Onion sets..a cry for help!

No sign of onion sets in my local Wilko this morning, not even empty gaps on the display so couldn't even check which varieties other stores might have.

 

A man on a mission Thanks so much to both of you for taking the trouble to look/ask. Well, I tried yet another agri co-op today, and found some sets called 'Hercules' that claim to be round, so got a few of those in the hope that they'll do.
I'll know next year to order from Marshall's or someone, to be sent to a UK address and then forwarded on, assuming the shiny new border controls don't scupper the project!
It's going to persist down for a couple of days, so the plot will probably be too soggy to plant for a while, anyway. xx

 

Must remember, we are looking for round ones

Most people go for flavour,......................but we're looking for round ones

Not red ones, but yellow round ones.

 

Thanks again, FC! I'll bear that in mind for the Ann Summers order

S' not as if I'm being fussy, pete! Have you ever tried skinning and chopping 5 kgs of flat onions? (Oops, sorry, 10lbs 10ozs.) You end up with about 3lbs! Flavour's not too critical in curries and ratatouille
Now, about the garlic and shallots......

 

Come now. I've had a chat with my little Meercat friend. He and I so often think alike. If you have searche the market and failed. Contact a trade/commercial provider. I wouldn't mind betting, you end up well provided for.

 

I can't recall seeing Hercules being sold as an autumn planting onion.

 

I'm not sure it makes much difference here, Scrungee. Tell the truth, I've never differentiated, it's always been a case of planting what's available. Even when we have a really bad winter, stuff seems to do a lot better planted in October. The veg plot isn't bad soil, on a slope facing SE, so doesn't freeze or stagnate.

 

I was under the impression that autumn planted sets had been treated differently in order to stop them bolting next spring.?

 

Ah right. I'll let you know what happens next year There's always a proportion that bolt anyway. Good job I don't grow to show

 

Thanks, FC, but don't go to lots of trouble over this! It's beginning to look as though it is a general crop failure of round types. If UK suppliers buy their stock from the Netherlands too, it's no wonder we can't find any!