When d ya reckon................

[Snadger]

.............is the best time to plant your japanese onion sets?

Does planting early indoors in trays give bigger onions or does it just make for softer growth and more chance of bolting?

Answers on a post card..............

[Farmer_Gyles]

i normally start all onion sets in 2in pots .... starting the winter ones this week .... will pull up the summer onions by the end of the month, quick dig over, then plant out the winter onions .... it just gives them a head start against the weeds .....
likewise in spring, i'll start the summer onions in small pots and will plant them out when the winter onions come up ....
no idea if it causes bolting or anything, but i normally get decent onions ....

[zazen999]

I put some in today at one of my schools.

Will be doing my own next weekend.

[Pies]

straight out ,any time now but i wait until october as i dont want them too big

[rustylady]

Just got mine today, a pack of red and a pack of yellow. Ever the optimist they will be started in celltrays tomorrow and planted out as soon as they show decent root / shoot development.

I am hoping it was the freaky weather this year that caused all my overwintering onions to bolt and that it doesn't happen again.

[Florence Fennel]

Me too RL, lots bolted this year, but I've sliced and frozen them. I shall be putting some in modules next weekend as usual to go in beds, but I put some yellow ones directly into a growbed yesterday to see how they do.

[Alison]

October for me Seems to work well.

[VirginVegGrower]

I normally plant in modules purely to give some root to them before I plant on the lotty. I've fooled myself into thinking it stops the birds being able to get hold of them as much as if they hadn't any root system. I also figure they get a decent start and it enables me to weed out any duffers before I give them lotty space. I will however be putting some direct into the poly this year, now I've got one, I might as well use it. I start in October too.
Wilkos have shallot and onion sets in BTW to all who are waiting for theirs. I didn't bother but I did notice them.

[Tripmeup]

October and straight into the ground (with a pinch of BFBM) for me..

[Kaiya]

Last year I started them in modules in October, and the put them out with a pitiful mulch of grass and oak leaves in November. I like to start everything (even sets) off at home as they are really on their own when they go out, and the soil can be a bit cold and hard. This year I'm just going to pop them clustered together on the surface of a tray of MCP rather than use modules as I hear that's all they need to start rooting.

[binley100]

ermm when I've made space ..........also not too soon cos I have to think about the allium leaf miner ,

[lottie dolly]

As you wished,1 postcard,

[veggiechicken]

As you wished,1 postcard,

That has to be the best answer - maybe ever

[horticultural_hobbit]

As soon as the postman sticks them through the door. Which I do hope is soon. Though I might have wait in line as people who ordered them last year get them first my notebook says I planted them direct on the 10th October last year. So will probably be around then.

[Pinfold Plotter]

I put half of mine in last weekend, and the other half will go in next weekend. It's my first year over wintering onions. This year's entire (spring planted) harvest went into 1 jam jar of onion marmalade, so I am hoping to do a little better next year.