Onions. Worth it ?

[salome2001]

I have had two years of growing onions, both autumn and spring planted, and both "white" and red. I have got HUGE onions especially this year. I have always grown from sets. This year I grew Stuttgarter Giant and Red Karmen and many (not all) of them got to small grapefruit size. I didn't do anything except weed them, so either my luck is down to the varieties or I have good soil.

[Bill HH]

I have always grown red onions from sets and get a reasonable harvest. This year I tried growing from seed for the first time and thanks to the help and advice from the Vine but mainly AP did reasonably well.

I don't find spacing a real problem providing you give them what they need, a rich bed or if you grow in containers extra feed and of course water. The main thing I have learnt this year is that if you support the leaf structure you get a much better result to the extent all my onions and shallots will be supported next year.

Guess which of the three shallots was not supported.

Potty

Thats very interesting, but supporting 100 onion sets seems a bit daunting, what method do you use to support them? I have seen a vid on "allotment diary" where he grows onions for showing and supports each one with a wire frame, that seems a bit high on the faf factor. Also why does supporting them help? if the foilage falls I presume they stop growing.

[esbo]

Not had a lot of luck with mine really I have some small ones, I guess you would say half sized, half what you would expect, the onions themselves have been fine if you ignore the small size, far better quality than what I was getting from the shops, firmer flesh, sharper taste less watery.

I found many of he ones from the shops had problems, ie a bad layer in them generally loaw quality.


I think one problem is the onions are an after thought and the got last choice in choosing the best spot in the garden ie they got the more shaded places. Hence were a bit leggy.

[DannyRam]

I had a very poor onion year. I swear they were smaller than the sets I put in. I put it down to poor soil so the bed is covered in clover in the hope of better things.

[andy_j]

I wonder if sometimes you have to think a little "outside the box" so to speak. Ok so we can't control the weather but if a particular variety fails, why not try another. Try watering more/less, planting in rich soil, or poor soil if yours is rich, feeding with liquid feed when growing.....just a few things to change.

Don't give up though, home grown onions are delish.

[Potstubsdustbins]

Bill this year it was just wire loops on 2ft green garden canes. I only grow about 50/60 so its not much of a fuss for me to do it. I just provided support until the leaf structure was strong enough to withstand the wind I get round here. The other thing I have to take in to consideration is that growing so few I need to do my best to get good sized onions.

If you look carefully you can just make out the red wire loops.

Potty

[Inastate]

I haven't had much luck in the past but I wasn't really involved. Got a mixed bag of 50 sets from Wilkos this year and I'm adamant to make them work.

[Farmer_Gyles]

i've just picked up my winter onion sets - 50 senshyu, 50 radar, 50 troy, 100 electric - will get them started next week .....