Help - I can't grow Spring Onions

[inearlygaveup]

I sowed a tray of onions on the 20th Feb and they are only showing now.

I also sowed a tray of onions on the 4th Feb, and the Red Barons are only just coming up now.

Give it a few more weeks. But, they don't need a plastic cover. By doing that, you are encouraging Damping Off as the top of the compost doesn't dry out.

Thanks for the info on Plastic covers & Damping Off

[butter fingers]

this will be my third attempt at spring onions, i get to blade of grass size then they die. my current attempt so far are just germinating.i have tried a different sort to the usuall lisbon type,so if these dont grow i will not bother anymore.same with carrots never get any luck with those either.

[Welsh Wizard]

I have found that the compost used makes a big difference to germination of seeds: A recent batch of peat-free multi purpose compost was really just bark chippings better suited to mulching than growing and the sowings failed. In contrast the bag of replacement peat based seedling compost has so far had a 100% success rate: the seedlings just love the spongy fine texture. So in summary, maybe the problem is the compost?

[kate&rob]

ok, i made a mistake, planted my onions on 27th feb, still no sign though. i get tempted to have a poke around in the compost to see if there are any signs of life! on the compost line, i bought some b&q peat free and some miracle grow peat free last year, both were rubbish, just as you said welsh wizard, like bark and twigs. this year i bought some new horizons peat free for veg and that seems much better, still not as fine as multipurpose but much better than the other stuff!

[zazen999]

kate&rob

It depends on the onions just as much - and on the temperature - as you can see from my posting - I planted some on 20th Feb and they are only just coming through. Give them some time and they will come through.

Don't throw them out, but if you are concerned, sow some more just in case.

[HayleyB]

Last year I did my Lisbons in grow bags outside and they went barmy

[inearlygaveup]

Sounds like it could be down to compost, I wonder what compost pigletwillie uses ..........Evington Hilltop Adventures

[glut]

I planted mine on the 1st March (furio and guardsman) inside about 10 or so to a module on the bathroom windowsill and they are all about 2 - 3 inches now. I followed the advice of a previous thread about sowing in clumps and they do seem to have done much better than last year already!

[zazen999]

Sounds like it could be down to compost, I wonder what compost pigletwillie uses ..........Evington Hilltop Adventures

Well, I've seen his compost...and it's very fertile!

I planted out some onions today. Some from PW in his compost...some in my own compost and some in shop bought peat free compost. Plus at the weekend I put my jiffy 7s spring onions in.

All were looking healthy...the 'pinch' method is SO the way to go. Any that fall out of the mass when they come out of the modules go in separately.

Loving the pinch method...it's fab.

[deezyb]

i'm going to try this pinch method - it sounds like it's successful. my spring onions (white lisbon) are just peeping through (planted mid Feb)...but they are outside under a cloche...so that might be why they are soooo slow!

[jimbojetset]

i think it might well be the 'white lisbon' varietal. i sowed some of them back at the end of january, i sowed some 'ishikura' two weeks ago
guess what ... ...
ishikura are bigger already

[Demeter]

They take AGES! But they do grow.

I have grown several crops successfully direct into containers, just by sprinkling seed over the surface and then lightly covering with compost (peat free also works). I don't bother thinning or transplanting, as long as I don't sow too thickly it isn't necessary! Also, it doesn't seem worth putting too much effort in given that each individual plant doesn't actually give you all that much food.... So the trick is to sow them, put them somewhere out of the way, and then forget all about them for at least three months.

Currently I have an orange bucket nearly ready and another orange bucket recently germinated. The first of these I sowed sometime last autumn and the second lot I sowed some time in late February. Always sown outdoors, although the overwintering bucket was in my plastic greenhouse for part of the winter (until it collapsed lol). Last year I tried growing some indoors but I think it was too warm for them, and they went outdoors when I twigged.

[ecoprincess]

I grew some last year but they never really took off as I planted them too late in the season. I put the pots still with the compost in, in a corner of the garden and promptly forgot about them. Went back a few weeks ago, and they were all growing! Don't know how I managed that lol

[Jillyreeves]

Im growing White Lisbon too, sowed mine in a trough on 7th March, indoors, all had germinated by 23rd March. About 3 inch tall now and outside during day, indoors in unheated conservatory by night. This is my first ever go at Spring Onions and Im quite please with the results.

Will be sowing some in the next few weeks, I use them mainly in cooking and can get through quite a few.

[percy charlie]

how deep are you sowing the seeds? they need to be sown shallow too deep and nothing will happen as a rule they say you should cover with soil compost as thick as the seed which for spring onions is a sprinkling, i also use water warmed to around 18 degrees until they show signs of life then switch to cool water, my white lisbon have grown all year round no probs as did the red spring onions. hope you get some luck.