Onion Questions

Sorry to disagree with you David but.

Growmore has two properties its not just an instant feed product. It is also a slow release product.

You only have to use it once in a growing season. I have found it to be perfect for my needs so I would think it's down to the individual gardener what they use, comparing results with other types of feed.

Yea I have used blood fish and bone meal, chicken ****...sorry, pellets and all sorts of fancy things...but I stand by growmore. The only other feed I use is tomato food, or my own nettle feed.

You can mess about with individual feeds, but I have found them unnecessary and to much trouble.

Horses for courses yea.:thumb:

 

I Don't want to start an argumnt but Growmores constituent parts are roughly a mix of the above chemicals.

Therefore they are no more or less water soluble than they are when added separately and certainly don't just last 10-14 days.

This is just an old wives tale.

What if it doesn't rain for a month ? does it just vanish from the soil ?

 

Hiya vegmandan

I don't have any arguments about how people look after their crops...just said what I do. Mind you, perhaps you should answer the OP's questions as you certainly know your onions :thumb:

I feel that if you have prepaired the bed properly before hand, then there should be enough of most of the nutrients all ready and waiting for the sets. But I have never grown onions in grow bags and I would assume the nutrients in them are used up rather quickly so a regular topping of liquid feed would probably be required.

In fact I have never used growbags apart from once. I had a very clayey area in one part of my veg patch...turned into a big puddle every year. Makro had a 'not to miss offer' on for cheap grow bags. I bought about 30. (they sold the entire stock in about 6 hours) I used them and some fine grit to dig into the clay patch and after that, it was fine and usable. Could grow virtually everything in it, apart from spuds or carrots.

 

Okay, Growmore has a formula of 7.7.7. Now, how do you know it`s slow release?

 

Good job it doesn't say 6.6.6. otherwise I would be worried, heh,heh.

Cause it says on the packet. Quick release and slow release. :thumb:

As they say, does what it says on the tin....

I'm not a chemist I'm a gardener.

 

As the saying goes. Don`t believe, all you read. Just because you see grey lumps on the soil doesn`t mean you`ve got slow release fertiliser. That`s just the CLAY carrier. Go and compare it to REAL slow release fertilisers.

 

I'm not sure why David, but you are being pedantic over a trifling matter. I do it my way, you do it yours and so do most people....I really don't see that this discussion is going anywhere...do you.

To avoid any problems this may be causing you, this is my last post on the subject. OK.

 

people, people, people.

what on earth does 7.7.7 mean? and slow release? and is there a way i can make my own nitrates and phosphates? and since all that's happened with my onions thus far is they've gone in a hord of compost and have grown and been watered, and they went in around march, in sets, what should i be doing now??!


has anyone grown them from seeds? presumably since they come from sets they will have gone yellow earlier than in august? or is that the time they do from sets rather than seeds?

also finally, is there a way to collect seeds?

 

people, people, people...yeah your right David. Think I became a bit frosty, so my apologies to the other David. Sorry mate.

Slow release. All that means is that the fertilizer has two types of pellet or habit. Some of the fertilizer is released quite quickly into the soil, some of the fertilizer leeches out over a longer period. Thereby ensuring the plant has a continual amount of feed over a period.

Making your own...yeah I suppose you can if you wish. I just use proprietary feed plus nettle feed if I have enough nettles...but I won't be able to do that in this new property as I would have to go out into the country side to find nettles.

What should you be doing now....keep on the way you have been doing until they stop maturing (plus as they are in grow bags a feed every 7 to 14 days I would suggest)...you will know that when they the green stems start to yellow or start tipping over.

To grow from seed takes a lot longer than sets although for salad onions it's fine...I would suggest sticking with the set method. To collect seed, you have to let some run to seed and flower and then at the right time, don't ask...place a brown paper bag over the flower attached by an elastic band to that the seeds fall into it....that's one way. But I have never done it.

Good luck mate.:thumb:

 

Tweaky, there is no need for apologies, this is all part of gardening. It is called comparing opinions.:D Anyway, I know I`M right, and you know YOU`RE right. So we are both right, ( except I`m righter ).:D:D David, 7.7.7. means 7% N, 7%P, 7%K. Also, if you want to grow onions from seed the traditional day for sowing in Boxing Day.:thumb:

 

Isn't that a bit dangerous David...I mean...who's sober on boxing day.

 

The wife, usually.:D

 

Heh heh.

 

Best place Boxing Day, the greenhouse.:thumb:

 

MORE QUESTIONS!
and thanks so much for the answers thus far!

1. what is proprietary feed?I haven't fed them since i started mind, and they're pretty dang tall now, the green shoots coming out the top. is that a bad thing?

2. when you say run to seed, do they do this after they go yellow so i can dig them up then? and then i can just store the seeds until xmas presumably?

3. i'm pretty sure there's some nettles growing where i go jogging on a morning, shall i dig them up and then whut?