[muckyboots]

Hi I'v sown sown my Kelsia 3 weeks ago and no show ,this is worse than last year when I got 50% germination.This seems to be a common thing with this onion as a friend has sown 2 packets with no germination,we have sown these before in the past with a lot better results .I will try againbut my Bedfordshire are 95% at germination, is any one else having this problem.Cheers

[mumofstig]

Where/how are you sowing them? They're not usually a problem.

[Eightball]

old seed?

[Annen]

Hi I'v sown sown my Kelsia 3 weeks ago and no show ,this is worse than last year when I got 50% germination.This seems to be a common thing with this onion as a friend has sown 2 packets with no germination,we have sown these before in the past with a lot better results .I will try againbut my Bedfordshire are 95% at germination, is any one else having this problem.Cheers

A friend of mine had zero germination this year with a variety (can't remember its name, but it is the kind that the french onion man sells) from France.  He told the distributors and apparently they have had quite a lot of failures this year from last year's seed.

[Steveharford]

Me too Annen. The variety I had was Rose of Roscoff. Not one germinated. Even worse than last year when I had just five I think. Shan't be bothering with them next year. Makes you wonder if they treat them with something to stop germination. No.....the French wouldn't do that ! 😉

[Totty]

A few update pics of the large onions and leeks, "normal" onions, all have had light, and me shallots.

Totty

[Totty]

And the leek...

Totty

[sunshineband]

And the leek...

Totty

The leek, indeed 

[New shoot]

My 'large' onions look like your normal ones    The benefits of grow lights proved there 

The leek is a bit of bruiser isn't it 

[Totty]

Yep, the grow light is making a huge difference. Am putting all the micro greens under it for a couple of days after germination and they are growing very evenly.

Totty

[muckyboots]

 Hi in answer to  mum's queryI sowed the seed in seed compost put in conservatory .I have not had a problem before although I didn't check the date on the seed packet they could be old ,I'll give them one more try and check the date next time.

[gavinjconway]

Totty, how old are the onions now? How long under the lights?

[JayG]

My Ailsa Craig on the kitchen windowsill took 12 days before the first one showed, and nearly a week later they are still coming through slowly one at a time.

It's too early to know what the % germination will turn out to be but I don't remember them being this reluctant last year when the seed was 'fresh'...........

[Totty]

Totty, how old are the onions now? How long under the lights?

Sown middle of December time, and have been under lights since. It's on from 6-6 so is mainly supplementary lighting now, and as soon as we start getting twelve hours of daylight they will go off.

Totty

[gavinjconway]

Thanks for that... Mine are a bit smaller but they were sown a bit after yours..