Risk life and limb for my onions

[Jimmy]

Many years ago at my old house I used to love growing Onions.
The veg plot on the current house has never grown them succesfully. I suspect it's got onion eelworm as they always grow distorted. Same for leeks.

Was in Wilkinsons a few days ago and couldn't resist a bag of red onion sets.

As I am getting older now and more curmudgeonly I tend to ignore directives from "the higher power".

Consequently this year I plan to try the sets in the front flower border.

Unfortunatly this is the one in full view of the main window, so I might be in for a few criticisms and possibly life threatening events.

Do you think it's worth the risk of
a) Still getting eelworm.
b) More serious afflictions.

Jimmy

[zazen999]

Have a read here:

Allotments-uk Forum - Onion eelworm

Start them off in a seed tray of bought compost while you look into methods of getting rid...

[sarraceniac]

Just tell the neighbours that you bought them as alium seed and thought they were the flowering type.

[stella]

Just so long as you manage to keep them in your front garden. I remember an episode in The Good Life once someone started to help themselves to produce grown in the front garden.

[tiachica]

Just put enough flowers around them to disguise them ;-)

[Jimmy]

Just put enough flowers around them to disguise them ;-)

And why ?
Stupid flowers !

[tiachica]

And why ?
Stupid flowers !

Borage? Sage? Lavender? Nusturtiums? Calendula? Carnations? Clover? cornflowers? Fuchsias?

all edible ;-)

[tiachica]

Look here:

Edible Flowers, How to choose Edible Flowers, Edible Flower Chart, List of Edible Flowers, Incredible Edible Flowers

[Lazgaot]

I don't know anything about onion eel worm, but how about building a proper raised bed on short stilts so it was off the ground? Or simply using windows boxes on bricks and filling them with compost you know is safe and eel worm free?

[FionaH]

And why ?
Stupid flowers !

Let a couple go to seed and flower, this should distract from the other ones

[zazen999]

And why ?
Stupid flowers !

If you read my link, it will tell you which flowers actively repel eelworm

[jayjay giant]

Just plant them in the flower bed. The borders under my bay window were full of lettuce last year and when the hens run out of grass round the back I put them on the front for a couple of hours a day !
Great for egg sales and !
I am thinking of planting the front up with potatoes this year too.

[Sanjo]

Well, I can't plant up the beds with spuds, but what I am going to do is grow some in large containers (with the OH's permission of course!)
He did initially worry that the neighbours would think we were unhinged but has now come round to my way of thinking. They will be in reasonably attractive pots and once the greenery shows should just look like other plants.
It is now the only spare bit of land we have that gets any sunshine at all, what with the neighbours trees causing shade.
OH has gone from worrying about the look of it to suggesting that we'll loose them to "poachers"!!

[Snadger]

Why not grow them in large ontainers with new compost?

Bladdy eckerslike...........I've just realised a MOM banner has appeared at the top of my thread............where did that come from?

[zazen999]

Erm, because you're MOM this month?

Pay 'tention!!!