Growing onions for show

[Protea]

I entered my village show last weekend and came away with a very pleasing 1st, 2nd and 3rd. I was gobsmacked at the enormous onions i saw and quite fancy having a go at them myself.

Can anyone reccomend a particular variety that grows well - i've picked out a few i like the look of from the T&M catalogue and i'd prefer the high shouldered ones as i think they look more 'like onions'.

Also - when do I sow them? never grown onions from seed before, only sets - my greenhouse has a parafin heater but its only really to keep it frost free that giving it extra heat - do i need to sow the seed indoors and when do they need transplanting?

so many questions! any help/advice gratefully recieved, thanks!

[martini]

Hi Protea - can't give you any advice on the onions (still learning!) but congratulations on your success at the show

[dexterdoglancashire]

Hi Protea - congratulations and well done on your success! what's your secret? dexterdog

[Lesley Jay]

Protea well done at the show!! You need to buy exhibition onion seeds so go to either Medwyn Williams or Robinsons. I will find their site addresses after for you.

The addresses are www.mammothonion.co.uk Robinsons site

www.medwynsofanglesey.co.uk Medwyn won 10 gold medals at Chelsea with his show vegetables.

[Squirrel]

Congrats Protea! You must be well chuffed!

[multiveg]

The Kelsae (huge - record?), Bedfordshire Champion, and Ailsa Craig I think are the biggies.The Kelsae is expensive - last year was £2.99 for the seeds.
I have Ailsa Craig Prizewinner (didn't look after them this year) - says sow (quarter-inch/0.5cm deep) indoors Dec-Feb for largest bulbs, warm greenhouse, prick out when large enough to handle. Harden off and plant out April.
They can be sown outside - March-April.
Oops, I forgot Robinsons Mammoth Onion (they also do a red version?)

[sewer rat]

Congratulations on your success at the show - well chuffed I bet !
Advice on growing huge onions / show onions - Medwyn Williams not only sells the seed through his website, he also has loads of info on general veg growing, growing show and competition vegetables and advice on how to prepare them for showing. Only problem is it could take an awfully long time to find what you're looking for, but as LJ says, 10 golds at Chelsea - the man knows his onions !

[nick the grief]

I entered my village show last weekend and came away with a very pleasing 1st, 2nd and 3rd. I was gobsmacked at the enormous onions i saw and quite fancy having a go at them myself.

Can anyone reccomend a particular variety that grows well - i've picked out a few i like the look of from the T&M catalogue and i'd prefer the high shouldered ones as i think they look more 'like onions'.

Also - when do I sow them? never grown onions from seed before, only sets - my greenhouse has a parafin heater but its only really to keep it frost free that giving it extra heat - do i need to sow the seed indoors and when do they need transplanting?

so many questions! any help/advice gratefully recieved, thanks!

Well done Protea it is satisfying. Most people grow a version of Kelsae it has usually been reselected over the years by them. There are various places you can get it from. Medwyns has already been mentioned but there is select seed and you may want to take look in Garden News as there are a few folks advertise in there around now - make a note & put it back on the shelf also Exhibition seed (I think they are)

http://www.exhibition-seeds.co.uk/
http://www.selectseeds.co.uk/

If you join the NVS they do DVD's on growing Exhibition Onions, Potatoes, Insite into showing & Growing for showing at £5-99 each inc P+P Well worth the joining fee I would say

http://www.nvsuk.org.uk/

The Kelsae (huge - record?), Bedfordshire Champion, and Ailsa Craig I think are the biggies.The Kelsae is expensive - last year was £2.99 for the seeds.
I have Ailsa Craig Prizewinner (didn't look after them this year) - says sow (quarter-inch/0.5cm deep) indoors Dec-Feb for largest bulbs, warm greenhouse, prick out when large enough to handle. Harden off and plant out April.
They can be sown outside - March-April.
Oops, I forgot Robinsons Mammoth Onion (they also do a red version?)

The world record is a strain called Ailsae I think it's a 3 way cross of Ailsa craig & Kelsae & has been reselected over many years. The new record of 18ibs (i think it is) was sown in October & kept growing in a heated greenhouse under lights for about 12 months so I guess he didn't male much out of the £1000 prize money but he was sellin gthe seed for £40 for 10 I think it was But once you've bought your seed you can always save the best bulbe & seed them down the next year so you only pay for 1 or 2 years MV

[Snadger]

Most of the allotmenteers around me swear by The Kelsae Onion or Robinsons Mamoth Improved. I myself have grown both and prefer The Kelsae because it seems to have a thinner neck, a proper onion shape and I like the taste!.I think the biggest onion ever grown was a Kelsae, but I could be wrong! I always used to sow my onions on Christmas Day, gave me an excuse to get away from the inlaws after dinner! New Years day for show leeks!

Robinsons have an excellent growing guide online

[nick the grief]

further info

If you can read the small print this maybe of interest to you

http://www.nvsuk.org.uk/growing_show...Vegetables.php

It could also be appended with champion Chrysanths, Roses, Pinks & daffodils as Ivor is undoubtedly one of the best all round growers in the country (he does good talks too)

[nick the grief]

...........I always used to sow my onions on Christmas Day, gave me an excuse to get away from the inlaws after dinner! New Years day for show leeks!

Thats strange, I do that as well snadger

[Protea]

Thanks very much everyone, i'd had a quick look at Medwyn's site and the other mammouth onion site but there was so much to choose from i didn't know where to start!

Off to look at all your links and see if i can secure some seed.

Should i start the seed off in a heated propagator or will they be OK on a light windowsill inside the house? i'm assuming i can put them into the greenhouse (frost free) when they're big enough to handle?

I was very chuffed with my prizes, they were 1st for my cherry tomatoes (sungold) and 2nd and 3rd for 2 varieties of Chillies (Fuego and Joe's Long) in the 'any other veg' category. My jam's and chutneys got nothing though which was a bit dissapointing as i thought they had the better chance My cakes and scones looked rubbish (but they tasted nice )

[bramble]

Hi Protea, where did you get your seed for Joes long and Fuego.
Thanks, Bramble.

[nick the grief]

..............Should i start the seed off in a heated propagator or will they be OK on a light windowsill inside the house? i'm assuming i can put them into the greenhouse (frost free) when they're big enough to handle?............

Heated propagator & then keep them warm & give them a much light as poss for the first couple of weeks. Then you can move them into the the ordinary part of the greenhouse. Don't gro on a windowsill as they won't get enough light.

[Protea]

Heated propagator & then keep them warm & give them a much light as poss for the first couple of weeks. Then you can move them into the the ordinary part of the greenhouse. Don't gro on a windowsill as they won't get enough light.

Ah, thats going to be a problem then - my greenhouse has no power to it, so i usually just put my heated prop on a light windowsill.

Hmmmm, will need to think about this further, i might just give it a go and see what happens, first try and all!

thanks