[rowlandwells]

I  bought some autumn onion sets having potted the sets in individual [coffee pots] there been in the pots about a month with a mixture of john innes and mult compost but they seem very slow growing my wife re-potted them because she said they where overwatered

they  are showing some growth is there any thing I should use to boost the growth and at the same time the onion I sowed from seed come through very well and are over the crook stage should I leave them to grow naturally or add something to assist growth or just leave till spring it has been suggested when I plant them out in spring I should give them a dressing of nitro chalk being high in nitrogen 

[DD.]

Just stick the sets in the ground and let them get on it with. Mine have been in a couple of weeks and have really healthy shoots on them, with no attention from me.

I don't believe in faffing about and having to plant them twice. They don't need molly-coddling and are designed to be planted outside. On top of that, I find the soil in October more conducive to planting, rather than try and do it in what could be sodden soil in the spring.

[Wiltshire Worms]

I havnt done mine yet, hopefully tomorrow. They will go straight into the silver. .bear in mind they won't grow much between ow and spring time, then they will make rapid growth

[spadework]

There is also the possibility that if they are brought on too soft and lush over the winter they are more likely to bolt once planted out.

Mine have been in a week (Senshyu) with chicken wire laid on the ground to prevent bird pulling. Once they are well rooted the wire is removed. A feed in february and april, they should be ready in june.

[victoria park]

The only reason I can think of for planting onions in compost pots is an attempt to mitigate the chance of onion white rot, and that's a bit of a long shot. i too put straight into the ground and went in about 4 weeks ago under bird net, a week or two early possibly given the warmth. I leave the bird net on these days over winter, as the hungry birds here, or something else, has a liking for chewing off the early greens without pulling them out of the ground. Wabbits, slugs ? not sure

[sunshineband]

Just stick the sets in the ground and let them get on it with. Mine have been in a couple of weeks and have really healthy shoots on them, with no attention from me.

I don't believe in faffing about and having to plant them twice. They don't need molly-coddling and are designed to be planted outside. On top of that, I find the soil in October more conducive to planting, rather than try and do it in what could be sodden soil in the spring.

Aww yuss  Stick 'em in and let them get on with it, right now!!

I do also grow spring sets but the same principle, as who want to pot up 150+ sets and then plant them out as well 

[rowlandwells]

i note what your saying about direct planting which is the easiest way and I did just that for several years until the ground seemed to get very wet overwinter and subsequently the onion where either very poor or rotted

so I went with potting them up in plastic cups to overwinter in the poly tunnel and it worked we had good sized onions only a few winter kills and basically a tad earlier than the other spring sown and yes it is a bit faffing but then if you get the results its all worth the effort?

and as said had no problems with that method till this year maybe the sets or compost don't know but some sets have started to push through so all may not be lost and there's still time to sow some more sets also my seed onion are rally taking hold so we should have onions of some description ready to plant out in spring

o" there's also 50 pots of bulb and 50 pots spring I coffee cups 

[sunshineband]

Despite wet conditions, ours seem to cope alright. Maybe due to raised beds as this does help drainage in the top layers of soil

[Gellideg]

I have grown winter garlic in tubs ok,but this year I have planted Marco in the bed,not raised but reasonably well draining,but living in a high rainfall area have used the leek dibber to a depth of about 6 inches and half filled the hole with clean grit,placed garlic on that and filled up with soil.100% germination in 10 days and they are looking good for the winter.My way of combating the wet.    We'll see    John.