[CDave]

Me too. Mine never grow beyond one leaf in seed compost.

Ta - light bulb moment for me - I've used Levington F2+S. Maybe the compost is exhausted. Will transplant asap.

[whinpin]

Hi can someone please tell me if I have to move onions from moduals to larger pots or leave and go straight into the ground and at what stage can I move to a cold greenhouse my onions are about 20mm tall many thanks

[MrsPea]

I've just pricked my onions out into 3" pots 'Kelsea Onion Seeds' all looking good 

[DD.]

Mine will just go into modules, I find that sufficient. 3" pots is a lot of compost! 

[mumofstig]

Hi can someone please tell me if I have to move onions from moduals to larger pots or leave and go straight into the ground and at what stage can I move to a cold greenhouse my onions are about 20mm tall many thanks

That depends on what size modules you have seeded them into?

I use '12 holes to a seed tray' size modules and leave the onions there til they're planted out. They do need feeding towards planting time, in this size.

[whinpin]

Thanks   I guess I ve got to move them my onions are in small moduals 49 per tray

[MrsPea]

Mine will just go into modules, I find that sufficient. 3" pots is a lot of compost! 

There is 3 in a pot or is that still too much ??

[DD.]

Three in  pot's not so bad. I got the impression each had got its individual home!

[bravemurphy]

Pricked mine out into 24 modules the F1 look good but the bed champs don't look so good mind you they are in a cold greenhouse and that is where they  will stay.

Also put some Pound shop sets in modules they are the same  ones another plot holder grew last year and they were great.

[peedee555]

i prick mine into mini peat pots fiddly at the seedling stage but really easy when planting out

[jambop]

I sowed my onions last week in large pots in general  propose compost and they are just starting to come through! I sowed four varieties F1 called Sprinter, Vertus de paille, and a Spanish onion as well as red onion forget name. With regard to thinning seedlings brought on this way there is no need! I have sown seed say 80 to 100 in a 8 inch pot and grown them on until the were planted out and got the best onions I have ever had just a bit of liquid feed when watering. Then when planting out the onions roots are soaked in water and the compost washed away then planted with a dibber to maintain root length below soil and the depth of planting just about a half in below the surface. The were an F1 variety name escapes me just now but the onions were magnificent!

[Steveharford]

Sounds good Jambop. About to sow some more so might try that method. I've got into the habit of sowing in seed compost then pricking out into better stuff. I can't think why they can't be sown into the better stuff thinly thus eliminating the pricking out stage and the checking that goes with it. Going to do this today so would appreciate others opinions too.

[jambop]

Steve I got the idea from buying seedlings form the local GC which were grown the same way. The pot is quite deep so the roots do develop well then after the are well developed and I do mean well developed they are planted out after washing the compost out of the roots trying to keep damage to a minimum and plant out into well watered ground. The first time I tried this method I thought well here goes nothing... the results were amazing really fantastic big onions that kept very well. This is a good method for F1's the uniformity of the onions was great!

[Hayleynotts]

Sorry to cut in but why do you wash the compost off before planting? Complete novice here

[jambop]

Hayley you don't need to I found they got damaged less this way than tearing them from the compost to transplant them. You could just give them a really good soaking to loosen them off completely the gently tease them apart. I have to stress that these plants are really quite well grown on they are about the thickness of an artist type paint brush 3-4 mm diameter  and need a good watering in period after transplanting, I stay in SW France right enough so it is a lot hotter here in March / April we can easily get high twenties some days, the soil gets very hot then it may not be so crucial at home in the UK.