over wintering onions

[greenfingers007]

Having just been given my new allotment, am I too late to put in some over wintering onion sets, or is there still time for me to get some and plant them?

also should I put some fertiliser/compost down first........

[SarzWix]

No, you're not too late Your local GC or Focus will probably have some in. I don't know what condition your soil is in, it may not need anything adding to it? A sprinkle of chickem manure pellets raked in probably won't do any harm.

[moggssue]

I ordered mine online and they havent arrived yet - I'm hoping the site knows what they're doing re timing. I'm sure there's still a couple of weeks left to get them planted?

[Demeter]

There was a thread on this the other day.
Consensus seems to be that you are OK up to about the end of October.
(At least I hope so, my onion patch isn't dug yet!)

[Noodles]

My local garden centre has only just got them in stock and I'm waiting for a few other things to finish before I can plant them. I told the lady that served me this and she said I should be fine for a good few weeks yet.

[Demeter]

Woo-hoo

Just managed to get up to the allotment today - it's been too wet for a while to do any digging so I've not even bothered going until today, now we've had a few dry days. ANYWAY it's dried out enough to start digging again and I've marked out my onion / garlic patches, most of the ground has already been dug and cleared before the rain became overwhelming, so shouldn't take more than one or two goes before I'm ready to stick the onions in. Feeling very good about having got this far after a depressing couple of weeks just watching the rain fall...

Not that my sets have arrived yet mind, but that's another story...

[helly]

I have also just dug over a new bed for my onion sets,
and its very sandy soil, is this good for them?

Any advice
cheers H

[FionaH]

Still waiting for mine too Demeter, and itching to get started

[tootles]

Every one of mine bolted this year - I was told that I planted them out too early. I think they didn't go out until October last year though. I might give overwintering onions a miss this year and try shallots instead!!

[SarzWix]

I have also just dug over a new bed for my onion sets,
and its very sandy soil, is this good for them?

Any advice
cheers H

Sandy soil isn't necessarily a bad thing for winter onions - it might not hold on to nutrients so well, but the onions will be happy with the drainage! A sprinkling of a general fertiliser in spring will probably help them if it's been particularly rainy

[helly]

Thanx I've put some chicken pellets in to start and will plant them out later in the week