[redj]

Hello all

First post here by the way, looks like a helpful kind of place!

I am completely new to veg growing this year having moved into a house with a large enough garden to accomodate 2 decent size patches.

Anyway the first thing I planted was onion sets. They went in the ground around 16 March so they have been in soil for 70 days or so. Yesterday I had a dig down to the bulb and there is hardly anything other than a small white end, as you would expect from a spring onion.

Would you expect a large bulb by now?

My soil is not the best- I have reclaimed it from overgrown grass so it has had no exposure to sun or frost for many years- until this February when I dug it out. It is also heavy clay in places although I have dug through lots of rotted manure.

Any help much appreciated.

Thanks

[JayG]

Welcome to the forums! 

Bit concerned about your phrase "dig down to the bulb" - how deep did you plant your sets (should have been only just buried at the most, so any bulb, or lack of bulb, should be visible without digging.)

[BabbyAnn]

Would you expect a large bulb by now?

hello redj and welcome.  Summer growing onions won't be ready until about August so I wouldn't expect a large bulb at this stage.  Also, depending on your location, quite a few areas had a cool wet April/early May so that would have slowed growth down a little.

Japanese onions planted in autumn however, will be bulbing up this month and ready to lift in a few weeks time - perhaps those are the ones you are thinking of?

[redj]

Hi, thank you both for your replies.

JayG- When I said dig, I really meant scratch around at the base of the stem! When I planted them, they just went in with the tip above the surface- as directed on the packet of sets. It's fair to say that there is nothing in the way of a visible bulb at the moment though.

BabbyAnn- My onions are definitely summer ones. I anticipated digging them up in August but was hoping they might have started forming bulbs by now. I am in the north west so they may just be slow!

[mattwragg94]

Redj - mine are the same - remember its only early on in the season, so dont worry about them - the bulbs are formed by the swelling of the stem and an onion is usually formed and ready for pulling around the end of august - the only look like spring onions now but they will soon start to fatten up 

[BabbyAnn]

BabbyAnn- My onions are definitely summer ones. I anticipated digging them up in August but was hoping they might have started forming bulbs by now. I am in the north west so they may just be slow!

An onion bulb is basically a food store for the following growing season - from when you planted up till about late mid summer, it is just like any plant growing putting all its energies into roots and leaves (and flowers).  As the days start to get shorter, this will trigger the bulb formation until the plants die back (from about August) 

[redj]

Great advice from everyone, thanks lots.

I'm still trying to learn everything but the one thing I cannot learn is patience!

[compostqueen]

You're in the high peak so you probably get more rain and colder weather than the rest of us   

Your onions will be fine I'm sure. Once they bulb up, as they surely will, you could give them a little sprinkling of manure pellets are make sure they have some manure nestling in the spaces between the onions.  You'll find that blackbirds love to throw dry poo about so you have to water the onions and then put it back. It's a game 

[Salmo]

Compostqueen finds it helpful to know that Redj lives in the Peak District. Where does she live we wonder? As a moderator she should be setting a good example and adding her location.

Back to the question. Spring planted onions, whether sets or from seed look nothing until Derby day.

[Aunt Sally]

It is helpful to know where people are located if growing advice is asked for - the advice can then be much more accurately given.

BUT it is entirely up to each member, moderators included, to withhold their location if they wish to.  Example has nothing to do with it.

[cricketwidow]

I lost all my onions here in Cornwall as it never stopped raining all the bulbs went to mush, although the shallots appear to be o.k, fingers crossed.  Drought what drought? try living down here.