Onion sets - spacing

[sewer rat]

Stupid question coming up.... Whenever I see Blood Fish and Bone, it comes as a rough 'powder'. Does it need to be mixed with water or just sprinkling on the surface and then watered to stop it blowing away ?

Not a stupid question at all !!
You don't need to mix it - just sprinkle it on at the rates recommended on the box - and do wear gloves when you are working with it too.

[moggssue]

I sprinkled blood fish and bone on the ground/in the rows with everything I sowed last year (having used it successfully in the past with flowers) and it seemed to work a treat. I was planning on using it again this year on the new lottie, hoping it'd be enough on its own this first year? I thought onions didnt like too much manure or etc? (Mine will be in a 4' x 12' slightly raised bed BTW!).

[seniab]

Thanks all. - Certainly gives me something to work on this weekend, looks like the onions will be doubled-up.

Will definitely look into the Blood Fish and Bone option as well, though as mentioned above, I didn't think Onion's liked much fertiliser etc.

Cheers,

seniab

[Potter]

Are you growing carrots too? I'd thought I'd plant some of my spare onion sets in and around my carrots to confuse the pesky carrot flies that got my carrots last year.

[kentvegplot]

Put my sets in a raised bed last weekend - using the 4" in each direction idea, as I will hand-weed rather than hoe. Bed is covered in fleece at the moment to stop the blackbirds pulling them up - will take the fleece off as they get a bit bigger.

[gingerneil]

Put my sets in a raised bed last weekend - using the 4" in each direction idea, as I will hand-weed rather than hoe. Bed is covered in fleece at the moment to stop the blackbirds pulling them up - will take the fleece off as they get a bit bigger.

Another silly question...
How do you attach the fleece to the raised beds ? nails / screws / tape ?

[Flummery]

I use fleece pegs - bought them with my fleece. They are like big yellow nails!

[Paul Wagland]

You can use tent pegs too - or old metal coat hangers cut into 30cm lengths and bent into u-shapes. Or bricks!

[Tracey]

As an experiment. I cut some fleece bigger than my raised bed, folded over 2 edges and sewed, forming a wide hem. In the hems I enclosed 2 x 1" wooden poles. This has worked a treat for frosts. When it's not been frosty I can easily folded it up and when it's frosty I can lay it on my bed without any bother pining it down. I'm going to make some more.

[Sue]

Tracey
Brilliant idea, I was toying with the idea of making a "paper pattern" of a raised bed cover with hoops in so I could make a set of "mob cap type covers with elastic to hold them tight. This was all so much effort I haven't started yet, let alone getting the sewing machine out - knowing I'd have to somehow keep my kitten from getting her whiskers sewn in to the fleece!
But large borders and threading poles in well, simple is best!
Ta Very Much
Sue