[hubballi]

I sewed some onions from seed which are still very thin. I noticed in the garden centre today some sets in a bag. I was tempted to buy them (red baron) as it is so appealing they are already grown on. The question is, will my grown from seed onions be ready in time for summer harvesting or should I buy some sets as an insurance ?

[SG6]

Depends if you have the spare space to plant some from sets as well.
I will say that people seem to have a fairly poor success rate with red onions.
I tried red baron sets twice, and I would have been better simply buying from the supermarket at the end of the time.
Whites were better.

This year I have a few from seed and germination is poor.

Planted overwintering onion sets last Oct/Nov and these seem to be doing fine.

As a backup I would go with a white onion set, and plant whatever I could fit in.

[peapod]

I had two trays of seeds (so 60) but one blew away the other day when I was hardening them off, so now Im getting sets as well. Itll be a good experiment to see what works best for me

[SG6]

I am counting on the over wintering onions.
The seeds are for the mammoth onion.
Trouble is I am planting about ten seeds to get one seed to germinate.

[peapod]

When Ive eventually settled into this growing lark Im going for mammoth onion growing. It looks like good fun 

[SG6]

I have the mammoth leeks as well.
They are germinating fairly well, have lots.

[peapod]

Are they for show?

[SG6]

No.
My uncle grow leeks for show.
Thought I would see if I could grow some, and take the biggest one up.
Then ask if he had any advice on how I could get my small leeks to grow a bit bigger then the average spring onion.

[pushrod]

I am counting on the over wintering onions.
The seeds are for the mammoth onion.
Trouble is I am planting about ten seeds to get one seed to germinate.

If you have prepared your soil well you can get some really impressive results from those robinson mammoth seeds- mind if you are just getting them to germinate now you are a little bit late.

[SG6]

I wasn't late, started the onions off several weeks ago.
But when the germination rate is about 10% it means that you end up with a second sowing at least. They are going just as bad so I have little hope of getting the number I want.

The last lot went into a half size seed tray, I put a good scattering of seed as the previous experience indicated that I could expect poor results. I have 4 seedlings out of 40-50 seeds sown.

Little disappointed with the germination as the seed isn't cheap.

The leeks have come out somewhat better.

[peapod]

Id complain SG6, ive had some 'normal' onion seeds that have given nearly100% germination. You sound like you know your onions (Ill get me coat!) and arent doing anything wrong so email the company and get your money back. Thats a very poor germination rate 

[bendufeu]

around 95% germination of onion seeds (after planting around 140 seeds) but that was in a propagator.  They just went outside in ground and look ok, they were very easy to transplant although all the soil fell away from the roots.

[Salmo]

Onions sown direct in the ground often take a long time to come up. Even when they do it is easy to think that there are not enough. Go along the row and put a scratch mark in the soil by each one. If there is on average one every 3 inches they are OK. The old hands on the Fens always say onions look nothing until Derby day. They will finish a little later than sets but they should keep better.