Growing onions , shallots etc

[Containergardener]

I have done spring onions from seed,Red Baron from plugs but not from seed or sets.
Are you planting sets in autumn? Sowing seeds?
Not really sure what's best

[Snadger]

I really rate the Autumn planted onion sets Troy and even Electric, the red variety performed well for me this year. They are/were much better than my spring sown onions.
Tried growing Senshyu autumn onions from seed one year and found the seed expensive for what I got. The sets are much cheaper and easier to deal with.

[Containergardener]

I like the sound of 'easier'
I prefer red so electric sounds great, thanks snadger

[Penellype]

It depends what you want to do with your onions (I don't grow shallots so I'm not sure about those). Autumn varieties mature earlier but don't keep very well. I like to keep my onions through the winter so I plant them in spring and grow Sturon, which is harvested in late August and keeps through to June or July (I am still eating last year's stragglers).

[Containergardener]

Pick and eat really. Use them daily . I'd like to have them go through winter rather than just starting afresh in spring each yr with just spring onions.

[Jungle Jane]

I grow red onions from sets planted in the autumn,in the raised bed (& in a little trough) the onions were visible all the time but in my clay soil the onions sunk underground,I thought they were going to rot but they were ok,if somewhere had continual rain could they rot or has rotting ever happened or does it not happen?

[Containergardener]

My soil is heavy clay so I'm using tubs/troughs ideally. I may try shallots too.

[Potstubsdustbins]

One year an old friend (now unfortunately passed) and I had a contest to see if we could grow onions touching at maturity this was his winning entry.

[Containergardener]

Sorry your friend passed away potty, but what a triumph that was . I hope you keep trying

[Dorothy rouse]

I planted 2 different varieties of onion in the autumn, just to save me time in the Spring!

Sturion, were rubbish, very tiny, done hardly seemed to grow at all.
Stugartter Giant, did very well, much better than Sturion.

Both in same bed, so treated exactly the same.

Not brilliant harvest this year, but ok. Lots of little ones to use up first.

[Potstubsdustbins]

As promised I took a couple of pics today to show the spacing I use, I've used a 12 inch/300mm rule for scale. These are Red Fen heat prepared sets planted 8/4, seems they have got the preparation right as so far this year not one as bolted.

The 300mm pot is about 150mm deep, I don't think you could get away with less and really I find an extra 50mm or so better.

The other container is a 40gall plastic water tank cut down to about 220mm deep. If you know a plumber word him your looking for one, we take them out when fitting combination boilers and we have to pay to get rid of them, they make great containers. I use three cut down for the like of onions and three as is for potatoes.

[Containergardener]

That's great potty thanks, I will hunt out best size pots ready