[bedifferent]

Hi, i am planning to grow some onions next year. Allotments near me complained of blight this year and so i am worried that this may be a wasted effort. What variety of onion would be good to grow for someone new to this? Also i am a bit confused as how to go about it. What is all this about "sets".
Any light anyone can shed would be appreciated.

[richyrich7]

Don't think you'll have to much to worry about, onions don't get blight potato's and tomato's do

Go for sets they are easier, all they are are small onions heat treated to stop it developing so when you plant it give's you a head start.

Bury them so just the tips are showing blunt end, down sharp end poking up about march time in weed free fertile soil easy  

[Hampshire Hog]

As Richy says no problem with blight.

Would say try sets as they normally do really well.

If you want something else you might want to plant a few shallots too. They are quite easy to grow one set creates a clump but hard to find in supermarkets and shops and or expensive.

Cheers HH

[outdoorgirl]

Hi, i am planning to grow some onions next year.
<snip>
What is all this about "sets".
Any light anyone can shed would be appreciated.

You grow onions one of two ways - from seed, and from 'sets'.

Onion sets look a bit like shallots; they are small onion bulbs and you plant them the same way as any other bulb, as has been mentioned already.

[Trillium]

REgardless of what you plant, they need regular water and rich soil to grow well, and don't crowd them. I like to mulch mine with straw which holds down the weeds and keeps the moisture in.

[cooperman]

If you are growing to eat then its sets   all the way down the line. If you are growing for SIZE ie to show 'em off! Then its seed.  Some parts of the country suffer from Onion White Fly (which attacks the root/base and you find little white maggots) Onions grown from seed are more susceptible to white fly attack.......   manure the bed and also....