Autumn Onion Sets Quandary

[Noosner]

Why, BM? Do tell!

[Bigmallly]

Because leeks have there own unique way of being transplanted, dib & drop. The roots are trimmed to ensure they lay on the soils surface & not just dangle in mid air.............makes perfect sense now I think about it...........and here was I thinking it was to make planting easier, that's just a coincidental bonus.

[Chris172]

Hi

I have for the past two years planted my over winter onions in a module tray.

The tray is from a bedding plant plug for summer bedding I was given from a gardener friend and it holds one hundred modules approximately 40mm square and have planted my onion sets into

wait until about 6 inches of growth and plant as a plug direct into the ground a bit deeper than a set so that they do not pop up and any pest does not lift them.

got to be honest have had a great crop and the sets are established with roots ina plug before planting out

happy gardening


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[Bill HH]

I did a bit of everything last year, some in 7 inch pots (one per pot) some in old supermarket delivery boxes (12 per box) some in large pots 5 per pot) some in open ground, of all those some stayed in the poly all winter and some went out from day one. The results were that there was little difference however they were treated. I did think the ones in the open ground were a little smaller, but then my soil is not the best.

[Bigmallly]

Cheers Bill, nice experiment.

[Snadger]

I've planted 100 up til now, 50 Senshyu and 50 reds, all outdoors but at a good spacing of roughly 9 inches each way.
I will probably get another 100 but may grow them indoors in greenhouse or under cold frames. The ones I grew in cold frames last year did really well and for the first time ever the red ones didn't run to seed!

Spring planted reds did though!

[Bill HH]

I think those grown indoors only do better because they are more likely to be planted in better soil / compost. They don't really need to grow much leaf, its all about establishing a good root system so they get off to a good start in the spring. unless of course you are going for giant specimens which need lights and warmth right through.

[Bigmallly]

I only put them in trays as an experiment as I normally plant them straight in the ground but was gobsmacked at the growth rate in such a short timescale & the roots are brilliant.

[Zelenina]

My only very limited experience with onion sets is with planting them straight in the ground. I cut off any long skinny tops, because I've read that birds get hold of them and pull them out. Maybe they mistake them for worms. And if there were old dead roots I would probably trim them too.

Last autumn I planted Senshyu yellow sets with their tips showing above the ground, as I think you're supposed to, but they kept pushing themselves out when their new roots grew. So last week when I planted some Silvermoon sets, I put them in a bit deeper so they are completely covered. Hope they'll be ok like that.

[Bigmallly]

Try some in trays if you have any spare Zelenina, you may be pleasantly surprised. I'll be doing all my onion/shallot sets like this in future.

[Zelenina]

I might try it with some spring planted ones BM. Especially if we have a long cold winter like the one before last. Could be an advantage to get them going early while the ground is still frozen.