[potatogrower]

Hi,

I have been growing red onions for 2 years and realized they grow quite small. I am not sure if red onions only grow small and not big like white onionsor my technique is all wrong. I grow from bulbs rather than seeds and push them into the ground so the top tip is visible. is that right? i got a book on growing your own food and it seems to just push the bottom 3rd of the bulb only.

How do you grow yours and what variey of red or white onions grow the biggest?

i have passion to grow but missing the little detailed practical understanding of growing 

Mani

[mumofstig]

I always found the same....they just do not grow as big as the ordinary ones, I don't bother with them now 

[aelf]

I plant mine very early in soil with some good compost in it, that seems to help. My first lot went in last November and were a good 6" tall by Christmas. I did loose some during the deep freeze but the survivors are now very big! In comparison, the ones I planted in Feb/March to fill the gaps are still very small and not showing signs of getting any bigger.

[flitwickone]

i agree with mumofstig this is my first year growing veg i planted about 100 redbarons and 120 white onions and im having trouble stopping red barons from bolting although i now know they are prone to this these were grown from sets so next year i will grow a line of them and that will be it

[mumofstig]

I plant mine very early in soil with some good compost in it, that seems to help. My first lot went in last November and were a good 6" tall by Christmas.

aelf, were these proper 'overwintering' onion sets or the ordinary sets that are usually planted in spring?

[aelf]

Hi Mum, no, these were cheap n cheerful onion sets from my local DIY shed 

[mumofstig]

wilko my preferred supplier    doesn't stock them til after Christmas...shame.........
I'll have to go and look in Been & Queued 

[aelf]

That's the place! they were fresh delivered when I bought them - not even on the shelves 

[Motivator]

A lot of manure and watering will make them nice and big .

[potatogrower]

i think next year i will try and grow white onions. Anyone tried growing from seeds?

the first time i tried from seeds they didn't grow well. to be honest i just dropped a seed every 7" and thought "that was easy" but not much grew and hardly anything onion looking that was worth cooking 

mani

[zazen999]

i think next year i will try and grow white onions. Anyone tried growing from seeds?

the first time i tried from seeds they didn't grow well. to be honest i just dropped a seed every 7" and thought "that was easy" but not much grew and hardly anything onion looking that was worth cooking 

mani

I grow red and white onions from sets and seed; and have to say I prefer seed.

I find sets bolt and you have no idea how they were stored until you got hold of them. ALot just never take off properly.

I sow into modules, a pinch at a time, and plant out as soon as the risk of frost is past and generally leave them to it. I grew a load last year sown in August, and grown at the lottie in plenty of sand under a cloche and am eating those now....

[viettaclark]

I'm wondering if my Autumn planted onions are going to get any bigger?
I've not watered them directly for a couple of weeks (worried about rot) but other crops in the same raised bed have had water. The leaves are still mostly green but the onions are on the surface, dry, outside skins are forming and they're not much bigger than a golf ball!!!!
I need the room soon for brassicas and if this is all I get I'm sticking to just shallots!

[solway cropper]

Vietta, have you fed them?

About a month ago my overwintered ones were no bigger than a golf ball but I gave them a good drench with seaweed feed then scattered growmore granules around. They are now at least tennis ball size and a few nearly as big as a grapefruit!!

[zazen999]

I've harvested my overwintered onions already; you need to loosen the soil round them in the spring, give them a good watering if it is dry and they should swell up nicely.

[bigben]

My overwintered onions are now being used. They have really swelled up in the last 3 weeks. I was a bit dissappointed by how small they were at the start of the month but they are reasonable now. The reds are smaller than the white though, both sown from sets.

My spring sown ones are a different story. All the reds are tiny and have all produced flower heads which I have removed. The whites are doing ok. Strange - same soil, same sun, feed, water etc. It is a shame as I really like red onions.