[WG.]

a lot less chance of onion fly with sets,but sets do bolt, having said that we grow from seed.

So do you concur with Salkeela?  Maybe you can tell us your methods ??

[Trillium]

I use both, and find my seeds always give me better performance. I also get the varieties I want which the stores don't sell because most people aren't familiar with them and are reluctant to try.
Only sets I use are shallots as we can't get seed here for them.  Sometimes I grew red onion sets but they never did well so its back to seeds for them.

[gobs]

I use both, and find my seeds always give me better performance. I also get the varieties I want which the stores don't sell because most people aren't familiar with them and are reluctant to try.
Only sets I use are shallots as we can't get seed here for them.  Sometimes I grew red onion sets but they never did well so its back to seeds for them.

Oh, oh, oh, could you say that again please, in bold red, Trillium?  

[gobs]

a lot less chance of onion fly with sets,

Why is that, please?

[ditchdigger]

a lot less chance of onion fly with sets,

Why is that, please?

I think mainly because sets dont smell anywhere near as strong as transplants. bare rooted especially.just handling them can bruise leaves and add to it. we pot them on into 4" pots early on, and try to plant out without touching the actual plant.(we also give 'em a blast of  Armillatox to hopefully put them off the scent.

[Trillium]

Oh, oh, oh, could you say that again please, in bold red, Trillium?  

Well, if you think it would help all the new gardeners, new members, new lotty owners, and wannabe members reading these threads, I could do it just for you, Gobs.  

[gobs]

Oh don't do it just for me, nice thought there though.

I'm impressed how serious you are about the purpose of these forums, keep it up.

[WG.]

we also give 'em a blast of  Armillatox to hopefully put them off the scent.

Mmmm ... might have at least as much bearing as the seed vs sets factor

[gobs]

we also give 'em a blast of  Armillatox to hopefully put them off the scent.

Mmmm ... might have at least as much bearing as the seed vs sets factor

Who is the WE if I may ask?

[SkipRat]

I use sets but last year I was given some seed sown plants. I was very impressed with them so this year for the first time am growing them from seed varieties, Kamal F1, Bedfordshire champion, hytech, and brown pickling sy300.

[ditchdigger]

we also give 'em a blast of  Armillatox to hopefully put them off the scent.

Mmmm ... might have at least as much bearing as the seed vs sets factor

Who is the WE if I may ask?

"WE" is me and my mate

[richyrich7]

I prefer seeds, but I used sets last year and they were rubbish, I grow mine in modules 5 seeds to a module no thinning and plant out as they are, in march. I find they push each other out of the way as they grow and we get onions that are about the right size ( for us ) golf ball size. Plus I can pick and choose varieties and seeds are a lot cheaper than sets, may go for sets again this year as I've just been offered a new greenhouse and it may take me a week or two to get it up with everything else we have on at the mo.

[Rob the rake]

In an entirely different thread on another forum, tumble drier sheets mounted flag style on canes were said to be effective at repelling various mammals (cats in particular, but also deer).

Makes me wonder whether it's worth trying the same dodge to confuse onion and carrot flies.

I'm a sets man, for sake of simplicity really, and have always grown Turbo, being very impressed with their keeping qualities.
As it happens ,though, they've become difficult to find, and I ended up growing Stuttgart Giant last season. They're a tasty onion, but are already showing signs of deterioration in storage.

What have you found to be the best keeper from the seed-grown maincrop onions?

[ditchdigger]

In an entirely different thread on another forum, tumble drier sheets mounted flag style on canes were said to be effective at repelling various mammals (cats in particular, but also deer).

Makes me wonder whether it's worth trying the same dodge to confuse onion and carrot flies.

I'm a sets man, for sake of simplicity really, and have always grown Turbo, being very impressed with their keeping qualities.
As it happens ,though, they've become difficult to find, and I ended up growing Stuttgart Giant last season. They're a tasty onion, but are already showing signs of deterioration in storage.

What have you found to be the best keeper from the seed-grown maincrop onions?

Rijnsburger.  never grown it ourselves but been told it stores very well.

[Trillium]

With my organic seed onions vs the few sets I've grown, I still find I get about a 50/50 sprouting - keeping average over winter. So, in early Dec I stood in my cold cellar with a lit candle and singed all the onion roots as Henry suggested. Needless to say I was surprised to find quite a few onions already sending out small new roots. Now they're ashes, so I'm curious to find how well and long the onions now last. For the price of a match, it can't hurt to try the idea out.