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Funny, but I was asking myself this same question today. Is it worth growing onions when I can get a bag full for 99p. Like snadger says, there's loads of interesting varieties to try and you can always grow small amounts in containers if space is limited. I've been well pleased with the container grown onions this year and I'll be trying more varieties next year. Some are almost as hot as chillies and quite unlike the watery things you get from supermarkets. I still buy some cooking onions from the shops but only because the flavour gets lost anyway if you you stick them in a stew.
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I made onion sauce with my own onions yesterday and I noticed a difference immediately in the taste and in the whiteness of the sauce. Definitely will be growing onions again - I'm going to give the seed a try as I grew from sets this time. I'm not sure I'll bother with red onions, they didn't grow much bigger than golf balls.Granny on the Game in SheffieldComment
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You might want to look at Hyred F1 they are more tennis ball in size and taste lovely Onion : Hyred F1 (Onions, Garlic and Potatoes)Originally posted by Florence Fennel View PostComment
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I grew over-wintered Red Cross and most of them have come out huge - bigger than tennis ball! All of my spring grown red sets have gone to seed though
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Although my growing space is limited onions are the basis for a lot of the meals I cook so I like to grow them. While they are little I grow other stuff inbetween, lettuce, beetroots etc.Comment
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There's no one size fits all answer to this question. If you're limited in space and know what you'd replace then its easy - grow the other crop. Otherwise I think its worthwhile especially if you grow from seed. This year I've grown Alisa Craig and one packet has produced 150 tennis ball+ onions in one and a half of my nine beds. Even with the compost cost this is very cheap. These will keep me and family going for a long time.
I'd defer from growing sets following experince last year. The final crop were very small and I lost a lot on the way. I'd definitely go with seeds and its great to watch the transformation through the year.Comment
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I grew onions for the first time this year, over wintered from sets. They were red but can't remember which variety. Have to say they grew enourmous and were beautiful! I was so proud I took photo's and didn't want to dig them up, but needed space. I def think they tasted better raw, used fresh in salads were completely different to shop bought. Will do every year now.
Have to say never bother with potatos. Did a few in a bucket this year but I really don't have the space. Always do carrots too but they are def worth it for the flavour. And me and the kids love the comedy shapes we get!Comment
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Most of the basic veg items are not cost effective, but then not everyone is growing purely for financial gain. I doubt if my family consume one tenth of what I grow and I am continually spending money on what is my hobby and pastime. It would probably cost me half as much to go and buy all my fruit and veg but what fun is there in that. I grow over winter and spring grown onions and have never had an over the moon harvest. But I will continue to grow them. I am thinking of sowing some overwinter seeds this week.
IanComment
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From reading the replies it is really a matter of why we grow them. I would say if you have an allotment or even half an allotment or lucky enough to have a good veg patch in the garden then onions are great to grow especially the unusual varieties. If, like many, the veg patch is an eeked out bit of earth from the main garden I would suggest that onions are not worth using the space for and, I agree with you even though I garden for the pure joy of it that onions are still pretty darn cheap in the shops!
From my experience this year (I only have a relatively small patch) I would recommend shallots - I've just dug my Eschalons Grise (sp) and I have about 2-3kg of them. The onions I grew were Red Baron and they bolted way back in June so not worth the space.
I'm going to try winter onions as I will have space and I hate a bare patch.RtB xComment
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I just love onions so I sowed some more lilia today. Emptied a big square tub of dwarf beans and didn't like the look of the empty space so I forked in some BF&B, chucked a bit of fresh compost mixed with sand on top and scattered the seed. Currently have 5 tubs of onions in assorted stages of growth and have been picking them since early May. My maincrops were a disaster this year but last year a couple of rows gave us a supply from August to December. I would say grow what you enjoy eating and forget the cost.Comment
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Try long red florence (aka Simiane ) I cluster-planted the seeds in modules and stuck them out in March... although they're not huge I have a lot of them for little effort.... if you want a big red onion try Robinsons Red Mammoth... sow seeds in modules in December/january, plantr out in March.... alternately if you just want some enormous onions, try KelsaeOriginally posted by Florence Fennel View Post
chriscComment
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I grew red onions from sets this year just to try them as they were more expensive in the shops and they're great. Just sow spring onions otherwise as I use them alot. I have also grown italian rose onions which are tasty. Thought I'd grow shallots as also dear in the shops.Comment
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I've grown loads more onions this year having made the big move from sets to seeds. As I now have a great many onions, I find I eat far more than I would if I bought them from the shop. So far I've made three jars of pickled onions, made 20 portions of onion marmelade, onion tarte tatin, onion quiche and will be making a big batch of onion soup for the freezer. That's what I like about allotment gardening, it makes you eat more veg and more varieties of different veg! And they taste good too.
I agree if you have a small amount of space it's a difficult decision but on an allotment there's always room for onions...
SueComment
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