[engineer]

Quick question, should onion seedlings be transplanted into modules, then grown on before planting out?

[mumofstig]

That depends on what you've sown them in and how far apart they were sown.

[engineer]

Hi Mum, I used clear ex grape box containers, the seeds were broadcast over the surface and are quite close together.

[New shoot]

They can't go out for quite a long time yet, so yes I would transplant into modules.  Mine stay in modules for quite a while and I give then the odd liquid feed to keep them going.

Slow but steady growth is what you are after.

[mumofstig]

Sorry, I've only just seen this - but NS has answered for me 

Deeper trays and wider spacing from the start would have allowed them to stay where they were, which is how leeks are often started.

[arh]

I've sown mine in approx 9" x 9" pots, just sprinkled them on the surface, thinly covered them. I'm not going to touch them until it's time to plant them out, then "knock" them out of the pots and transplant them into their places, I got the idea from Jambob, admittedly this is the first time I've done it, but it seems to be a lot easier than individual pots everywhere. The theory is that I'll have far more than I need, so I'll just pick the best ones. These were sown around the 20th of January, if I remember correctly, (the date is in the "early onion seed" thread. this is the second pot of them, and if it doesn't work out, I'll buy some sets.

[New shoot]

Are you feeding them arh?  I haven't tried that method, but they are going to be in that compost for quite a while and there are a lot of them in there.   Won't they get hungry and spindly 

[engineer]

Thanks, Guys n' Gals, with the weather being as it is can't get anywhere near the lotty, so things can stay as they are for a while, if temperatures don't pick up they won't get transplanted!

[arh]

Not yet New Shoot, but I will be starting to shortly, (10 drops of Baby Bio per pint), I don't want to make last years mistake of over feeding them, ,

[New shoot]

Not yet New Shoot, but I will be starting to shortly, (10 drops of Baby Bio per pint), I don't want to make last years mistake of over feeding them, ,

   Well gardening is all about learning.  I always think a mistake made sticks in your mind far better than any reading you do about how 'tis done 

It will be interesting to see how those seedlings do.  Even if you don't get huge onions, that may be a way to easily grow a crop for the kitchen without faff 

[arh]

"That's the truth",Anyway thank you New Shoot for the advice, I will keep you informed as to how I get on. I'm not looking for huge onions as there is only the 2 of us, so medium onions will be a bonus, and as you say, it's a lot easier than planting in modules. arh.