[Snoop]

Have just been reading Lardman's thread on being driven mad by spring onions. And it made me wonder what salad onions you all grow.

I grow Fuentes, a white onion that is very sweet when young but which will grow to an absolutely whopper that's quite tingly on the tongue. The largest one I grew was 1430 g. No special method or fertiliser, just in the ground with a bit of muck and some added multipurpose fertiliser later in the season. Even the locals were quite impressed. Fuentes is a lovely salad onion but doesn't store very well once lifted, maybe three months. Highly recommended if you can get the seed in the UK.

What do you grow?

[mumofstig]

From Lardman's thread

I've never had much luck with Lisbon - now I use Guardsman with success from  Autumn and Spring sowings. It is winter hardy and my Autumn-sown ones are about ready now, they've been growing outside.

I also grow Long Red Florence, which like your variety, can get quite big if left and doesn't store well. It does make lovely sweet eating though 

[compostqueen]

I adore the long reds so grow lots of them!  The green bit is lush and long so all gets used 
I grow Purplette, White Lisbon, New Holland Blood Red as well

[adri123]

Ishikura, White Lisbon, Purple Lilia...All look to be growing well in the PT

[Steveharford]

I've got quite a lot of ailsa Craig and Bedfordshire champ seedlings left over. Still growing quite well in their trays. I'm thinking of planting them out in bunches and treating them as spring onions rather than let them grow on as I will have enough big ones. How will they be?

[Yorkie]

They should be fine, SteveH

[Steveharford]

Thanks Yorkie. I will plant them out tomorrow. Also, in the absence of white Lisbon which I could have sworn I had a packet, I sowed some Winter Hardy Lisbon, they could do really well or *******dy awful I guess but worth a try. I can't imagine that they will think it's not autumn yet and therefore refuse to grow!

[Markw]

I have never gone wrong with Ishikura, Performer, Guardsman, and Rouge Long De Florence that are dual purpose as you can crop young for spring onions or leave to bulb up.

[Snoop]

Looks like Long Red Florence is popular. Will give that a try next year. We eat a lot of salads in the summer, and sometimes even just a change in colour makes it seem like we're not eating the same thing over and over again. (Even so, really looking forward to courgettes!)

[gobs]

I also grow Florence. Amongst others...

I just noticed I soon shall have quarter or plus of the plot to alliums of sorts.