions.
Buy fresh sets next year.

[Potstubsdustbins]

I have tried to save red onion sets over the years and failed. Now if I have a surplus I just give them away.

[happyhumph]

Like the others have said I don't think they'll survive. You could plant All of them at half spacing and when they get to pickling size pull every other one....

[Muddy_Boots]

Like everyone else says, they won't survive. Either plant them or swop/give away with one of your fellow plotters. I myself would plant them closer together and pull every other one when they get to pickling size and use them for that. Then let the rest develop full size for winter use as normal.

[Snadger]

I buy my onion sets loose and usually spend about £3.00 on a mix of red and white. If i have some left I bung em in for spring onions or pickling onions or give them away.

For the sake of wasting space on the plot next year for something that will probably run straight to seed anyway, its just not worth keeping any leftovers!

[Dynamite]

Many thanks everyone. I have just planted what I need and the ones left, I am giving away.

Kind Regards.........Rob