Onions from seeds or sets, what do you do and prefer?

[Basher]

I tried red onion sets (not sure on variety) and white onions from seed (Rijnsburger 5) this year. Although the reds were 'easy' and grew quickly at first, they also finished early and did not bulb up much.

In comparison the whites from seed involved pricking out and potting on so were not as easy. I only planted indoors in April. However once they settled in they have been far more vigorous and healthy looking plants. They are bulbing up wonderfully right now and not one has bolted.

For me it is onions from seed from now on.

[rosiepumpkin]

I'm doing onions for the first time next year and will put in sets. It's one less thing to think about. I seem to remember though that they need netting as birdlife likes spitting them out all over the place once they taste them and find they don't like them.

[burnie]

I have done both in the past, just sets this year and mixed success, 3 different types of sets, pity I didn't note which was which as I mixed them all up in one bag. May go back to seed next year as I have had some very good results in the past with some huge ones grown.

[Deano's "Diggin It"]

I actually conducted a little experiment this year regarding sets against seed! having never grown from seed before as sets are said to be easier, and was actually "Bowled Over"

The bed in question!


But the harvest comparing the two!

Sets! Although loverly niced sized usable onions!

The seed sown knocked spots off em!

So seed it shall defoe be for me next year!

[Penellype]

Lots of votes for seeds here. I stood looking at my Ramrod spring onions after reading this and wondering whether I should try onions from seeds. These were sown in May after the original sowing at the end of March produced one onion lying flat on its side about 1mm wide. The 2nd sowing are now about 4 inches high and about the thickness of a pencil lead. Is this normal? Am I going to have the same issues with maincrop onions? If so, I will stick to sets, which have been fine this year.

[WendyC]

Deano- when did you harvest your onions? Looking at the amount of green top growth I would have left them a lot longer to grow before harvesting them for even bigger onions.

[Deano's "Diggin It"]

"Lady P" All to our own! n what were happy with!

[Deano's "Diggin It"]

Wendy! Bramble asked the said same question a few days back! I need the space to try get a few over wintering stuff in!

[Bex]

Has anyone tried Hi Keeper F1 seeds? The packet say 'the best overwintering onion'. I got them in the Wyevale 50p sale, thought they were worth a shot.

[meteor]

Bex, I have grown a them for the last two years and just last week sown a packet of them, much the same qualities as Senshyu , a more rounded shape otherwise equally as good.

[maverick451]

How do you grow onions from seed? do you sow early inside in modules and then transplant?

Edit, just seen the sticky on this topic

[Bex]

Bex, I have grown a them for the last two years and just last week sown a packet of them, much the same qualities as Senshyu , a more rounded shape otherwise equally as good.

Thanks Meteor. I'm glad I picked them up

[xtra_time]

I was looking to get some sets to plant out soon but i find they always seem to come in packs of 75 or more - I don't particularly want 75 or have the space for that many? Do you know who sells in smaller numbers? I bought some from B+Q for spring and they grew alright - I have loads left of them would they be alright to plant now or do they need to be special autumn sets?

[hamamelis]

Some of my local garden centres, especially the smaller ones, sell them loose, which I much prefer to a bag full (for a start, it means you can try several different varieties). Unfortunately, I have utterly failed to grow anything resembling a decent size onion from either set or seed yet. My plot soil is awful, which is probably the reason.

Maybe next year, after I put a lot of muck and work into the beds!

[Penellype]

Onions do respond well to plenty of muck. This year I grew some at my friend's in the remains of last year's hotbed, and they are huge.