onions sets

[Pompeylottie]

Has anyone planted onion sets yet in the South? I'm not sure if it's too early after all this cold weather.

[snakeshack]

not yet i'm waiting for it to warm up a little,was planning to plant mine in one of my lasagne beds,and have covered with a cloche made from water pipe hoops and clear polythene.if it's not waterlogged at the weekend I will probably plant then

[Pompeylottie]

I will warm up the bed this weekend I think then, it's still very wet. I used to live in Harrow, in Pinner Road in the 70s, I expect it's very different now.
(What's a lasagne bed?)

[bazzaboy]

I'm a fair way from the South (200m) and from suitable temps (-5C tonight) but I've got the Wllko sets rooting under cover - see the recent discussion on "chitting onion sets" on
http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ets_27273.html
The postal ordered sets haven't arrived yet (I always end up with too many...) and also grow from seed (Ailsa Craig usually) as they seem far less prone to bolting. Early planting out (or rather any subjecting to greater extremes of climate including temperature and water) does seem to stress sets and whether heat treated or not they then have a tendency to bolt. b.

[kentvegplot]

Won't risk it yet - onions will bolt if they get stressed by the cold. I am warming up the bed with a fleece cover and I hope end of Feb for the planting

[Two_Sheds]

It's too early anyway, snow or not. Have a look on this thread to see what everyone is doing: http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...etc_25527.html

[Flummery]

I have some in the cold greenhouse - one to a module cell - so they can get some roots going. They won't go outsde for maybe another month - and I'll harden them off first, outside in the day for a week or two. Hoping they will gallop on!

[Newbie]

Does anyone know of my Radar onion sets will be ok in the beds outside under all this snow or is it likely that i have lost them all?

[zazen999]

Well Newbie - if yours are lost then so are mine and everyone else's.

If they've been in the ground with good roots [Autumn planted], they will spring into life in...the spring!!!

If they were put in just recently, then the chances of survival are lower.

HOWEVER

You can pretty much do anything to onions and they will survive - so even onions that have been lying around out of soil outdoors all winter will start to shoot once it warms up.

Never give up on onions - the main risk [in my opinion] is onion rot - much more lethal than the cold and frosts.

[Newbie]

They were planted in modules in the cold greenhouse in Autumn & planted out into the patch in January as their roots were showing through the bottom of the pots. I figure i'll leave them to see how they do & if they die then i'll bung some new sets in in spring!