Planting onion sets

[rary]

I have onion sets to be planted but my beds were covered in late autumn with cardboard then seaweed which has not broken down much and at present doesn't look suitable for planting, the cardboard is very soft so I think roots will go through it quite easily, so was thinking about mixing compost and course sand and then clear a drill in the seaweed and fill it with the mix, would onions grow in such conditions?

[nickdub]

Sounds OK, but its still v cold around here at least, takes a while for the soil to warm up a bit. There have been a number of post recently on here from people who have started their onions in cells or trays - some with photos. It might be worth you having a look at those to see how others have tackled this.

[rary]

Thanks Nick I have my sets in trays also have black poly. over the bed for the last two weeks, soil temp. below all the seaweed at 10c so reckon it is warm enough to plant then cover with fleece, what is the worry is that the roots will spread out into the loose seaweed rather than go down into the soil as there is about 4 inches of seaweed

[veggiechicken]

Can you pull the seaweed aside and plant the sets in the soil and leave the seaweed in ridges alongside them to decompose?

PS My onion sets went in last week and, apart from some netting to keep the birds away they're left to their fate!

[nickdub]

Thanks Nick I have my sets in trays also have black poly. over the bed for the last two weeks, soil temp. below all the seaweed at 10c so reckon it is warm enough to plant then cover with fleece, what is the worry is that the roots will spread out into the loose seaweed rather than go down into the soil as there is about 4 inches of seaweed

No worries - sounds like you have a v professional set-up already. I'm with VC on this one (no change there) move the seaweed to the sides and plant into the soil, a bit of water to make sure soil is washed in around the roots and cover back up with the fleece.

best stand well back at that point, as you don't want to be poked in the eye by a swiftly growing onion leaf. :-)

[ESBkevin]

I'd pull aside or thin the seaweed, poke a dibber in the soil and plant away. as long as the bottom of the bulb/roots are in soil they will develop. If the seaweed breaks down through spring you cold always apply a layer of fresh mulch to keep the bulbs part covered.

[rary]

Can you pull the seaweed aside and plant the sets in the soil and leave the seaweed in ridges alongside them to decompose?

PS My onion sets went in last week and, apart from some netting to keep the birds away they're left to their fate!

It's the height the seaweed would if I scraped it aside to allow me to plant into the soil, that why I was thinking of basically making a ridge with the compost and sand, and any way I have about 5cwt. of sand to shift, and you say that you just have bird protection over your onions, I need to cover mine with fleece for at least a month yet or I would finish up with the onions running to seed

[nickdub]

It's the height the seaweed would if I scraped it aside to allow me to plant into the soil, that why I was thinking of basically making a ridge with the compost and sand, I need to cover mine with fleece for at least a month yet or I would finish up with the onions running to seed

Quite honestly I wouldn't worry about the seaweed being higher, as long as the onions get rooted in the soil, they'll cope. In all likelihood a lot of the top stuff will compost down or get drawn underground by worms during the season.

As for the sand, keep it - useful stuff for making up a bit of cement when you need a new base or a bit of walling. Failing that you can add a bit to your compost when you need a very free draining mix for any Mediterranean plants you fancy growing.

[Bigmallly]

Heyup rary, for what it's worth this would be my plan of attack............Rake 6-12" strips of seeweed off the bed & put it in a dustbin, make holes or crosses in the cardboard & plant the sets, add water to the dustbin for seaweed tea..........double whammy.

[AmateurOne]

Sets been in for a few weeks however really started growing well in the last week with the slightly warmer weather.

[KevinM67]

I agree with VC on this.
I had a similar set up last year (and doing the same this year).
Plus, once they got going - I mulched them with more seaweed again.

I've done similar with my garlic also.

[rary]

I think in future I will be shredding the seaweed, and Nick has said let the worms pull it down, I have very few worms in the garden due to flat worm activity, though they are starting to come back, as I had shifted a bit of the cardboard, seaweed covering the other day and there was a worm underneath, which I was happy to see

[KevinM67]

Brilliant news Rary !!!

[veggiechicken]

I had shifted a bit of the cardboard, seaweed covering the other day and there was a worm underneath, which I was happy to see