All things Allium - Leeks, onion, shallots etc

[emilymup]

Both the blue de solaise and porvite leeks have germinated and are growing away nicely. However, I still have them in the kitchen - should they be going into the unheated greenhouse or coldframe, or should I wait until this next cold snap due at the weekend is over!! Any advice would be great - thank you!

[tootles]

I'm sorry, my brain is addled.

I have been through this thread and am still nonplussed!

I dont have modules, I do have a shiny new coldframe. Can I plant onion seeds in the coldframe (as a seed bed)? do they then need potting on or can I leave them in situ until they are planted out?? If so, should I thin them??
Am very confused, I intend to sow on Sunday, can anyone clever help???

[zazen999]

Still no sign of my red brunswick seeds sown on 30th Dec.

They are in cold frame where salad leaves and caulis have germinated.

Are they a gonner or should I wait a bit longer? Should I bring them indoors?

Help!

Either - bring them indoors and give them heat and they should come up - or leave them and they will germinate when it warms up a bit.

[zazen999]

I'm sorry, my brain is addled.

I have been through this thread and am still nonplussed!

I dont have modules, I do have a shiny new coldframe. Can I plant onion seeds in the coldframe (as a seed bed)? do they then need potting on or can I leave them in situ until they are planted out?? If so, should I thin them??
Am very confused, I intend to sow on Sunday, can anyone clever help???

Yes you can - they might take longer to germinate as it depends on the temperature. I usually leave mine outdoors and when they get transplanted out to their final position - give them the necessary space to grow. Or, sow in pinches of 3-4 seeds with an inch or so inbetween, and plant out in the same bunches - they will push each other apart as they grow. Don't bother thinning them when in the seed bed, just throw away any weaklings when you transplant. Or, sow lighter than you would in a seed tray, and just leave them be until they go into the final position.

Onions - you can do pretty much anything with them and they will grow...

[Herbie]

Unsure whether I have done right from wrong. Potted on shallots and placed in the greenhouse (unheated). Bit worried now as the weather is going to get very cold. Should I bring them back in doors or are they better off left in the cold.

[pigletwillie]

Two trays of Bleu de solaise leeks have now been pricked out as have the rose de roscoff onions and banana shallots. More still to do plus the Carentan leeks. The hative de niort shallots are now sprouting as well.

The onion and shallot sets are laid out in trays and will be planted in March, keeping them in trays ensures that the odd soft one does not make the whole net go mouldy.

[shirlthegirl43]

Onions - you can do pretty much anything with them and they will grow...

Does that mean that mine which have been pampered in the house until pricking out into modules would now be okay put in the unheated greenhouse? (I am happy to keep them in the house but Madmax is grumbling)

[Herbie]

Does that mean that mine which have been pampered in the house until pricking out into modules would now be okay put in the unheated greenhouse? (I am happy to keep them in the house but Madmax is grumbling)

Ive put mine in the unheated green house and covered over with fleece, I think Pigletwillie mentioned this earlier somewhere in the thread. If not Ive got it wrong again

[Jenegade]

Ive put mine in the unheated green house and covered over with fleece, I think Pigletwillie mentioned this earlier somewhere in the thread. If not Ive got it wrong again

I don't have a greenhouse, but would it be ok to put the onions outside and put a plastic cloche over the top and some fleece over that??

[norazina]

Morning everyone,

Want to try growing leeks to harvest at baby stage, how closely can I sow them?

TIA,

norazina

[Snadger]

Morning everyone,

Want to try growing leeks to harvest at baby stage, how closely can I sow them?

TIA,

norazina

If you are sure you will be happy with baby leeks it would be best to sow them in 'pinches' in a tray of modules with 3/4/5 leeks in each.
When you transplant just space each module with up to 5 leeks in each about 6 inches apart.

It also depends on what time of year you want to harvest them?

They could be sown direct in the row and thinned to a similar spacing.

Be governed by the seed packet details for sowing and harvesting dates.

[zazen999]

Does that mean that mine which have been pampered in the house until pricking out into modules would now be okay put in the unheated greenhouse? (I am happy to keep them in the house but Madmax is grumbling)

I pricked out mine a few days ago, chopped the tops off, put into modules and they went straight outdoors. Now the snow has melted off the top, I've just looked at them and they seem fine - no shriveled or dead so hurrah! They had a clear over them, held down by a milk bottle.

[norazina]

thanks Snadger, that's just the info i needed :-)

[Rhona]

Am I getting a bit late for sowing onions and leeks? Have ordered from Seeds of Italy.

[zazen999]

You should still be good for a while...I'm sowing more this week, but they will be going outdoors as soon as they germinate.