Know your onions? Clearly I dont!!

[bobleponge]

Morning everyone.
After a conversation with the boss this morning (god bless the internet) she told me that everything I planted on the windowsill is doing well. The onions that I planted from seed are sprouting like mad apparently.
I planted them by the scientific method of washing out an old margerine tub, putting some holes in the bottom and 2/3 filling with compost. I then just scattered a handful around the pot and covered in compost.
Can you tell me what sort of stage I need to leave them to grow to before I prick them out, put them straight into my raised bed, maybe even(if Ebay allows me some good fortune) put them into a greenhouse?
As I am away from home I cant consult Dr Hessayason but why should I, when I have the experts I require here!!
Thanks in advance for all your help
L'eponge

[smallblueplanet]

Err we normally leave ours growing in modules until we're ready to plant them outside. Thats not really helpful is it?

[bobleponge]

Hi Manda
I fear I may have put too many in the margerine pot. I did a search of all "onion seed" topics this morning and pretty much all I can see says as you have just said. Plant individually and then transplant outdoors. Hmmm, salad of very early onion thinnings it appears to be then, bother.

[bobleponge]

Oh, I forgot to ask, can someone tell me what the "crook" phase is during onion seed growing. Ta.

L'eponge

[shirlthegirl43]

If you look closely at the seedlings, you will see that they are sort of 'bent double' the crook stage is when they start to straighten up and look sort of like a shepherd's crook.

[gardenplot]

Thanks, now i know what to look out for, mine are not yet insight
its my first time growing onions from seeds so any info will help me understand my seeds better.

[shirlthegirl43]

It is my first go too!! I am wondering if the seedlings should be lying flat on the compost - they are not dead or anything, just not all standing up. I think I will be sowing more somehow.

[gardenplot]

I managed to do about 12 seeds just to see if they came up cos was not sure if it was too early and cold, mine are in unheated greenhouse

[bobleponge]

From what I can gather I have a huge amount of shoots coming up, growing all over the pot. Does anyone know if onion transplanting is viable at this early stage of growth or shall I just pull out the majority and leave a few to grow before pricking out?

[shirlthegirl43]

I think you can eat them small like spring onions, but I am not certain. Maybe wait for some of the more experienced growers to come along with advice later on.

[gardenplot]

I put one seed in each pot jiffy pots so i can just put them straight in the ground without disturbing them too much ( not sure if I have done the right thing but play & error is my motto) soon find out if & when they pop up

[SarzWix]

It is my first go too!! I am wondering if the seedlings should be lying flat on the compost - they are not dead or anything, just not all standing up. I think I will be sowing more somehow.

Mine are doing the same thing... think they might have gotten too leggy though, because they're in a cell tray & only half germinated I've taken them out of the propogator now, hoping they'll perk up a bit

[shirlthegirl43]

I didn't put mine in a propogator, just had them on the dining table beside the patio doors so plenty light. They were supposed to be sown in January. Might do the next lot in the greenhouse and compare. There are so many seeds in the packet that I haven't lost much anyhoo.

[smallblueplanet]

Here's our onions in a self-watering module. The seeds are normally 3 or 4 to a cell.



I confess to 'messing' with the ones that come through wrong, so bobleponge I can't see why you don't get a small dibber or plant label and repot the onions that are over-crowded into another marg tub?

Edit - they germinated in the 18-19C kitchen-diner, spend the day in the 10-12C porch and back in at night.

[shirlthegirl43]

I think I will have another go. Mine are not as upright and I am wondering if they are a bit too far from the light in the afternoon. Next lot will be in the greenhouse then!