Wilkinson onions now 10p

[Dottie]

10p for a bag of 100 onions bulbs, but will they grow if planted out now?

[Two_Sheds]

Not much, no

[Dottie]

Not much, no

Yep didn't think so, so didn't buy any.

Thanks

[Jameslovell]

I picked up four packs yesterday, but they were 20p. Feel cheated now!

There are somewhere cool and dark at the moment. I chose ones which weren't shooting, so fingers crossed they wont start growing. Hope that they will be ok for a few more months until I can stick them in some modules to start them off for autumn planting. If they don't work, then it's only 80p wasted.

[zazen999]

You can put them in soil, put a cloche over them and keep your fingers crossed; they might not much now but for 10p you might get some smallish ones next spring before they bolt.

[Dottie]

You can put them in soil, put a cloche over them and keep your fingers crossed; they might not much now but for 10p you might get some smallish ones next spring before they bolt.

Bolt. What's the flower like of a white onion?

I let my elephant garlic flower every year for the lovely pink blooms and still get plenty of cloves.

Also if I decide to have a display of flowering onions, when in spring would they flower? If left in the ground after flowering, would they flower again the following year or would I need to dig them up? If the flower is nice, I thinking of putting some along the fence path with my other perennials flowers.

Mind you if I decide not to have 100 onion flowers and plant half up in a bed for eating, will they be like large spring onions? I'd be happy with an early spring onion and always happy to early blooms.

I have chive plants at the end of each row of beds, just for the flowers really.

[zazen999]

Bolt. What's the flower like of a white onion?

I let my elephant garlic flower every year for the lovely pink blooms and still get plenty of cloves.

Also if I decide to have a display of flowering onions, when in spring would they flower? If left in the ground after flowering, would they flower again the following year or would I need to dig them up? If the flower is nice, I thinking of putting some along the fence path with my other perennials flowers.

Mind you if I decide not to have 100 onion flowers and plant half up in a bed for eating, will they be like large spring onions? I'd be happy with an early spring onion and always happy to early blooms.

I have chive plants at the end of each row of beds, just for the flowers really.

I let many of my alliums flower; garlics, leeks, onions etc but once they have you get a hard centre down the middle and after a bit it becomes hard and inedible.....

[Dottie]

I let many of my alliums flower; garlics, leeks, onions etc but once they have you get a hard centre down the middle and after a bit it becomes hard and inedible.....

But if I plant them up as flowers, rather than for eating. Can they be left in the ground to flower in future years.

[zazen999]

But if I plant them up as flowers, rather than for eating. Can they be left in the ground to flower in future years.

Possibly, they might rot [and wilkos onions often do anyway - which is why I recommend a cloche].

[Jameslovell]

Silly question time: How will a cloche stop them rotting?

[Dottie]

Possibly, they might rot [and wilkos onions often do anyway - which is why I recommend a cloche].

Ok, I've lost interest in buying cheap onions that might not flower.

But as your the expert of alliums, if I plant up a few of my elephant garlic cloves (Nov) along my flower path on the lottie. Can they be left in the ground without the fear of rotting, in order to flower every year?

[Dottie]

I've just googled for info/photo's of onions and the result is:

Allium or FLowering Onions are grown for their huge rounded flowers. The allium comes in a range of colors, purple, white, pink or yellow.

So my question is, which onion produces which colour flower? Is there a way to find out?

Obviously if I buy them as Allium flower bulbs then the pack will state, but if I want to choose onions to grow as onions and have some for flowering, is there a way to tell prior to waiting for them to flower?

[zazen999]

Silly question time: How will a cloche stop them rotting?

Cheap onions from wilkos might or might not produce onions late in this season or early in next; however they might rot or bolt. Ergo it was suggested that a cloche might help them to stop rotting [in the winter] or bolt [prevents them from the full all weather experience which makes them bolt in the spring].

I'd suggest if people want alliums for flowers they buy the alliums bred for flowers. If people want to chance their arm with cheap wilkos sets for eating, they cloche them come the autumn to try and prevent the above happening.

[zazen999]

If I plant up a few of my elephant garlic cloves (Nov) along my flower path on the lottie. Can they be left in the ground without the fear of rotting, in order to flower every year?

Possibly, I don't know if you have white rot in your soil, or what type of soil you have. But there's only one way to find out.....

I put all the garlics that don't bulb up all together in a corner and leave them there year on year and they flower for me every year. I have to dig them up this year though as they have pushed each other apart and thus some will have bulbed up now so they need to be looked at, and the smallest will go back in and the largest will get eaten.

I also let a fair few of my leeks flower each year, and have a permanent leek bed which I harvest the leeks but leave the roots, and these flower each year. But I save the seeds for the next year's leeks - but whilst they are flowering they make a lovely long display all summer.

There's no way anyone is going to be able to tell you carte blanche what will happen, just try it and see.

[DigginDebs]

I picked up a pack of onion bulbs last week from wilkinsons (mine were 31p) I put them straight into my front borders and a few empty pots, most have shoots already and I was feeling hopeful until I read this post :'( .......... I'm not likely to get any onions from them then ?