Autumn planted onion sets

[rary]

Last year there was a thread about autumn planting onions and ameno posted on it saying that if you left it too late, which I think was after October, I don't remember the actual dates mentioned, but if too late you wouldn't get any bulbs forming I did say that I would give this a try and report how it went, so I planted onion sets in December when it was quite mild and covered them with fleece during very cold spells and I am now starting to use these onion sets, ameno was correct they did not bulb up but they make great spring onions for the salads possibly ameno will post on here giving the information again

[burnie]

I tried those a couple of years back and didn't even get something for my salad, I am now growing from seed only.

[ameno]

I don't remember too well, but I imagine what I actually said was that they simply wouldn't survive the winter if planted too late. They usually need to put out a certain minimum amount of root growth before they're strong enough to withstand the cold and the wet (so if you have light soil, that would certainly help); if you have a load of half-established sets in the ground during winter then they just rot. Of course, on the other hand, plant them too soon and they will mature too much before the winter, and will then be far more likely to bolt the followign spring.
So good job getting them through the winter in one piece, at least, even if they didn't bulb up.

[lottie dolly]

i forgot about mine,and only put them in trays to form roots,when i did the main ones,must admit the main ones seem to be doing better on the green growth.the autumn ones are just stagnent,won't to that again,leave them for now,and can soon put em in the compost,if i need the room,thanks for the advice.

[Mark_Riga]

It's still a bit early I would think for them to be bulbing up. But i use them from about now (still got a few kilos of last years that have kept very well). I plant them in a spot that has white rot and keep an eye out for leaves yellowing when I pull them, discard some of the soil beneath, then clean and eat them. Found 3 so far used in salad.

[ameno]

It's still a bit early I would think for them to be bulbing up. But i use them from about now (still got a few kilos of last years that have kept very well). I plant them in a spot that has white rot and keep an eye out for leaves yellowing when I pull them, discard some of the soil beneath, then clean and eat them. Found 3 so far used in salad.

It's certainly too early for them to be ready, but I would expect them to be starting to bulb up by now at least. I mean, by spring-planted sets have started bulbing up in the last couple of weeks, and autumn ones are meant to be some weeks ahead.

[Snadger]

I do know someone who planted Troy onion sets about Christmas time and got a really good crop. Their are so many variables, it pays to just bung them in anyway, when you can and take what you are given.

[Jungle Jane]

My autumn planted bulbs will hopefully expand in size,theres still a bit of time,good green growth no yellowing or flopping yet.