Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: RobertSongs on February 10, 2012, 15:58

Title: Egg Crate Onion Sets
Post by: RobertSongs on February 10, 2012, 15:58

Hi I have a load of the large egg crates sitting around doing nothing if i fill em right up with compost do you think they are deep enough to start my onion sets off in them...? bit of a funny question but im gonna chuck em if i cant find any other use for them.. ???

Title: Re: Egg Crate Onion Sets
Post by: DD. on February 10, 2012, 15:59

Why don't you just put the sets in the ground and save time and faffing around?

Title: Re: Egg Crate Onion Sets
Post by: madcat on February 10, 2012, 16:05

And use the crates for chitting your spuds....  Noting like egg boxes for chitting spuds - keeps them with the shoots at the top, separated and nicely protected. ;)

Title: Re: Egg Crate Onion Sets
Post by: RobertSongs on February 10, 2012, 16:46

True i was just thiking about getting em off to an earlier start..

Title: Re: Egg Crate Onion Sets
Post by: Ivor Backache on February 10, 2012, 17:11

Quote from: DD. on February 10, 2012, 15:59

Why don't you just put the sets in the ground and save time and faffing around?

They are not deep enough and when you water the compost they will absorb it and disintergrate. Chit the potatoes and then put them on the compost heap.

Title: Re: Egg Crate Onion Sets
Post by: Salmo on February 10, 2012, 18:36

I agree with DD. They will grow plenty big enough straight into the ground when the soil warms up.

Any check on them may cause them to bolt to seed. Early cold planting. Transplanting.

Title: Re: Egg Crate Onion Sets
Post by: Totty on February 11, 2012, 17:56

I agree that the cardboard egg boxes are not deep enough. But starting them off indoors is a good idea IMO. Sometimes when planting the sets outside you will find some of them led on the surface where birds have pulled at the strawy tops, or where the roots have pushed the sets out of the soil. Planting them indoors until the green is just showing gets around all of this and guarentees a good set of roots.

Totty