[brightgirls]

After a busy weekend on our new allotment we have planted out garlic and onions sets.  We have quite a few onion bulbs left over after planting out several rows. 

My novice question is will these onion bulbs last until next year so we can use them next autumn? 

So we have now planted onions sets, several different garlic sets, broad beans, shallots and 5 raspberry canes.  We have also sowed a section with green manure (rye grass).  phew...  I think that is all we can do for now...  however any other suggestions out there?

Could we plant some apple and pear cordons?  any tips for us novices?

Thanks

[mumofstig]

No they won't store 

Apple and pear trees can be planted from now til spring, while the time the plants are dormant

[sunshineband]

Sadly, onion sets will not last, as they shrivel up and turn to husks.

It is a good time to plant fruit trees or bueshes, and bare root ones are available really soon, and these are much cheaper.
 

Have  alook on the RHS website about fruit cordons -- they have some excellent advice and pictures too. Buying cordons ready begun can be quite expensive but they are straightforward enough from what they call 'feathered maidens' ie a straight up thin trunk with some twiggy side growths  

Overlapped with Mumofstig so went back and editted so she doesn't think I ignored her post... which would be rude 

[brightgirls]

Thanks for both answers... appreciated. 

I will give the onions sets away to the new people on the next allotment to us... they moved in yesterday and we already feel like old hands.

One last question ..we have some "nearly out of date" packs of rocket seeds... is it worth planting them out now as I saw some earlier posts saying rocket can like cooler months...

nothing to lose !!  

[mumofstig]

 ^   

Yes, sow the rocket, as you say you've nothing to lose, and I'd bet it will come up...............
unless we have a sudden freeze 

[brightgirls]

super...  we will get it planted during the week.  Thanks all 

[Jamie Butterworth]

With the onion sets left over, if you have a pot of any size, plant them in the pot and butt them up to each other, so they have no room to grow a bulb. Let them grow and within 1 month the tops should be of a decent size, pick them, take of the shell from the onion set, and your left with a spring onion

[bigben]

Two years ago I had a whole packet spare after having planted around 500 I did not have enough ground to plant the final packet. So I planted them very close together in around a square yard of soil and they came up and grew into very small onions just the right size to use for pickling.

[brightgirls]

may give that a go cheers