Onions

[Vegi potager]

I use sets because as I grow everything else from seed I probably wouldn't bother with onions at all. As I have a few raised beds I shall keep moving them about.
This year I have just harvested "snowball" many went to seed but I just cut off the scapes as they appeared and used as green onion. I don't think they will store well so will be adding to pickled cukes or freezing.
Have just ordered some more to go in and some reds this autumn. I like the concept of Amenos pot idea as these are smallish onions, and I know that I have a lot of pots waiting to be recycled! will give it a try.

[quanglewangle]

Just came in from the back for a break from digging over a plot for Senshyu sets due to be delivered in a couple of weeks. Never done overwintering. Hoping for onions in May....

I will report back.

[quanglewangle]

Just came in from the back for a break from digging over a plot for Senshyu sets due to be delivered in a couple of weeks. Never done overwintering. Hoping for onions in May....

I will report back.

Got these and set them out around 23 Sept.

They were lifting themselves out the ground on their roots from about 10 October and today, 26 days in the ground, the first green shoots are showing. Exciting.

[quanglewangle]

I hadn't noticed before how much onion sets swelled early on, once they got their roots out. Some must have doubled in diameter in three and a half weeks since setting out and are only now showing green shoots. Bodes well...

[muck lover]

I have pretty serious onion envy here. I have consistently tried to grow red onions of any variety without them all Bolting. I’m trying again this year with heat-treated sets and if this doesn’t work I am definitely definitely giving up.

[ameno]

I have pretty serious onion envy here. I have consistently tried to grow red onions of any variety without them all Bolting. I’m trying again this year with heat-treated sets and if this doesn’t work I am definitely definitely giving up.

Grow from seed. It's more effort, but unlike sets they rarely bolt.

I hadn't noticed before how much onion sets swelled early on, once they got their roots out. Some must have doubled in diameter in three and a half weeks since setting out and are only now showing green shoots. Bodes well...

That's funny, I usually find the opposite. The set shrinks, presumably as the water and carbohydrate stored in it is used to fuel root and leaf growth, and after a month or so you end up with a pencil-think spring onion-looking plant, and only then does the bulb start to swell again.

[quanglewangle]

Ameno: sets early swelling - may be that it's rained every day since i put them in; not huge amounts but some every day. Also put a pinch of root grow in each hole first.

[quanglewangle]

Update on autumn onion sets

Put out Senshyu about Oct 1st and said I would report back. Four and half weeks in the ground.


Senshyu onion sets after four and half weeks

Picture is a link to full res. one.

[Baldy]

I must admit I succumbed to some red onion sets again... only put them in last weekend.
They've probably floated down the hill to Cornwall by now. (I'm not going out to the plot to check...)

[quanglewangle]

Autumn planted onion update

Put out Senshyu about Oct 1st and said I would report back.

About 14 weeks now. Most have three leaves. Lost a few, maybe half a dozen, mostly to careless hoeing. No comments about untidy grass please. Minimum temperature so far about 3-4 °C


Senshyu onion sets after about 14 weeks