Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: Kathogur on February 01, 2017, 18:56
-
So, I have got a bag of onion sets. Do I leave the little top showing out of the ground when I plant them? is there a special place to put them, do they like sun, shade etc:
-
You got it just gently push into the soil leaving a little of the tip out.
It's not necessary but I always start by planting in a tray of compost for a couple of weeks to grow some roots,this gives it a little more support and prevents birds picking them out.
Keep weed free and let em grow.
-
I don't do that. I completely cover them, not by much, just draw a little soil over them. The rain will wash this away, by which time they will have rooted and the birds can't tug them out. Snip off any long dry stalks first.
-
You got it just gently push into the soil leaving a little of the tip out.
Don't push them in unless you have soft top soil, or you could damage the base plate of the onion (where the roots grow) It's better to either to make a small hole or draw a shallow trench with a hoe and then almost cover them up.
-
Make sure the soil is crumbly and soft. I dig a small hole and place the set in it. I cover with soil to just over the tip. The ones you don't get lifted by birds. The rain will gradually uncover them and as they grow they sit on top of the soil. I used to leave the tip showing but I was forever planting them back in. Use a general purpose fertiliser raked in the soil a few days before planting then again a couple of months later.
-
Prep the soil where they are to grow with compost and a bit of general fertiliser. Firm the soil and the rake the surface to produce about an inch or so of fine tilth. Draw out a drill about 25mm deep and then place the onion set in the bottom at 4-5" apart then carefully draw the soil back over the sets and firm gently with the back of a rake. Do not worry that the are covered they will get through no problem and being covered the birds cannot pull them out, Do not push them onto the soil it can damage the set.
-
Sometimes you cover them and the birds still pull them out.
Sometimes you also put fleece or a net over them and they are still pulled out. I think that often the birds are blamed but the real culprits are mice.
-
Wow! Thank you so much advice. Cant wait to get them out, when is the best time to do that, thank you again x
-
I always start early April and plans along side the carrot plot to help avoid carrot fly.
-
Just out of curiosity... isn't it a little early for onions?