[GardenShed]

Wondering what people's preferences are regarding growing onions - do you do it from seed or from sets.  I've not grown onions before, but unless I'm missing something, growing from sets does not seem as interesting...?
I'm not sure I would find it enjoyable to plant a little onion that simply gets bigger, is it not more satisfying to grow from seed? 

[mumofstig]

Some of us are growing from seed............
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=111632.msg1266073#msg1266073

[barley]

tried both ways and definitely prefer sets

[Muls]

Shallots are great from seeds, if you fancy trying them.

[JayG]

Onions from seed, like leeks, are quite easy as long as you're not the impatient type. Heat-treated onion sets should be resistant to bolting, although I've managed to get both types to bolt if I don't treat them right. 

Shallots from seeds only produce one bulb per seedling in the first year - a shallot set should (easy for me to say ) produce 6-8 individual bulbs in only a little more space than each seed-grown one would take up.

[diospyros]

I'm growing from seed this year 'cos I missed the planting time for sets, and I think it's cheaper in terms of initial outlay at least.

[mumofstig]

You haven't missed the planting time for onion or shallot sets 

[diospyros]

You haven't missed the planting time for onion or shallot sets 

I might have done, by the time I get round to doing it... 

[GardenShed]

But am I missing something about onion sets - it just seems strange and a little pointless.  Fruit tress grow lots of fruit, potatoes grow lots of potatoes, strawberry plants grow lots of strawberrys, garlic clove will grow a bulb, but onion sets grow nothing, just get bigger.  If the motivation behind onion sets is to get cheap onions, then may as well opt for seeds, which will be even cheaper and at least a bit more interesting.

[mumofstig]

Onion sets seem to be the easier option for many 

[gavinjconway]

Hi Gardenshed.. If you want to do a few to a couple of hundred or so onions go to the pound shop and buy a packet of sets - best price and value for money. They have 300g packets with 100 sets in each. Plant from mid March - simples..

Or... you can get your seed, sow them in heated propagators or hot windowsill etc. Then grow them on either by potting on or leave in situ to get to 3mm / matchstick diameter thickness then plant out.. Careful the cat dosent knock them over or they dry out and die, or... or... or... all sorts of things can go wrong. To me it is far easier to do sets. In the past I always used to do sets but nowdays I do both because I love tinkering.. I also grow about 500-600 onions each year plus my shallots and pickling etc.. So I get a few packets of seeds and start them off Dec / Jan. Then I get a few packs of sets and start a pack off in modules for a quick getaway early crop and then more as a normal crop from mid March/April. The sets also go in about the same time.

Growing from seed is rewarding but from sets is sooo much easier.

I always grow a packet of winter onions to get me picking as green onions on 1st May every year as a little filler before the early sets are ready. This way my stored onions only have to last till 1st May which is the norm for me most years. Once I start eating the winter onions as green onions I just progress to the normal crop as  they just keep growing and getting bigger all the time. By the time they are all ready for pulling out I normally have about 400 left to store.

Oh BTW ... a seed or set still only gives one onion!!   

[Totty]

There is a massive amount of choice when growing from seed. The choice when buying sets is much much more limited. Just grow from seed now, far less bolt.

Totty

[Madame Cholet]

sets are esay if you don't have much room at home for growing as they go straight in the ground.

[pigguns]

But am I missing something about onion sets - it just seems strange and a little pointless.  Fruit tress grow lots of fruit, potatoes grow lots of potatoes, strawberry plants grow lots of strawberrys, garlic clove will grow a bulb, but onion sets grow nothing, just get bigger.  If the motivation behind onion sets is to get cheap onions, then may as well opt for seeds, which will be even cheaper and at least a bit more interesting.

oh thank goodness.  I've always thought this too.  Maybe we garden for a different 'fix' gardenshed.  I just don't see the point of sets.  Am trying seeds this year, for fun.

[Salmo]

First time growing onions, definately grow sets. Onions from seed are technically quite difficult. Sets are reliable unless you do something very silly.

Plant sets straight into the ground late March/ early April. Check for a few days that birds/mice have not pulled any up and replant them. Keep free of weeds. Harvest.