Spring Onions

[Tarragon2017]

I will try to grow spring Onions again soon. Last year they did grow but not particularly big.

I presume I made an error some as although the spring onions grew they were very small and thin.

I will have to grow them in containers until I have my raise beds. I was wondering if anyone has grown them in containers and if so what was your method in doing so. The website doesnt give many details such as space between seeds , etc . I do have plant food made from seaweed so I am wondering if I should water the containers a few days before I put the seeds in. Also I have John Innes no 3 I was wondering If i should mix it with vercumlite or perlite etc. Also what litre size container would you recommend.

Thank you for all your advices in advance

https://www.thompson-morgan.com/how-...-spring-onions

[nickdub]

Can't answer you from personal experience on container growing, but generally the best crops come from the best soil, so what you fill your containers with will be the most important factor.

Seeds need very little nutrient when they start off - in fact too much can be a problem. As the plants get bigger they can use more feed, but obviously you have to go a bit steady when watering in a container as you don't want the compost to get very wet. Onions respond to nitrogenous fertilisers, so a feed with a preponderance of that in it towards the end would be best I think.

[Bren In Pots]

Tarragon have a read at this thread it should give you some answers.

https://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gr...ner_85403.html

[Greenleaves]

Preponderance...thats a bigger word than Tarragons spring onions...it also may depend upon the variety, White Lisbon needs more space per plant than Ishikura

[nickdub]

Preponderance...thats a bigger word than Tarragons spring onions...

Indubitably (always a good test to determine if your false teeth fit OK)

[Tarragon2017]

Whats the best Spring Onion varierty for containers in your opinion

So what the spring onions start to sprout then put some liquid feed in say once a week ?

Sorry for the questions but I am still learning , and I work 70 hrs a week so its hard for me to gain the knowledge

[nickdub]

I've always gone with White Lisbon as being the cheapest seed - other people may be able to help you with different varieties.

Hard to give an exact answer on watering as so much depends on the weather. I'd say put the container on a tray with sand or gravel in it and water from the bottom - once a week feed, quite weak to start with would be a reasonable starting point, but if its hot you may need to water more often and if cold, not so frequently.

[bario1]

Young plants don't need feeding. I'd grow them in a pot until they're 6" tall and then plant them out in bunches. I always grow Darcy, it's a new variety and very good imo.

[Kirk]

I would suggest you find a Wilko, buy a 20cm pot, black one at £1, pack of spring onion seed and some compost.
Compost into pot and sprinkle the spring onion seed over the surface.
Water the pot and if possible seal in a plastic bag, to retain moisture, but I tend to just check it daily.

Get whatever compost you prefer, I use stuff that has nutrients. I am not sure of the idea of nutrient poor seed compost, but each to their own.

That gives you a couple of weeks to see what deveolops and to plan on a more permanent container and all the rest.

The 20cm Wilko pots are deep enough for the seedlings to develop roots.

JI No3 tends to be a bit too "solid" I find. One bag I had and used tended to set like concrete when it dried.

[Cadalot]

Take a look at my over wintering experiment Alans Allotment: SF60 Onions

[Kirk]

Actually I think the £1 pots at Wilko are 25cm not 20cm so bigger.
Just realised I have 25cm and 30cm ones.
The 25cm ones are good for growing something like a pepper or chilli plant in indoors.

The 30cm ones are £1:50.

What have you available to grow things in?
Thinking garden area, court area, balcony.

[Potstubsdustbins]

Grown spring onions in containers for years, well I have to no where else to grow anything.

After trial and error I now grow only Guardsman and use MPC as my growing medium.

The containers are 6" x 6" x 24" troughs.

I start by sprinkling a pinch of seed into a 3" pot and cover with 5 to 10mm of damp compost, I do 6 of these every month and find that will suffice for two of us even though we love onion. My first 6 were set 2 weeks ago and put in a corner of the GH, they are just starting to show though today. I use new compost at this stage as I know it is sterile.

When they are strong enough all 6 pots will go in one container, used compost refreshed with a base fertiliser and a sprinkle of onion fertiliser. No need to thin, they will push each other apart as they grow and swell.

After 5 to 6 weeks I will give them a good feed of miracle grow and that is basically it.

[Tarragon2017]

Thanks for the advice

I presume its important to grow them in a small pot at first then transport them to a large pot.

As I dont have a GH , what month should I start , I started in May last year. The seeds germinated but I received very skinny spring onions. However I did use quite a big container and did not start them off in small pots as explained in this thread.

I will use this year as another experimental year

[Potstubsdustbins]

I use the 3" pot for ease and to prove germination before taking up space in the larger container, you could always set a couple of pots and put them on your kitchen window sill.

[Greenleaves]

I sow 10 seeds to cell trays and once around 40mm tall transplant the whole cell