Onion Growing 2023

My red onion sets were so successful last year that I will probably grow from sets again this year.
I gave up on sets because they kept bolting a few years ago.
Maybe it's just that the settled weather stopped them bolting last year.

 

There only seems to be red barron in the shops.
I just bought mine at a local garden centre last year and tbh I wasn't going to bother but just grabbed a bag as I saw them.

 

I have sown Robinsons Mammoth Red seeds again, sown in early December, they will be potted on soon into old re-cycled yoghurt pots. I grew them last year and even in the heat wave they grew very well, not huge onions, but perfect size for the kitchen and we are still eating them, they have kept well.
The only sets I use now are shallots, Menhir are the variety for this season.

 

I did want to try some big ones this year but didn't sow any until a couple weeks ago. So it's medium sized ones for me this year

Santero, Hytech for keeping onions

Walla walla again for sweet onions, can recommend these. They are apparently overwintered in the US so I may try that for next year for big ones.

Zebrunne shallots and white Lisbon spring onions.

I need to remember to thin the clumps of onions this time, I forgot to thin the onions and shallots last year so I got quite a few small ones

 

Red Mammoth and Sturon white grown from seed now potted on into the yoghurt pots in MPC, half are still in the conservatory and half are in the growhouse inside the greenhouse as I don't have room in the house, despite the frost over night they seem ok.

 

Just planted out all the seed grown Onions, spring onions need sowing and that will be it for Alliums as the shallots are in as well.

 

Most onions are hardy i love onions i always grow some what ever the weather and never seem disappointed i dont worry if they are small or big as long as they taste they are so versatile worth growing even a few

 

Onions and garlic are the only veg i can guaruntee ill grow every year! Theyre fairly simple and easy to look after, i pretty much just leave them alone apart from the odd weeding, ive had fewer and fewer go to seed every year which is good.

Last years crop

 

My onion sowings were a bit of a disaster, only managed to plant 1/10th of what I wanted to grow from seed. So I ended up buying sets and planted them instead.

 

I only use sets atm as my propagating skills are laughable!

 

I went over to seed growing when I was having a lot bolting via sets.

But for various reasons I went back to sets last year and not one bolted.

So I'm using sets again this year, and they are very slow.