Planning autumn onions and shallot sets and garlic

[Littlefox2000]

Hi everyone,

I'm after a bit of planning advice for planting autumn onions and shallot sets and garlic. I had a bit of a disastrous go last year, as all my sets and cloves ended up under 3 foot of water from December to early March and I lost almost everything. A stray couple of rows of garlic survived but haven't done particularly well, but are still nice fried up, but haven't split into cloves and won't last long.

I have a great crop of spring planted shallots which are currently dying back, but I'm now thinking about September/ October. I'm trying to work out where is best to plant my next autumn crops. I am thinking I can use my current bean bed, as they will be over by roughly then and it shouldn't flood. I'm just wondering when autumn planted onion and shallot sets and garlic crop. I've read on here that onions have a set growing time...is it easy to plan roughly when they will crop?

If I use one or some of my prime beds, will I be able to use them after I harvest, for tender summer crops like courgettes or sweet corn. I'm just trying to thinking about timings.

Thanks,
LF


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[roitelet]

I don't do well with autumn planted onions but plant garlic and shallots on the shortest day and harvest them on the longest day. So they need 6months growing time if that is any help.

[Bex]

I thought whether you planted autumn or spring the cropping time is now,July/August but happy to be proved wrong.


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[Deano's "Diggin It"]

Littlefox! my own personnel opinion!

tried em for the last 2 years! Total waste of time n space, in my opinion! the spring sown sets doubled them n size, n needed no help from me!

sorry! apart from "Garlic" which needs a "Snap" of cold to do it's bit!

[Alison]

I thought whether you planted autumn or spring the cropping time is now,July/August but happy to be proved wrong.

Don't know about garlic as only grown the autumn planted stuff for years but the whole point of growing overwintering onions to me is that they are ready about the time that the previous main crop ones which I've been storing are about finished. The spring sown ones then take over about the time I've eaten the earlier ones. This may be vary depending on the variety but certainly what I've always found with each type I've grown.

[greenishfing]

Don't know about garlic as only grown the autumn planted stuff for years but the whole point of growing overwintering onions to me is that they are ready about the time that the previous main crop ones which I've been storing are about finished. The spring sown ones then take over about the time I've eaten the earlier ones. This may be vary depending on the variety but certainly what I've always found with each type I've grown.

Same for me. I don't plant too many in Autumn but I start pulling them when they are small as soon as I run out of the stored Spring planted ones. I haven't bought an onion for years.

I usually plant garlic in December, but generally come February decide there won't be enough and plant more. That all tends to be ready at the same time, but if I've run out I'll pick some green.

[Greenleaves]

I never get huge onions, autumn or spring planted, but have read plenty and taken advice from grapes, it would appear that soil prep and free drainage is key for autumn planting. The general consensus is that as the soil is wetter over winter it is colder and this can hold back growth. I have no idea if this will make a difference but what I plan to try this year.

[Bex]

Don't know about garlic as only grown the autumn planted stuff for years but the whole point of growing overwintering onions to me is that they are ready about the time that the previous main crop ones which I've been storing are about finished. The spring sown ones then take over about the time I've eaten the earlier ones. This may be vary depending on the variety but certainly what I've always found with each type I've grown.

I was going by the growing calendars in seed catalogues, says autumn planted are still ready July same as spring planted.


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[Alison]

I was going by the growing calendars in seed catalogues, says autumn planted are still ready July same as spring planted.

My main crop ones aren't usually ready for harvesting until mid August at the earliest, this year has been a bit odd in that they're already finished. Maybe there is less difference further south, never grown much elsewhere so don't really know.

[Bex]

This year has been an odd year. I wish I had the room to be self sufficient as we eat loads of both onions and garlic.


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[Littlefox2000]

Thanks everyone for your advice. This has been so helpful...as I was under the impression that the autumn ones were ready before the spring planted ones. I think I really need to check my whole plot for rotation and sort out my bed plan for 2015. That way I can make sure I give anything that needs overwintering a non-flooding spot.

I'm defo going to give autumn planting a go, and plant spring sets and bulbs too. I've seen from lots of posts on here that each year can give mixed results.


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[lyndapet]

don't forget you can also grow onions in pots if there is a danger of flooding


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