Over wintering onions

[Loudbarker1]

I'm consiering buying overwintering onions to go in after broad beans and/or new potatos. Can any one recomend varieteis to buy or avoid? I could try Radar, Snowball, Troy, Red Cross, Senshyu, and will try anything else that people think is good.

Also - how many onion sets to the kilo??


TIA

[Pies]

Senshyu are good as overwintering onions but its way to early to plant the sets.As to how many per kilo id estimate on around 200,dont forget smaller sets are less prone to bolting

[Two_Sheds]

Can any one recomend varieteis to buy or avoid?

Avoid Wilkinson sets (they gave me white rot)

Buy heat-treated sets if you can afford to, they're less prone to bolting, or grow from seed ~ you'll get more choice and they can be started next month

This year I had good results with Radar, so-so with Snowball, poor with Senshyu

I'm hoping to try Troy this year

[Pies]

TS when you start your overwintering onions from seed do you sow direct,or sow in modules.If you sow into modules when do you plant out,cheers

[Two_Sheds]

You best ask Zazen, she's the onion expert


Here's an earlier thread I just bumped: http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...tml#post869946

[Aberdeenplotter]

I grew Senshyu from sets overwinter once again this last time and apart from 3 which bolted and one so far which has succumbed to white rot, I'm happy with the crop. Not the best keeping onion though. Thinking about growing tasco next time from seed from a tasco I put down to seed earlier in the year. That is if I can get the seed off early enoughto have plants ready in time. Winter descended frighteningly quickly last back end.

[Newbie]

I have grown Radar for the last three years from sets overwintered, i've always had good results with large, healthy onions but they are not very good for storing over any length of time.

[chris]

realseeds have some cold hardy overwinter-erers

[chris]

Well, just bought some - so will give them a go and see (I've never grown onion from seed before). I hate visiting the real seeds website, if I don't order - my wishlist just grows even longer!

[Aberdeenplotter]

Well, just bought some - so will give them a go and see (I've never grown onion from seed before). I hate visiting the real seeds website, if I don't order - my wishlist just grows even longer!

Remember onions germinate at about 65 f

[chris]

Thanks.. I'd read they need a bit of heat to germinate, but the great thing about realseeds is the information they give you about growing the seeds.. I'll probably sow them in the greenhouse and transplant out - will see what they say!

[Shadylane]

I grew normal onions last autumn. I used red baron and some white ones that I can't remember. They weren't supposed to be winter hardy but they survived and we had it bad round here. The white ones were cloched but most of the reds weren't and they've done better. I sowed mine mid July I think, though Real Seeds say to sow no earlier than August 18th (??).

[Two_Sheds]

I've had Red Baron stand all winter too

[zazen999]

You best ask Zazen, she's the onion expert

Thanks!

Yes, Radar - all the way. I always get good results from Radar sets.

However it is possible to sow now and overwinter under cloches and get good early onions next year.

For sets, put in during Sept, cover and in the spring, loosen the soil round them, give them a feed and a water if it isn't already raining and they should bulk up nicely. For seeds, sow now and put in the soil Oct and follow the same destructions.

[horticultural_hobbit]

Was reading the August issue, and out flittered a Dobies catalogue. Went all wide eyed at being able to carry on growing onions after the current crop have done their thing. Top of my list amongst other things, as they have been mentioned so often. Those Senshyu jobbies....

...which remind me of my misspent youth where I watched Angel. There was a prophecy with a similar name. That's all we need, vampiric onions with a soul. I still watch Angel.....

Btw, has anyone else dabbled with Jamie Olivers' onion crate? The one with both onions and shallots. Trying to work out the window for which bit of July and August they can be pulled up in.