Onion Sets have I planted them too deep?

[Edwardo82]

Hi, I planted my onion sets about 2 months ago and the leaves have come through well and are currently about 12 inches high.

As this is my first time growing onions I am afraid that I have planted them a little too deep about 2 inches below the soil. Now I have lifted a few of them and there appears to be good growth and rooting going on but I noticed that the actual blub appears to be soft (not rotten).

Is this normal and does the actual onion form later on or have I made a mistake, which will prevent me from producing onions??

[King Carrot]

I reckon if they’re 12” tall you’ll get some fantastic onions in the summer.

I don’t think the depth will have any effect, I think they’ll push themselves up as they swell up in July, If not you can always unbury them a bit then, I understand its normal for the bulb to be soft during this time.

[Edwardo82]

Hi King Carrot

Thanks so much for taking the time to advise.

As I said I am new to oninons, well new to growing all Veg and I was scared I had ruined my onions!! So how does the actual onion form?

From within the casing of the set?

[onlinecop]

An onion bulb is called a 'set'. They look like miniature onions, about an inch tall.
If you plant one, it will first sprout narrow green leaves, then once established the bulb will start to swell to become a proper edible onion. In late summer, the leaves turn yellow and die off: the onion is now ready for harvesting.

If instead you were to leave that onion in the ground, the following year it would sprout a thick stalk (18 inches high) and a very pretty flowerhead -- a sphere of little stalks each with its own tiny flower. Once the seeds were ripe, the whole plant would die.

The only members of the onion family that have sets which split and create multiple offshoots are shallots, where each bulb is separate by the time it's ripe, and garlic, where all the offshoots are joined at the root.

Hope this answers your question

[Maximillian]

Don't overwater them or they'll rot

[onlinecop]

one bulb = one onion plant.(you just get an onion from the bulb. When you dig it up to eat it that's the end of that bulb)
the only plant of the onion family that splits is the shallot.
put in a shallot bulb and this splits and produces multiple bulbs. thats the only one
the original bulb is actually called an onion "set"..

Ordinary onions propogate mainly by seed
shallot onions propogate by bulb divison and seed
welsh onions propogate by producing bulblets and seed

[teakdesk]

I am afraid that I have planted them a little too deep about 2 inches below the soil.

Yes, they are a little too deep; they are recommended to be like the photo here.

You may find this interesting reading.

Royal Horticultural Society - Advice: Planting Onion Sets, Shallots and Garlic

If you don't overwater and your soil isn't too heavy you will probably still get a crop.

[terrier]

I plant them deep enough to bury the set so the birds can't see them to pull them out, as they start to swell I scrape away the soil around the onion to help it along a bit, although at two inches deep, I think that's a bit excessive If they've started to develop a good root system, I would leave them be for now.

[sewer rat]

I would agree that 2" is probably a bit deep but if they have grown as well as you say, I wouldn't be tempted to do anything about it - they should haul themselves up a bit when they start to swell. As for being soft - nothing to worry about.

[Edwardo82]

Thank you so much everyone!

The soil that I planted them in is very soft and I found it extremely easy to scrape away to reveal the blub. Furthermore the ones I lifted do have a nice lot of root growth. I have not been watering them either through fear of over doing it. We have had a nice few spells of rain and the drainage in my raised bed seems to be working well.

Perhaps if I took a photo or two of ones that I lifted you guys could check it out for me please

Well thanks again, its hugely appreciated and if you do not mind I will pop a couple of pictures on here too.

[Edwardo82]

Teakdesk, thanks for the link it was also very helpful.

[Pumpkin Becki]

I feared I had lost all my autumn sewn onion sets last spring which were doing just what you describe, so I asked on here, and it was explained to me that the bulb is used as a storage device, and when the leaves start to grow, the plant uses that stored energy to support the top growth. By then the roots will have developed and photosynthesis will have kicked in, and the bulb can then rebuild itself and start to swell.

We did lose a few onions, but overall it was quite a respectable harvest.