onions/shallots

mardatha

I've got a plot free in the back gdn and want to do onions in it. Could some kind soul give me step by step instructions (in wee short words ) on how to make sure I get tons and tons of lovely onions this year ?

peachespeaches

This is one I dont bother with, so I will watch with interest. I seem to remember them being in the ground a long time when my dad did them and I think he gave up because they arent that dear to buy in the shops. He could better use the ground for something else.

savemoney

I bought some red onions yesterday for £2 for around 50 at Wilkinsons. Planning on putting them in raised beds, dont really need 50 though only about 10-15 tops but smallest pack I could get

I still got to put raised beds up though and get some compost. I got some from my composter but not enough to do two raised beds

Mortal

savemoney wrote: »

I bought some red onions yesterday for £2 for around 50 at Wilkinsons. Planning on putting them in raised beds, dont really need 50 though only about 10-15 tops but smallest pack I could get

I still got to put raised beds up though and get some compost. I got some from my composter but not enough to do two raised beds

If you have a plant swap on your local Freegle/Freecycle, maybe you'll be able to swap the excess for another crop

savemoney

Good idea. thanks

sunflower76

As you're new to growing I'd go for onion sets rather than seeds (you're a little late for seeds anyway). Lots of places will be selling sets right now so you just need to be looking for nice firm bulbs around 1cm in diameter. Each onion set will grow into one onion and you need to plant them around 20cm apart in all directions. You simply push the little set into the ground (pointy end up) and wait for them to grow.

I like to go for Sturon for brown skinned onions and Red Baron for red skinned onions.

An alternative is shallots which look pretty much the same at set stage but grown lots of smaller bulbs around the one central set. I like Golden Gourment for shallots.

mardatha

Brilliant thank you. My dad had an allotment as well as a garden and I can still remember the taste of his home grown onions...I grew some last year & they were lovely, but I only got half a doz come through. Want a lot more this year.:D

gillian62

I was told it was too late for shallots, as they need plenty frost to split them. So I thought I would do red onion sets instead.