[upert]

Anyone else find them difficult? Never as big as the 'normal' coloured onions - stuttgarter, sturon. Talked to four other recently and we all found the same. Ever the optimist I'm trying again this year.

[Nobbie]

In the past I've tried numerous times from sets and they have always bolted. This year I've grown from seed, so will see how they do. I think most red varieties are small to medium, I notice that the standard red onions I buy in Lidl are always small to medium sized, whereas the whites are often much bigger. Maybe you need to buy a specific large variety?

[Hampshire Hog]

Agree I have tried Red onions from sets on several occasions and they normally turn out smaller than white. Mind you I can even make white ones bolt!!

Cheers HH

[jaydig]

I find red onions are less likely to bolt when grown from seed, but if you want bigger onions then try Long Red Florence - I'm not entirely certain if they're classed as a shallot, but they certainly make a good sized elongated red onion and they're easier to slice than a round one.

[shedmeister]

I grow Red Baron every year. Enough on each onion for a family of five to have a large portion of fried in their burgers come barbie time

[jambop]

Last year I grew long red Florence and red amposte from seed... both were brilliant. The red amposte were huge and kept well the long red Florence were also large but kept less well. I think, not just with red, that all onions do better grown from seed. I would go further though and say that F1 onion seeds are the best to grow the germinate well and the onions grow true.

[upert]

Thanks all. Now I have to figure out where to start my seed next year. I'm out of space as it is.