[New shoot]

New year and the first things I sow every year are some onions for growing into the biggest ones I can manage.  It is a slow process, but it is a routine for me and I know for a lot of others on here.  Having said that I am playing catch up this year as they are not sown yet and I have just discovered I am out of Globo seeds    Never mind, I have others 

Checklist before you start:

Have seeds that are designed for early sowing
Have a plan for a bright, cool but frost free area or areas to grow them on until they are ready to plant out
Have lots of patience - the seedlings take a long time to get going and do a fair impression of chives for quite some weeks. 

Last years thread is here for reference.

https://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=133954.0

Now I just need to get some compost in a small seed tray and in to warm, but it is persisting down right now.  Maybe a job for tomorrow.

This is also a thread that will run for later sowings of onions for main crops and the like 

[mumofstig]

I was just waiting for you to start this thread, to remind me 

I have some Ailsa Craig seeds, plus some Bridger, which can be Autumn or Jan/Feb sown. (Obviously I forgot to sow those in Autumn   )

[New shoot]

 Yup    It is my fault and now everyone has to get the seed box out     

I have Ailsa Craig for my early ones.  There are some Red Herald left from last year, which I will sow later.

The Bridger sound interesting and would suit my somewhat erratic seed sowing habits as well 

[comfreykid]

I fancy growing what l call Spanish onions , large , sweet ones.
Any suggestions for good varieties to go for ? . 

[mumofstig]

I fancy growing what l call Spanish onions , large , sweet ones.
Any suggestions for good varieties to go for ? . 

Simple!
https://www.dtbrownseeds.co.uk/Vegetable-Seeds-1/Onion-Shallot-Seed_2/Onion-Yellow-Sweet-Spanish-Veg-Seeds.html

[comfreykid]

That’s it !

Thank you ! 

[sunshineband]

I am giving myself a break from the giants of the Onion world this year. No real reason, just have enough other things to fit in really.

I shall probably be sorry later in the year when I only have modest sized ones, but that just means I shall be more keen next year 

[rowlandwells]

set my Globo today newshoot  hope they grow fingers crossed still waiting for rest of my onion seed to arrive from Browns trying exhibition and Ambition [shallots] [Dt Brown] matador shallots  also sowing a variety called Hytech all [Moles seeds] 

and I'm growing yellow sweet Spanish comfreykid [DT Brown]  I haven't finished yet also on my list to grow are santero mammoth red Paris silverskin and 5 spring onion seed varieties [Kings] and we always grow Turbo sets

may be I mite have gone a bit OTT John 

[New shoot]

Alisa Craig onions sown on 3rd Jan 

[mumofstig]

Heated prop or just in bag on windowsill?

[New shoot]

Heated prop or just in bag on windowsill?

Low tech option of a bit of cling film loosely covering a mini seed tray 

It was an old out of date pack, so I sowed loads expecting poor germination.  You know what is coming next don’t you    Yup, I have many, many onions

[maddave]

I sowed some onion seeds in modules on the 1st Jan, and most have come up and are about an inch high.  They are on a window sill indoors.  Can I put the module trays into the greenhouse to make sure they get enough light and to continue to grow until ready to plant out, or is it too cold for them still?

This is the first time growing onions from seed having only ever grown onions from sets which I plant in autumn. I would have thought these seeds should be ok outside, now that they have germinated, or is that completely wrong?

Thanks.

[New shoot]

My greenhouse is unheated so I don’t put them out there until February at the earliest.  Then they go into a mini plastic greenhouse, inside the glass greenhouse.

You need to keep the seedlings frost free, so the windowsill might be best.  I use a bit of tin foil round the back of them to reflect the light from the window.

[rowlandwells]

A gardening friend of ours sent me a packet of onions Showmaster [Marshalls] to try going to get my wife to sow them tomorrow a variety we haven't grew before

[Mr Dog]

Golden Bear and Santero (4 per module) + a few single Exhibition, Giant and Mammoth Red sown. I'll be sowing some Red Spark late next month so they don't need too much cossetting as I've found they're not keen on the cold.