Onions in modules VS sown direct.

This year I have compared growing seed onions sown directly in the ground with some sown 4 to a module and planted out.

This came about because I sowed the seed in the ground and then decided that I needed a backup so sowed some more in modules. The direct sown were OK so I decided to plant the modules also.

The variety was F1 Hytech from Suttons. A 10 ft row direct sown and 10ft planted with modules. Rows 12 inches apart

The seed was sown at about 1 inch spacing in the ground on February 23rd under a polythene hoop cloche. My soil is very light so I can do this.

The modules were sown on 26th February with 4 seeds to a module on a window sill, and were put outside in the daytime once germinated if the weather was kind.

Those in the ground appeared towards the end of March. The modules were planted out at 12 inch spacings on 7th April, by which time they mostly had 3 leaves and looked slightly ahead of the direct sown ones.

The direct sown were thinned to 3 inch spacing. Some thinnings were transplanted to fill the odd gap but the majority were eaten as spring onions. A bonus crop.

Yields were as follows

Direct sown  38 onions weighed 4.550Kg. Average weight 119g.

Modules        34 onions weighed 4.132Kg. Average weight 110g

Although raising plants in modules and planting them out was extra hassle they were easier to manage after they were planted. This was because by then many of the weeds had germinated and been killed and clumps of 4 onions at 12 inch spacing are more easily hoed than a line of tiny seedlings in the direct sown ones.

By harvest many of the direct sown ones were touching each other. They were very even, but this would be expected as they had been thinned to 3 inch spacing.

The clumps of 4 pushed each other aside and mostly developed OK . 2 plants were lost, hence 34 onions from 12 modules, and there were two or three that were small that had not competed with the other 3 in the clump.

On any but very light soil I would go for modules. On the other hand the there were no spring onions to be thinned from the modules.

Did you measure how many seeds were actually sown straight in the ground? What was your germination rate?

I never sow into the ground, yes you get slightly smaller results but more loss of seed. I don't like wasting seed or thinning so modules works well for me.

Zanzen -
Suttons say average of 195 seeds in the packet. I sowed 18 modules X 4 seeds=72 and the rest were sown direct ito a 10 ft row at approx 1 inch spacing= appros 120. I planted out 12 of the modules each with 4 plants. The other modules, some of which had less plants, were planted elsewhere. Remember that I took thinnings as spring onions so nothing was wasted.
DD-
Picking out a typical onion it was 21/2inches in diameter and weighed 165g. The largest was 3 inches and weighed 266g. Anything as big as or larger than the latter are deamed too large in our kitchen as inevitably half is put in the fridge and is eventually thrown out. Big bold shallots are often preferred to onions.

The wider onions are spaced the bigger they grow. One of my neighbours plants his sets at a foot apart each way and they are huge. Useless in the kitchen but impressive.

One thing I have learned about onions is that if you are going to sow them direct they must be in the ground by mid-March to produce a decent crop. They do not rot so if the ground is fit they can go in. On all but the lighest of soils this is often difficult to achieve and soil capping can be a problem. On heavy soil it may be difficult to plant modules out if it is very wet or dry and sets are probably a better bet.