onion set chitting

[hawthorns]

is there any real benefit from chitting or potting up onion and shallot sets over direct sowing outside.

[Paulottie]

None at all, they are pretty hardy things that should do fine, sometimes the birds or frost dislodge them. Is that spuds your thinking of maybe?

If you have any seed tho-it is worth sowing some now in a pot and setting out in Aprilish.

[rustylady]

For me it works to start my onion and shallot sets in cell trays and then transplant them onto the lottie. It tends to stop the birds and mice stealing them before they shoot, and when I put them out they already have good roots started ready to go.

[Sue]

Rustylady
Is that in pots as in plastic or the ones that biodegrade? and are they tiny ones or large size, say the ones you use for broad beans.
Never done this before, always willing to try something new though.
best wishes
Sue

[pigletwillie]

In an ideal world your onion sets will put down root before any shoot appears. If yours show signs of shooting then you need to either plant them out or into small pots until mid to late March when they can be planted out.

I tend not to plant any sets that shoot as they generally bolt and thus are not worth bothering with.

[Snadger]

In an ideal world your onion sets will put down root before any shoot appears. If yours show signs of shooting then you need to either plant them out or into small pots until mid to late March when they can be planted out.

I tend not to plant any sets that shoot as they generally bolt and thus are not worth bothering with.

I read an intersting article somewhere where mature onions in store that were starting to shoot should be planted up and the leaves used for flavouring stews/broth or even in salads. Fresh onion tasting foliage is rather sparse at this time of year. I suppose you could do the same with sets with shoots on them or even grow them on a bit and use them as spring onions?

[pigletwillie]

What a good idea Snadger and they would take up virtually no room. A far better idea than chucking them into the compost bin.