Why have some onion sets not grown at all

[ugley_matt]

Planted out about 30 onion sets and while some are now tennis ball size ones next to them have barely grown at all. Why would this be?

[zazen999]

Rain for most of the summer rather than sun?

[Farmer_Gyles]

i put it down to "just what happens" ... i always have some that fail .... i find that packs of onion sets always have more than the packet states and that there are always some that don't grow .... so if we buy a pack of 50, we should still get about 50 that grow .... i think that's fair enough!

[arpoet]

Out of a Kilo of sets planted that i bought loose from the lottie shop, i will be able to harvest about ZERO!
Not a sign of spring onions or carrots or snips either.....
Yes, one of those years.
Roger

[zazen999]

I have to say though - my onions this year were fab. Both the overwintered ones and the potato onions that I put in after the HSL swap at Potato Day that went in april time. My onions from seed have only been good where they were grown in the Gertrude Franck bed - all the others were mullered by slugs before they could get going. I hope to soon be harvesting my lovely Long Red Florences once they are all bulked up. Wahoo!

Good old Gert!

[Alison]

Go on, what's a potato onion?

[zazen999]

Potato onion - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[nellie-m]

While she's mentioned, good old Gertrud (love her) says that the onions you set shouldn't be larger than a hazelnut - all bigger ones would best go straight to the kitchen. Perhaps it was the large ones that didn't do so well? Just a guess.

[Two_Sheds]

I've had a mixed batch with onions this year: half have been super duper, the other half have either not grown at all or have got white rot

[SlugLobber]

I just don't think it's been a good onion year. I always do ok with onions, despite neglecting them a bit, but this year at least 50% tried to flower. I don't think any got to full size!

[zazen999]

While she's mentioned, good old Gertrud (love her) says that the onions you set shouldn't be larger than a hazelnut - all bigger ones would best go straight to the kitchen. Perhaps it was the large ones that didn't do so well? Just a guess.

Yup, eat the big ones and replant the little ones.

[pauco]

It's been a total sh*t year for Onions& Toms this year for me
Just not enough of the sunshine we should be getting.


paul.

[Aberdeenplotter]

It's been a total sh*t year for Onions& Toms this year for me
Just not enough of the sunshine we should be getting.


paul.

Same here, show varieties included. I'm usually self sufficient in onions till at least the end of February. I won't get to xmas this year.

[horticultural_hobbit]

I'm not going to complain. Have had big ones, small ones, not quite as big as you 'ead. But a fair few of them; and they've all gone into edible stuff. Though it was over wintering ones, and not the spring planted stuff that worked. I think I harvested too early anyway.