Planting Onion Sets

[eskymo]

Hi there all

It's my Birthday today and my partner bought me two packs of Onion Sets - Red Baron and Turbo [white] for Summer harversting. However the instructions on the pack are very vague!

I'm going to build a coldframe at the w/e and so can I plant them out straight away or should I wait a little longer. Also how do you plant them? I'm not sure whether you leave them on top of the soil or bury them?

Any advice on this is more that welcome as I've never used onion sets before.

Thanks

[sewer rat]

Onion sets

Hi Eskymo
First off, Happy Birthday.
As for your presents, they are usually planted a little later into trheir growing positions, but can be started earlier - in Feb - if you put them in small pots of compost and put in a greenhouse - or - taa daa - a cold frame for planting out at a later date.
You plant the sets so that just the tip of the set is showing above ground.
Good Luck
Rat

[Nicos]

I have heard that they can be planted with 1/2 above ground , but as you are 'up North' I would follow sewer rat's advice.
We always start ours off in trays in the green house -just so the heels are in the soil- so they can start rooting. Once they have a decent root system , they tend to be ready to plant out (well that's the case in cheshire but I suppose you will need local advice on that!!) again I would wait a few more weeks ! Happy birthday by-the-way!-have fun .

[eskymo]

Hi there

Being self employed, I'm unfortunately having to work today, even though it's my birthday, to meet a deadline tomorrow, but managed to take some of the day off to relax!

Thanks for all the tips regarding the onion sets. I'll plant some of them out into the cold frame at the beginning of Feb - that gives me extra lee-way on when to make it as I might not have time this w/e as we're off to the Dog rescue place to see a border collie - possibly my other birthday pressie if I like her. I can't wait!

I'll also plant some in pots and put them in the grow-house and see how they get on too.

Thanks

e

[Lesley Jay]

I plant my onion sets so that a bit of the shoulder and the tip is showing above ground. The birds are a pain because they keep taking them out. With over winter onions I plant them just below the surface of the soil.

[poultrychat]

I have put fleece over my autumn onions to try and stop the birds so instead they are going for my garlic

[Acorn]

A good way of stopping the birds from pulling your onions or shallots is by putting some sticks at the end of each row and tying some strong black cotton to them. Or if you plant them in a block like I did, you can put the sticks along two opposite sides and do a criss-cross pattern with the cotton. I also hang old cds on the sticks to make sure... That will stop'em!