Onion Growing 2023

Pallets ? Quick, cheap and simple to tie/wire at corners. Best if you can devise a cover or roof.

 

I have one of those quite large Pentagon shaped plastic compost bins, needs two years to rot completely, one year in the bin then one uncovered.
My Shallots have been picked and lifted two larger onions to dry, one red Mammoth and one white Sturon, all from seed, I've stopped using sets these days.

 

Lifted all of mine, a few more were going over and it is forecast to be continually wet, so decided to make use of the one dry day we did have to pick them. Quite a few reached a decent size

 

Sets and it was "centurion".

I had wanted to grow all my onions from seed but had appalling germination/early growth from them, so only have a few from them, none as big as those

 

Id clear the weeds? if that is what they are, and let them stay a while, they could still be growing and putting on weight.
I got mine out a couple of weeks ago as they had hardly any roots left.

 

All mine are lifted now, 100 percent success, lost none to bolting either, which when around half are red, very happy with the results. I had one of the smaller red ones raw in a sandwich with some of my tomatoes, delicious.

 

My mate was exhibiting at the local veg & flower show yesterday, 7 firsts, 3 seconds and 4 thirds.

 

Bet he's proud!

Made a load of caramelised onion chutney and tomato chutney from some onions that were showing less than stellar signs of curing properly. Been humid and a bit too cool.

And pickled shallots so far from the smallest shallots. Keeping the bigger ones to use later as they keep so well.

 

I usually spread them out in the sun until the leaves are all dried out and then put them in net bags or i have some old pond baskets,any thing that allows air flow.

 

If sunny mine dry off outside, then get strung up in the shed over winter. This year (again) the molluscs removed most of the green leaves before they dried properly, last weekend the stub ends were used to hang up in shed where they are now drying.

 

Since the onion sets I planted this year all withered away I 'm thinking of trying the winter ones in my raised bed. I've never tried them before.
Anyone got experience of growing them ?
I was wondering also if they'd grow in a Belfast sink. It is raised off the ground so would be colder than the soil, and would they grow well in it.

Also are there different varieties or just one ?