[compostqueen]

Maybe it's the negative vibes you give off. Plants are sensitive creatures

[azubah]

I find them easy in pots.
Layer of well rotted manure, layer of cheap compost, sprinkle seeds generously, dump in corner of greenhouse, forget for a couple of weeks, spring onions on the go!
For later sowings do the same but outside as greenhouse too warm (well hopefully might be some time soon )
Not so successful outside so for the last couple of years have stuck to the pot method.
When i started veggie gardening a few years back my mum said you have got to try Spring Onions, they are so easy........

I think RsT may have the answer here.
I too have had trouble with spring onions for years, but this year put a layer of well rotted manure in a seed tray and covered it with a layer of growbag compost.
I did not get very good germination, ( the seeds are a couple of years old,) but the seedlings are looking better than usual.
I think soil quality may be the answer. Our soil is not rich enough.

[hubballi]

The tray they are in is the seed John Innes compost.

[azubah]

Seed compost is low in nutrients.
Good soil contains a lot of rotting plant material and bacteria. I think that is what they need.

[hubballi]

I topped dressed with growbag compost though.

[hubballi]

The onions (that are still the same size) have started to go thin at the base and whit-ish. They will just fall and wilt.

I have also sowed more in 2 different trays at different times (weeks ago) and they haven't come up at all.

They are impossible to grow. Even shop bought ones potted on in good B and Q compost last year did the same. I didn't get one onion. 

Incidently, I put a search on this forum for this post with the words "spring onions" and it didn't come up. The same for other posts of mine. Not sure the search is working 100% here.

[DD.]

Well I found it OK.

Search > advanced search > search for "spring onions" by "hubballi"

Tick "search in topic subjects only".

Away you go.

[Yorkie]

Incidently, I put a search on this forum for this post with the words "spring onions" and it didn't come up. The same for other posts of mine. Not sure the search is working 100% here.

The search function appears to be working fine for me.  I went to the index board for the Grow Your Own forum, and typed "spring onion" in the search box on the top right hand corner.  Got 40 pages of results.  If I used advanced search, and input your username, I got your post at the top (also told it to search for most recent posts first).

Are you definitely searching in the right place?  

[hubballi]

Again I brought up a search for "spring onions" and my post from last year showed up, not this one.

Anyway, I am happy to report that the spring onions (after looking a bit feeble) are thickening up and looking healthy 

[marcofez]

Love spring onions! Always found them hard to grow Hoping with all these tips, I'll get a decent crop this time. Ta 

[Paulj]

Do spring onions "seed" easily?  I didn't planted some the last couple of years in my garden, but didn't get round to using them all last year, and left them where they were.  This year, I've found plants growing that look and smell suspiciously like spring onions, but they are no way near where the original ones were planted - they are a good 10 metres away at the other end of the garden in beds and I even found one in growing in the grass!

I daren't eat them though, as I'm not entirely sure of what they are and I think I have used a couple of chemical sprays in that area of the garden!

[Yorkie]

Again I brought up a search for "spring onions" and my post from last year showed up, not this one.

Anyway, I am happy to report that the spring onions (after looking a bit feeble) are thickening up and looking healthy 

I don't know what you're doing wrong with the search facility as I've just run the search again and this thread was top of the list.

Glad to hear they are looking healthy though 

[hubballi]

They are slightly smaller i8n size now months on ! A total waste of time. They are in good compost, deep pots and kept moist as well as fed. I don't understand it at all. Surely they should be large bulbs by now.

Anyway, I have just bought a winter variety that can be sown now so perhaps these will do better. I don't know. I am reluctant to grow them in the ground because of slugs.

[ilan]

strange I seem to recall your post on the shrinking onions ::)As I have said plants need good firm soil with plenty of trace minerals in it not just pots of compost and feed

[suziet88]

Isn't it strange that we all find different vegs easier to grow than others?  I've never had problems with spring onions but have got just 3 swedes out of a packet??