What to feed Onion sets

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samnorfolk

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What to feed Onion sets
« on: May 14, 2013, 14:44 »
Planted out my onion sets a while ago and they all have very nice long green shoots on them...but dont seem to swelling up yet ( i guess its far too early) but what should i feed them??

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Ivor Backache

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Re: What to feed Onion sets
« Reply #1 on: May 14, 2013, 15:27 »
I don't think they need feeding. Assuming you have prepared a bed for them they should be OK for now.  When the bulbs are about 1" diameter give a general fertiliser feed with some extra potash. I use my wood ash for this reason. Keep weeding and don't let the soil get too dry.

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BabbyAnn

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Re: What to feed Onion sets
« Reply #2 on: May 14, 2013, 15:44 »
( i guess its far too early)

Presuming these are spring planted (?), it will most likely be late July/mid August before you can lift them.  They'll only start to swell after the summer solstice has passed.

Feeding - I might contradict Ivor a little and suggest you give a top dressing of general fertiliser while they are actively growing now but I'd agree about the potash too which also reduces the effects of rust (happens during damp weather especially later on in the season  :()

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fatcat1955

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Re: What to feed Onion sets
« Reply #3 on: May 14, 2013, 16:59 »
I feed the soil about 2 week's before planting my set's and that is it. They never see the watering can either.

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salmonking

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Re: What to feed Onion sets
« Reply #4 on: May 14, 2013, 19:30 »
I feed the soil about 2 week's before planting my set's and that is it. They never see the watering can either.

ive been told this by a few good veg growers,so after drowning mine last year and them bolting im taking your advice on not watering much this year! :)

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AnnieB

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Re: What to feed Onion sets
« Reply #5 on: May 14, 2013, 20:19 »
Strange thing about onion sets is don't plant the big ones.
If they are too big they can have registered the growth up to that size as the first year, so when you plant them as far as that is concerned they are in the second year so they do as nature intended and produce flowers and seeds (they "bolt").

So unlike many others things in the plant world you are safer planting the smaller but still healthy ones.

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Beetroot queen

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Re: What to feed Onion sets
« Reply #6 on: May 14, 2013, 20:51 »
I think I water mine too much, I always seem to get flowers and wide necks.

I'll stop watering and tell the rain to cease

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samnorfolk

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Re: What to feed Onion sets
« Reply #7 on: May 17, 2013, 03:29 »
I have quite a bit of burnt newspaper ash would this be ok to spread over??

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JayG

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Re: What to feed Onion sets
« Reply #8 on: May 17, 2013, 08:05 »
It's stress which can trigger premature flowering of onions (and shallots, come to that.)

Periods of excessive cold or heat ( ::)) can provide the trigger, and although it's true that onions don't need or like too much water they shouldn't be allowed to dry out if we do happen to get a hot, dry spell.
Sow your seeds, plant your plants. What's the difference? A couple of weeks or more when answering possible queries!

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BabbyAnn

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Re: What to feed Onion sets
« Reply #9 on: May 17, 2013, 09:03 »
although it's true that onions don't need or like too much water they shouldn't be allowed to dry out if we do happen to get a hot, dry spell.

I have found that onions do better (and bulk up bigger) when given plenty of water while actively growing but the critical time is from about mid-July where I live, when a dry spell is preferred.  Last year, despite the horrible cool wet summer, from about late July through to mid August we had 3 weeks of warm dry weather (I remember it because it was the same time as the Olympics), and I had one of the best onion crops ever.  (I grew Sturon from sets)



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