Onions from seed - 2014

I've just taken a picture of my biggest Kelsea onions grown from seed .

We brought some horse manure from a local farm and spread over our veg patch, the onions that I was so proud of as a first time grower from seed all got swallowed up by the worst weed infestation we have ever had.  Not going to do that again!

They do look impressive I think I will try a few of them next year.

I doubt they keep very long tho do they?

I haven't found keeping onions from seed any different from those grown from sets really. They just need to be carefully dried off to make sure the neck is properly cured so they don't rot

My Red Baron onions did not do well, only got 2 out of the 12 I planted.  I need to sow them earlier next year.  The Sentana onions grew to various sizes but not massive.  I currently have 92 seedling planted in cells getting ready to go in for the winter.  Just need it to be dry for a few hours at the weekend.

When is the best time to start the seeds off and have I missed it?

I am afraid you have missed the boat for overwintered onions.   You need to sow mid August to get them at a decent size for planting out around now.   For maincrop onions you sow seed in January, but somewhere warm.