Onion Plug Plants

[Samurailord]

I am just about to plant on a pack of Winter Onion plugs that I bought from Aldi today (£1.99 for 15), but I have a question.

Most of the plugs have more than one miniature onion growing in them - do I attempt to separate them when I plant into cells for growing on, or do I plant the whole lot in a single cell?

[Florence Fennel]

I've never seen onion plugs SL (but then I don't get out much), but I would imagine each green shoot is an onion, so if you are able to, I'd split them into separate cells. What variety are they, does it say?

[Samurailord]

Hi Florence

The variety is 'Tuffball'

I have put a pic of the plugs so you can see what I mean.



Each cell is just about 2cm square, and tapers to a point 3cm deep



I hope this makes it a bit clearer.

Andy

[zazen999]

I was going to say '£1.99 for 15 onions ' but I can see you have alot more there than 15 onions. Yes, separate them and give them about 3 inches between each if you can and keep your fingers crossed that they bulk out.

[Florence Fennel]

They're a lot bigger than I thought they'd be Andy, so be very careful when you separate them and like Zaz says, keep your fingers crossed that they bulk out. You'd have had a better chance if they had been more at the seedling stage. Good luck!

[Samurailord]

I can see you have alot more there than 15 onions.

Yes Zaz, I have counted 66 onions, and there may be even more. I will know better when I have got them all into their individual modules.

I think I will have to make another trip to the shops tomorrow - I seriously underestimated how many trays I would need

be very careful when you separate them

They are really easy to separate, the plugs almost fall apart by themselves they I took them out, and each little onion has a nice, well defined root structure. I am hoping that they do well for me this year.

Andy

[Florence Fennel]

Sounds like a good buy Andy

[Samurailord]

I really hope so Florence, but if not it was only £2 and a bit of time wasted.

[Two_Sheds]

Is it a bit late in the season to be planting onion sets? I thought they put all their growth on before the middle of June?

* happy to stand corrected

[Paulottie]

Not sure either TS....'Winter Onions'....? ....are these to overwinter?....in which case surely a bit early then? planted now I imagine they will bolt...but hey, give it a go.

[Samurailord]

Is it a bit late in the season to be planting onion sets?

These aren't sets, TS, they look like onions grown from seed. There is a pic of the plugs above.

'Winter Onions'....? ....are these to overwinter?.

According to the packaging they should be ready from September onwards, which I suppose is nearly winter.

Then again, if the weather we have been having is anything to go by we will either be under two feet of snow or in the middle of a heatwave by then!

Andy

[Paulottie]

No then, they are not overwintering ones...you've got some seed that has been pinched into each module....bit late, but give em a go....should be fine.

[Samurailord]

With the weather we have been having here recently I guess that anything is worth a try!

Andy

[Andromeda]

Oh Lord, Aldi have onions as well?

I've already been the recipient of PSB, winter cauli and leeks from aldi (courtesy of my Aunt)...do they have anything else?

[lukens]

The Golden Bear onions I sowed in spring are only about that big still, the Long Red Florence are even smaller (but can be used as spring onions too, so not a huge problem).

I think you could have planted them out in the groups, just with extra spacing between the groups, and they should push apart as they bulb up. At least one of my books mentions growing onions this way, and I saw a thread on it on some forum. I've seen it called multi-seeding or multi-planting, it can also be done with beetroot (which I'm trying), round carrots, and a few other round roots/bulbs. I plan to try it with my next lot of Florence.