Giant Onions 2014

Ziggy, I think you should show them. Maybe theirs aren't as big this year,
Jenny

 

Mine will be the most travelled, did hundreds of miles on the car dashboard while I was moving house

@pete You should see my Shallots mate

 

Hiya @Lolimac

I would have expected a better showing at this stage. I don't have a clue what's holding them back Sorry I can't help

 

Loli, just a couple of points. What preparation did the bed get? Also, how far apart are they?

 

Hiya Freddy,

I dug in loads of manure last winter and about a month before planting worked in a handful of growmore,I've used the same bed as last year it was well prepared then.They're only about 8" apart...Do you think it's maybe because the ground is too soft? I was expecting great things from these Kelsaes but so far the Mammoth Onions were doing better this time last year..I'm feeding them on comfrey tea...

 

Hiya Loli.

I'm thinking 8" apart isn't enough. Last year in my 8' x 4' bed I had 18 plants, so nearly 18" each way. Your preparation sounds ok, assuming the manure was well rotted(?). As I recall, the only feed I gave them was BF&B raked in a couple of weeks prior to planting, can't be sure of that though. Certainly no feed in the final stages. I wouldn't have thought soft ground would be an issue, as I did pretty much the same as you - dug out the ground, worked in some manure and replaced the soil. I'm certainly no expert, but it seems to me that you've done all you can, so the only thing I can think of is spacing, but even then I would have expected them to be bigger

 

Oooh - they look handsome Zigs. Going in the show are they?
Jenny

 

3 of them

You and Peter coming down? Java might, my cousin and brother might too

 

Looking great Zig

 

Are your big ones bulbing up Loli?

 

They're not moving Zig. quite disappointed ...They never seemed to get much 'leaf' growth on them either

 

At least you'm got a Bud

 

sorry, can't this year Zigs. Good luck though,
Jenny

 

While I'm recuperating from a hip injury, MrH went to check on our veggie plot and came back with lots of onions. This certainly cheered me up no end.


This year our onions have grown quite uniformly in size and weight. For example all Ailsa Craig are about 2lb and Rossa Di Toscana around 1lb each and the other varieties are
¾-1lb or so. Here is the biggest of Ailsa Craig




and Rossa di Toscana




I wasn't particularly aiming to grow giant onions since one of those monsters will last the two of us a week or more! However they do look impressive