Anyone else plant shallots/garlic/onions today?

[Seahorse]

From what I can gather, it's not especially sound horticultural advice but I know it's traditional to plant members of the onion family on this, the shortest day, with the intention of harvesting them on the longest.

We went for shallots - our very first thing we've planted on the lottie! I can't say any of the four kids were hugely impressed by the time we'd finished but, hey, it was a cold, grey day, so hopefully the harvest (if any!!!) will be more fun! I enjoyed myself, anyway!

Anyone else?

[shirlthegirl43]

Had intended planting some garlic but didn't quite find the time. Will plant some tomorrow in the hope that it won't make much difference!

[Seahorse]

Shirl, I think technically (for reasons I'm a bit vague on!) this year the 22nd *is* actually the shortest day, so I'm sure it definitely counts!

[jacob marley]

Planted my garlic last week in september it is about a foot high now Elephant garlic about 1 inch high shallots put in same day aint woke up yet jacob

[veggieginger]

No, it's too freaking cold !

[Snadger]

I intend planting all my onion and leek seeds next week!

[Flummery]

Is this the famous "washing-up-avoidance" stragegy Snadger?

[smallblueplanet]

I intend planting all my onion and leek seeds next week!

Where you keeping the seeds snadger?

[Hazel at the Hill]

From what I can gather, it's not especially sound horticultural advice but I know it's traditional to plant members of the onion family on this, the shortest day, with the intention of harvesting them on the longest.

.... our very first thing we've planted on the lottie!

Cause for HUGE celebration! First planting! Well done - and may your shallots be large and tasty!

Planted my garlic and onion (sets) about a month ago - might sow the PW shallot sets next week, but deffo sow some onion seeds in pots in the next few days.

Roll on Spring!

[terrier]

Nice dry, bright day today, but VERY cold. The garden plot was like concrete. Decided to keep off. Hopefully, the weather will warm up a little so that I can dig a few spuds for Christmas dinner, if not I've got a few salad potatoes in pots as backup. Going to put some garlic in tomorrow come hell or high water ( so says he!). I've got a few pots of spring onions suffering outside, I may as well put them in the ground to see if they grow. Still havn't put all my spring bulbs in yet and some of the ones I did plant, the Terrier-ists had a wonderful time digging them up again, as they did with the PSB. Grrrr!

[Snadger]

Is this the famous "washing-up-avoidance" stragegy Snadger?

Shhhhhhh!!!............ Her indoors will hear you!

[Snadger]

Where you keeping the seeds snadger?

Kept nowhere special! In a biscuit tin in a wooden First Aid cabinet I pillaged from work, set in my greenhouse.
I'll set the seeds in a propagator on my bedroom window sill . Worked fine for me last year so can't see a reason to change!

Of course I've got to travel seven miles to my allotment to sow the seeds then fetch them home!

[smallblueplanet]

Kept nowhere special! In a biscuit tin in a wooden First Aid cabinet I pillaged from work, set in my greenhouse.....

Nice.....but I meant where do you keep them when they've sprouted, it being pretty early and cold and dark an' all?

[littlemark]

Too cold today, but hoping for a slightly milder day tomorrow. I'm aiming to plant Shallots which will live snug and warm under cloches until the Spring. How do you go about sowing Leeks at this time of year?

Mark

[Snadger]

Nice.....but I meant where do you keep them when they've sprouted, it being pretty early and cold and dark an' all?

I'll Start them in the propagator on windowsill, boadcast sown in trays or 5" half pots. I usually leave them past the recommended crookneck stage until they are say 3" high then I pot them on into modules.
At this time they go into the greenhouse within a greenhouse, that's to say a one of those cheap three shelve plastic jobbies set inside my glass greenhouse to give them a microclimate. I usually put a small paraffin heater in the bottom which burns for 10 days before it needs refilling and only uses about 2 or 3 litres of parrafin! After being there for a while I roll up the front to gradually start aclimatising them and after a spell in the frost free greenhouse, they get planted out in April!