Onions from seed

[reetnproper]

Ok, about to show my lamentable lack of gardening knowledge again (but I'm less knowledgeable this year than last - I think ).

Last year, I decided to try growing maincrop onions from seed. I sowed Ailsa Craigs and they grew pretty well (I think) and were about the size of small shallots by the time they died back.

For the last few weeks they appear to have been re-growing nicely, with brown skinned, bulbous bottoms. However, this morning I had a gentle feel of one and there seems to be nothing but air under the brown skin, as it crumpled in on itself . A cautious feel of another onion yielded the same response.

So my question is: Is this normal and the bulb will regrow/swell OR has the crop rotted away and needs pulling up?

Thanks, in advance, for your advice.
Reet
x

[zazen999]

So these are last year's onions from seed?

They will either be rotten or will come back and grow flower stalks; Alliums flower in their second and subsequent years. If we are talking about onions grown from seeds sown last spring.

I'd grab some onion sets, and get them in the ground in the next few weeks; and try a handful from seed fresh this year and see what you get.

I'd recommend a good organic root veg feed when you prepare the soil and get it to a fine tilth so that it is easier to weed when you put them in.

[Ailsa Craig; try Bedfordshire Champion as they are more suited to the Midlands area].

[Two_Sheds]

I'm still a bit sleepy and I don't understand.
When did you plant your Ailsa Craigs? In the autumn?

Were they seed or sets?

[reetnproper]

They were seeds and I sowed them last April. (Oh and good morning)

[zazen999]

Aah, April is too late for onions from seed.

I sow mine in December and Jan. By April they should be in the ground and thickening up.

Get rid; they will be no good to anyone; and put some sets in.

Next year - await the 'Allium Thread' on here after Christmas and follow that!

Sow indoors Dec/Jan
As soon as germinated, get outside into coldframe/greenhouse
Plant out Mid March/April
Harvest when they die back.

All the ones that don't bulb up for me come the end of the season get put into the greenhouse and grown all winter. I'm just starting to harvest some now.

[reetnproper]

Thought as much. Many thanks for that. Live and learn (sigh) .

Of course that now means I get to buy more things . Wilkos tomorrow I reckon.

Reet
x

[gillian62]

I have got some onion sets, so expect will need to get them planted out soon.

I was debating growing on shallot sets, anyone grown them, and what is the success?

[gojiberry]

Shallots should have been planted on the 21st of Dec to be harvested on the 21st of June ( that is the theory). If you get your shallots in now you should get a crop though they need a certain amount of cold (like garlic) to help them split into multi bulbs. Onions can go in anytime now although a few grapes will reccomend holding back a few weeks to reduce the chances of the onions going to seed.

Ian

[chriscross1966]

April is really a bit late for maincrop onions from seed, but the right sort of time for pickling onions, which is what you got by the sounds of things. .... If you start seeds off now under cover, pot on once and plant out in May you'll get a decent crop of smallish maincrops, possibly bigger if the weather lends a hand and your soil is very rich... I'd go for sets for this year... if you've got green tops on you Aisla's from last year they can be used for salads, garnishes, stirfries etc, anything that works with green onions/scallions really... shallot sets, apart from a tiny number of specialist spring-sowing ones need to go in several months ago.... There's a few seed grown ones too, I'm trying Prisma (I think) this year, though I've also got some sets in and somewhere in the wacky alliums patch I've got some potato onions which are similar to shallots but not the same.....

AC's can be a bit cranky to grow (learnt that the hard way) and certainly on my site are a bit variable, I'd throw Rjinnsburger and Sturon in as potential maincrops, and if you like em big then give Kelsae a go, but they are definitely a start in midwinter under glass job.. For pickling both late-sown AC's and Sturon are good cos they're quite hard, but you're probably better with a specialist pickling variety like SY300, Giant Zittau, Barletta, or Borretana. Long Red Florence cluster-sown 5-8 to a module now and planted out at 6-8" gaps in a month should give a good crop of small bulbs that are great for slicing in salads as well as normal culinary use (treat as shallots)

chrisc

[Two_Sheds]

Shallots should have been planted on the 21st of Dec ... they need a certain amount of cold (like garlic) to help them split into multi bulbs.

I don't think I've ever planted my shallot sets before March (I don't like gardening in the cold) and my shallots have always given a good crop

[cupcake]

I put my shallots in last week. I had a wonderfull crop last year and have done twice as many this time. SO easy! And save you a fortune buying them!