[Allotment Jon]

Having never managed to grow good strong spring onions on the allotment I was wondering if they do better on the kitchen window sill in the warm.

I have several packets however all seem to only say only grow outdoors.

[mumofstig]

You can start them inside but they do need planting out when they're big enough, and the weather is better.

[JayG]

They can be very slow to grow outside - I think some folk probably underestimate their feeding requirements on poor soils (including me in the past.  )

[Springlands]

I grow some spring onions in big pots of MP compost - they are started off in the GH and then go outside when they are about 2 or 3 inches tall. I have had some really good results. The rest go directly into the ground but as JayG said they do need good soil and patience as they can be slow.

[DD.]

I start mine in modules, in the greenhouse 6 or so seeds to a cell, perhaps a couple more for good luck.

Harden off when about 4" high and plant them out as a clump.

[Allotment Jon]

Thanks for the advice. I don't have a Green House so might start off inside and then move up the road to the allotment.

[cudders]

Some will grow this year but many will hold till the following year before they get to a decent size.

I have a nice row with perfect ones from last year with others still a way to go..that's about half that were sowed.

Dont be too harsh and dig em all up too soon.

Cudders.

[cadalot]

I tried over wintering some and the slugs have had half and the other half appear to have shrunk if anything, I suspect they were too small when I planted them out and I have been feeding them with comfrey. Just started off some modules in the cold frame hopefully for an early planting out on the allotment.

I'm hoping to let some go 2 years to get some seeds.

[m1ckz]

i overwintered a packet around october  there looking nice at the moment

[cadalot]

i overwintered a packet around october  there looking nice at the moment

In a cold frame, cold greenhouse or the ground?

[m1ckz]

strait in the ground

[Markw]

I grow them all year round,. there  is never a week that goes by where I don't have spring onions. I grow them in the float tray over winter for winter cropping, I plant every 4 weeks, the ones that are in there now will be planted out on the plot to mature. I then re plant the float tray in summer and bring them in for winter and just pull the larger ones when needed. I started a thread on here about growing in float trays.

[Yorkie]

What do you mean by a float tray, Markw?

[Markw]

Hi Yorkie try reading this thread that I started, there is a link that will give you more information on how they work and what you can grow in them.
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=112130.msg1275463#msg1275463

[Yorkie]

Interesting