red barron

[Spunky]

Couldn't help myself and bought so me swift potatoes and red barron sets from the pound shop
The potatoes I'm going to chit them and put them deep in the bottom of a 20l pot mid february so I don't have to earth them up then put them under a cloche in late march/April till may
With the onions I'm going up the allotment tomorrow and the soil should be workable, there red Barron could I put them in now unprotected or should I hang on?

[Aberdeenplotter]

definitely hang on. Red onion sets are the worlds worst for running to seed under little or no stress. That's why most folks buy heat treated which you won't get in the pound shop. Wait until spring has sprung before you plant and keep them cool and frost free meantime.

[Spunky]

Thanks I'll leave them in the garage and see how they get on

[Bigmallly]

I was in £land today & looked at their Swift but it would have scuppered my plans if I'd have bought them. I could sell onions so didn't bother with them either............I only bought some flower bulbs, well you can't come out empty handed can you?

[Spunky]

That's it I didn't need any either and it's far too early to plant...... Oh well there cheap

[Penellype]

I grew Red Baron sets last year and planted them out in mid February under fleece. Most of them ran to seed and the ones that didn't were mostly small. I wasn't impressed at all - the Sturon, grown in the same bed and treated exactly the same produced a lovely crop with only a few that bolted.

[Spunky]

Thanks penellype I might just bin them, has anyone got any suggestions for good heat treated red onion sets I can plant in spring? Also has anyone tried growing full sized onion from spring sown North Holland red seeds?

[Potstubsdustbins]

I used to grow Red Baron but changed to heat treated Red Fen and found that much more successful. Sorry can't help with the seed question.

[emzgogo]

Thanks penellype I might just bin them, has anyone got any suggestions for good heat treated red onion sets I can plant in spring? Also has anyone tried growing full sized onion from spring sown North Holland red seeds?

I wouldn't bin them. Alot of people on a fb page im in really rate them. If i was you i would certainly try them but put in a little later. I was really tempted by them but we not a big onion eating family xx

[Bohobumble]

Hi Spunky,

I also wandered into the local £land last week and bought swift; I thought for a quid if I can try them in the greenhouse (one of my fellow allotments was harvesting greenhouse spuds April/May last year) in a bag of compost, let me know how yours goes? Fingers crossed!

[Spunky]

Exactly that's what I thought why not for a quid! Yep fingers crossed and good luck with yours too, emzgogo tbh for what they cost I don't mind getting rid and spend a bit more on some heat treated