Onion assistance and seriously stinky comfry fertilizer!

[Jules]

We have had such a good year of tomatoes, peppers, chllies, carrots, potatoes and loads more... However, yet again the biggest disappointment had to be the onions. I carefully germinated and bedded out normal and spanish onions and not ONE of the results were bigger than a shallot!

Any ideas?

On a good note, the comfry plants (have three huge ones) are doing very well. I pull the large leaves off and put them in a barrel with water. I then cover with an old towel. The results? The best fertilizer ever, even though it smells like something has crawled into the barrel and died there. The neighbours were unimpressed when I used it to water the veg... and going back into the greenhouses on a hot day is enough to make your eyes water.

[ina]

We have had such a good year of tomatoes, peppers, chllies, carrots, potatoes and loads more... However, yet again the biggest disappointment had to be the onions. I carefully germinated and bedded out normal and spanish onions and not ONE of the results were bigger than a shallot!

Any ideas?

Tried using onions sets? I've never grown them from seed; I don't think the season would be long enough here, although I've always wanted to try.

[Green Aura]

I put this on another thread re onions. I saw it on the telly so, of course, it must be true. Sets have already been growing for several months then their growth is halted ready to kick off again when you plant them. Onions from seed take much longer to mature because they've not had the head start.

I don't know if this means you should start them much earlier, or leave them much longer, but maybe sets are your answer.

[Jules]

Okay - I've never treied sets before so will give those a go next year.... maybe I was being a bit opyimistic with the seeds....

Would be interested to hear from anyone who it HAS worked for though... just to know if its possible.

Thanks guys

[ina]

Seeds are, of course, cheaper - which is why I'd like to try it. I suppose the trick is to produce your own sets, and then carry on.

Just got some autumn planting ones delivered, I had good success with them a couple of years ago, so I had onions all year round for the first time! Now just keep fingers crossed that we'll have enough dry weather at the weekend for me to get them in...

[JustinFun]

We grew some onions from seeds and some from sets this year and both did fairly well size-wise. However the germination rate of the onion seeds was extremely poor, whilst pretty much all of the sets came good.

I've since dug the bed over and planted some winter salads and lo and behold I've got onion seeds sprouting all over the shop!

[Green Aura]

Jules
Have you still got some of this years small onions? You could maybe try keeping a few of the smallest and planting them out again next year - your own sets!

[Jules]

Yes! I have loads. Was going to use them as shallots (they taste gorgeous) but thats a MUCH better idea.

Thanks Green Aura.

[Jules]

Incidently for those interested - one of the onions had sort of 'started again' and there was a strong green tall shoot, so I left it there when I harvested the others... a couple of the ones I picked also had these.... now does this mean they are now sets?

Do I plant these out?

Is the one I left in going to get bigger?

Can I keep them till next year?

(incidently these onions were bedded in the floor of the greenhouse)

[theabsinthefairy]

When I have planted onions that have sprouted again - they have run to seed really quickly - BUT on the flip side, when I have planted those seeds they have done really really well in comparison to bought seeds!

I plant sets of yellow onions, but start the seeds at least a month earlier in toilet rolls under cover - just black liner over the boxes that I stand the rolls up in - I don't greenhouse them - and then when they sprout I cover them with poly, then plant them and the sets at the same time.

I have now stopped buying seeds because I have found that if I collect my own seeds these plants do much better. I cut the flowers and stand them in water near to the wood burner so they continue to flower and look pretty as well as being a fantastic deodoriser when you have kittens and kitty litter in the same room! I don't top up the water just leave the plants to dry out naturally and collect the seeds from the dried flower heads.

I have had greatest success with red onions grown from seeds collected in this way.

[Peggy Sue]

Well you are infact lucky, our onions were great but the tomotoes, chillis, peppers andmuch much more were NOT good!

The onions were from sets, I understand seed is a bit of a swine but planning to have a go this year.