Pigletwillies Banana Shallot Seed update

[kittykat8]

shallots

planted on sunday some are starting to come through

marion

[WiZeR]

can I ask a silly question?

I sowed a tray of seeds and put them in a heated propagator about a week ago. I now have lots of green shoots about an inch long. What next? Do they need to be pricked out now? Should I have sowed them in root trainers or loo rolls?

[pigletwillie]

You need to prick them out (about 30 to a tray) when they are big enough to handle, probably when they are a couple of inches high. You can take them out of the propogator now or they will grow too quickly.

When they are of a size to plant out, put them about 6" apart between plants and rows.

[WiZeR]

Many thanks piglet. I think I was waiting for leaves to form but obviously that's not the case with onions

[smallblueplanet]

Yeehah! They've sprouted!!!!

[Protea]

Many thanks Pigletwillie - the seeds arrived yesterday! Bedfordshire is now on the banana shallot map!

I'll be sowing them on Saturday, along with my chillies. Need to get the propagator sorted out so that it balances on the window sill!

I'll let you all know how they go (looks like i'm a late starter!)

[WiZeR]

i sowed another tray today and i'll sow another tray next week. that should protect against silly mistakes

[Poledragon]

Protea, you aren't the latest - I've not even been out to the greenhouse yet. I'm going to start making a few paper pots tonight though, and then sow some shallots and Rijnsburger onions on Sunday or Monday which are apparently root planting days

[CityChick]

Add Milton Keynes to the map! I've kindly been sent some spares from SuperSprout. Thanks again SS! And thank you PigletWillie for starting it all!!

PW - do you do anything special to save the seed next year, other than just planting the shallots and harvesting the seeds? Some of the seed saving websites I've looked at make saving onion type seeds rather complicated with isolation cages and pollinators etc (Although I guess most peeps would remove any flowers from other onions growing, if they formed?)

And do you know if there is an ideal number of shallots to grow when hoping to save their seed, so as to keep them healthy and true to type?

[pigletwillie]

CityChick,

I am going to plant about a dozen bulbs as my seed crop this year. That will yield enough seed for myself and plenty of giveaways. With regard to other onions seeding, unless you have somebody very close growing onions for seed which is unlikely, I wouldnt bother to undertake any special measures. When your seed heads start to lighten in colour and dry out, just cut them off and put them somewhere warm and dry to finish drying. When they are dry, put them in a paper bag and scrunch them up to release the seeds. Winnow off the chaff and store in paper bag or airtight jar.

[sewer rat]

Hi PW
Intention is to clean and sterilise greenhouse this weekend, and plant your shallot seeds during the week. Have dedicated my greenhouse and the four raised beds in my back garden to the raising of your shallots this season as I will have more than enough room at my site for all my other veggies, so they will have plenty of TLC !

[CityChick]

Thank PW - that makes sense. Saving onion seed sounds easy now

[Fezinio]

Finally after my second attempt I got some seedlings popping their heads out.

About time too

[pigletwillie]

Tlc indeed rat, do you have enough seed as there is still some available?

[Bex]

Boo Hoo!! don't know what I did wrong but the first sowing did absolutely nothing only had a couple germinate. I am looking after these two. Just sowed another tray, on seed in each module, put in heated prop until germination the take heat away. As one seed per module I won't have to prick out saving time - hopefully.