Onions.... are they worth growing?

[COMPOST CORNER]

This is my first year growing onions, and I'm beginning to wonder if they are worth the land they take up for the time they do?
Onions are cheap to buy and always plentiful.
I use loads of onions in my cooking so could not grow enough to store without using loads of my available space.
Also the other reasons I grow veg (freshness, better taste etc.) don't seem to apply to onions.
I have enjoyed watching them grow from the sets planted in March, but I enjoy watching everything grow.
I have just bought a pack of Hi-keeper seeds to plant for overwintering, but really don't know now if the are worth the time.
So the question is, what reason, if any, is there to grow my own onions?

[PAULW]

CC
You enjoyed growing them from sets the next step is to grow them from seed maybe try growing the huge onions and at least you know what if any chemicals and sprays you have used can you say that about the cheap supermarket onions.

[Flobalob]

It would not bother me to buy my veg. It would however leave a big gap in my life if I never grew veg again.
I grow because i enjoy it.

[SarzWix]

Onions are one of those things that are space dependent I think. Along with maincrop potatoes and carrots. If you're short on space, they are the things that are availavle relatively cheaply, even organic ones. I think it's worth setting aside a little bit of space for carrots - the small ones really do taste more carrotty than supermarket ones but once they've been stored they start losing their flavour.
Maybe with the onions, you could use your space to sow lots of the small brown ones used for pickling, but they are also delicious used whole in casseroles etc., or for more difficult to buy types like the Long red Florence, and different types of shallots?

[Lovage]

I tend to agree with you - I no longer grow onions, maincrop potatoes or white cabbages as they can all be bought cheaply.
Instead I grow a wider range of veg and fruit, especially the higher value, that which does not keep long and benefits from being fresh and the unusual.
As a result I think I get much more value from my plot

[Flobalob]

I have had a good return on spuds & carrots for very small output of space. Spuds were grown in bags,carrots in containers.

[Hazel at the Hill]

Although onions are cheap in the shops and take up a lot of room, I grow overwintering onions as the bed wouldn't be doing anything else, so I might as well.

[Rocketron]

Although onions are cheap in the shops and take up a lot of room, I grow overwintering onions as the bed wouldn't be doing anything else, so I might as well.

Exactly our reasoning, Hazel. we have a small garden to grow in and have to cram in as much as possible. We went for Autumn sown (50 of three different types) and have managed to grow other stuff around them when necessary. the big plus is that when you harvest them you now have extra space for successionally sown beans etc.

[JILLY JACKSON]

I have to say that for the first time ,i've grown onions and they do taste much nicer than any i have had before.The mistake i made was working out how many we normally ate ,of course we used four times as many!So i for one will be growing lots of onions in the future and as the garlic was such a success, that too.Leeks will also be a priority.Well done you lot,its your advice i've taken

[Snadger]

......................Maybe with the onions, you could use your space to sow lots of the small brown ones used for pickling, but they are also delicious used whole in casseroles etc., or for more difficult to buy types like the Long red Florence, and different types of shallots?

Couldn't agree more Sarz.............there are thousands of varieties of onions and shallots out there, a lot of them with very distinctive and enjoyable tastes.
Why limit yourself to growing the boring varieties from sets.......get the seed catalogues out and start experimenting!

You know it makes sense!

[butter fingers]

i really think it is worth the effort if u have an allotment to grow enough to make it worth it.all they need is a bit of weeding and u are not dependent on size either. leeks as well cant not manage to grow them but again in the allotment. wouldnt bother with spring onions use small leeks,( also i nether seem to be able to grow them no matter what or how i try.)

[zazen999]

Only you know whether it is worth it or not....me - they are my favourite thing to grow so I grow lots. I have seen the price of onions creeping up; tescos were selling them 50p each in one of their 'express' shops [I didn't buy any but people must do]....but if it takes up too much space and time then it probably isn't worth it for you.

[COMPOST CORNER]

It's not taking time to care for them, they do that themselves apart from a bit of weeding, I just kept looking at the bed when I needed to put in other stuff.
I have dug out a fourth bed this year to put in sweetcorn and a couple of pumpkins.
I grow lots of leeks becaise they don't go in a bed until most other stuff is done (today after my beans and peas came out) so the time they are in he ground is when little else will be looking for space.
I will continue with garlic so I suppose from a rotation point of view, I may as well put in some onions too.
It's a quandary.
I don't grow to save money, although that is a bonus, and is getting to be more so every day. I just like to know that I have grown what my family are eating, it gives an enormous sense of achievement and wellbeing.

Onions are one of those things that are space dependent I think. Along with maincrop potatoes and carrots. If you're short on space, they are the things that are availavle relatively cheaply, even organic ones. I think it's worth setting aside a little bit of space for carrots - the small ones really do taste more carrotty than supermarket ones but once they've been stored they start losing their flavour.
Maybe with the onions, you could use your space to sow lots of the small brown ones used for pickling, but they are also delicious used whole in casseroles etc., or for more difficult to buy types like the Long red Florence, and different types of shallots?

Couldn't agree more Sarz.............there are thousands of varieties of onions and shallots out there, a lot of them with very distinctive and enjoyable tastes.
Why limit yourself to growing the boring varieties from sets.......get the seed catalogues out and start experimenting!

You know it makes sense!

So, overwintering onions, how do I go about it then? And do shallots from seed work as overwintering?

[Gwyndy]

The answer is that it depends why you are growing vegetables and fruit. If all you want to do is save money then concentrate on those items that are expensive to buy. I personally grow fruit and veg because I enjoy gardening and I enjoy the taste of home grown produce rather than the forced, flavourless alternatives sold in most of the supermarkets.

Onions - yes, I grow them. Why? I can try different varieties and I do believe that I get a better, stronger flavoured, onion than I can generally buy. (I have just made and frozen a large batch of onion bhajis - wonderful!!)

[SarzWix]

Over-wintering onions can be grown from seed or sets. Have a look on some of the seed merchant websites and see what you fancy. Shallots from seed are usually sown early in the year, I'm not sure if there are any over-wintering types.
Kings Seeds have quite a good range of onions from seed, Marshalls and Thompson & Morgan are worth a look too.