My Kelsae Onions

I'm in a bit of a dilemma now, I have 42 (kelsae) onion plants to sow and about twice that with other varieties.

Up until now I've just been bunging them in at spacings I thought appropriate.....

HOWEVER! I did a bit of internet searching today, for optimum results, the kelsae should be planted 16" apart and in 20" rows.

Sorry, my veg garden just isn't big enough to handle anything other than onions at that rate and I've already planted out my beans and peas, still got all my brassicas waiting to go out and parsnips and swede waiting to be sown. God knows where I'll find room for my leeks especially as my spuds are taking up a good third of my plot! :(

I dare say I'll manage but heaven knows how :'(

 

Sorry, should have said "plant out" not sow!

 

Hiya Vince. I guess it's a case of making a choice. Fewer/bigger onions or more/smaller onions. My father (when he was alive) used to grow onions for the local show and those spacings are probably about right. I guess one would need to grow many just to get a few worthy of a show. I'm certainly no expert, but it sounds like you'll need to be thinking of next year now, sorry. As gardeners we never seem to have enough space eh ? Anyway, good luck.
Cheers...freddy.

 

Hiya Vince. I guess it's a case of making a choice. Fewer/bigger onions or more/smaller onions. My father (when he was alive) used to grow onions for the local show and those spacings are probably about right. I guess one would need to grow many just to get a few worthy of a show. I'm certainly no expert, but it sounds like you'll need to be thinking of next year now, sorry. As gardeners we never seem to have enough space eh ? Anyway, good luck.
Cheers...freddy.

 

How did that happen ? Sorry, somehow seemed to double post.

 

As I'm not into showing, I've planted 40 of them at an 8" to 9" ratio in my prepared onion bed. I've decided to plant the other varieties in a raised bed I'll be constructing within the fruit cage I'm building at the weekend.

I can't count though, I actually had 53 Kelsaes, I've selected the best 6 plants and will be constucting yet another raised bed for them at the optimum spacing. The leeks can wait 'til another bed becomes available?

I know I won't beat Dan but I'll try LOL