[strider84]

Just wondering what everyones experiences have been good or bad using onions sets and seeds..

I am going to attempt some Overwintering onions I hear these are more susceptible to disease? I've heard that sets are more disease prone but wanted some feedback based on peoples experience?

Many thanks

Matt

[BabbyAnn]

Overwintering onions - have to say that I've had good results from both sets and seeds.  However, last year was a disaster for the sets when the rains came and the stupid things didn't die back when they should.  Instead, they kept on growing, taking up more water, got huge and split.  The ones from seed on the other hand were smallish - a very dry spring so slow to get going and then I think the rain that followed flushed out most of the nutrients from the soil but at least the onions were harvestable.

If I had to choose, I might go down the seed route - the first time I tried, I was pleasantly surprised by how easy they were to grow from seed (direct in late August), survived the winter of 2010 and were very productive.  However, even some of those got rot so my choice wouldn't be so much about susceptibility to disease.

[Annen]

If I had to choose, I might go down the seed route - the first time I tried, I was pleasantly surprised by how easy they were to grow from seed (direct in late August), survived the winter of 2010 and were very productive.  However, even some of those got rot so my choice wouldn't be so much about susceptibility to disease.

BabbyAnn, did you get special winter onion seeds or just use the maincrop seeds when you sowed in August?

[snow white]

Trying Senchu this year with seeds, never tryed before so waiting to see what the responces are.

[Nikkithefoot]

I am giving up on the overwintering onions full stop. After several years of failed or poor crops I'm going to stick with the spring grown ones, both sets and seeds.

While it is nice to see things growing, or at least green in the winter personally I think they are not worth th effort that goes into them. Besides they generally don't store well, are only ready a matter of weeks before the spring grown ones and are meant to act as a stop gap. For that amount of time / effort to grow them vs return  for me I'd rather buy any onions I might need until my main ones are ready.

[BabbyAnn]

BabbyAnn, did you get special winter onion seeds or just use the maincrop seeds when you sowed in August?

oh yes - use only seed specific for autumn sowing!  Senshyu Yellow is the most obvious but I also tried Kosma which is a little flattened white skinned onion.  I believe other varieties that can be spring or autumn sowing include Ailsa Craig, Hi Keeper F1, Di Savona and Giant Zittau but do check.  And don't forget spring onions.

Sowing seeds direct is not for everyone though - I remember reading somewhere that it is really only suitable for those in the midlands and down to the south.  You might be able to do it say in a greenhouse/polytunnel but it would then occupy that space right up to mid-June but I suppose you could grow some in troughs and move them out come late spring.  And the window for sowing is very tight - those in the midlands should aim for around the 20th August and not much later (I sowed 2nd September but kept them under a cloche to encourage growth before hardening off for winter in October.  That particular year September was very mild) With the south no later than the 5th September to ensure germination and some top growth before dropping temperatures stop them.

[sunshineband]

I have had excellent results from Autumn onion sets, with large bubs that were ready to be used from mid June onwards and the final ones harvested three weeks ago: a good three inches across.

The white Snowball was smaller but still gave a good crop.

They were set out a little later than usual last Autumn, around the end of October. Despite the rain, the long cold winter etc they stayed good and green and had put down decent enough roots to cope.

[Annen]

Thanks BabbyAnn, I will look into that, but I have had good success with sets this year particularly, I just thought that seed grown onions might be less prone to going to seed.

[Totty]

Have always used sets, have always had the odd bolter, and a few have rotted off this year. Seed sown ones are still growing strongly, fully green and getting nice and big. The set grown ones are all drying now and a lot smaller.

The bigger variety choice and fact that they bolt much less readily means I'm chucking sets from this year and seeding all the way. Not autumn though.

Totty

[steved]

The bigger variety choice and fact that they bolt much less readily means I'm chucking sets from this year and seeding all the way. Not autumn though.

Totty

Me too, my New Years Day unheated greenhouse sown Ailsa Craig are still growing away happily and are all about 6 inches diameter, at least twice as big as the spring sown sets which have been drying on the soil surface for about a fortnight now. Dont really know what happened to the sets this year, maybe i just bought wrong 'uns as they are all planted in the same patch as the seed sown ones which ive been really chuffed with-cant win 'em all i suppose!

[gavinjconway]

Your Ailsa Craig will naturally be much bigger than the sets as they are a large show type onion. I do both sets and seed and find that the sets are less hassle but for my big ones I do them by seed as they are not available in sets.

[devonbarmygardener]

I'm a sets girl myself.
And I pre sprout my sets in cut down loo rolls filled with compost first

[crh75]

I have a probelm with white rot.  Sets get really clobbered by it but seeds do much better.  I guess this is because the onions from seed (started in modules) are planted out later than sets. 
I don't bother with sets now and over wintered onions never work due to the white rot.

[wil4025]

I've done both and found growing from seed not that bad and found you get a much better crop if grown in module trays in the greenhouse.

[devonbarmygardener]

I have only had one problem with sets when I tried to grow overwintering onions last year and didn't pre-sprout my sets and just bunged them in the ground with fleece cover - not a single onion grew.