[Yana]

I've checked my onions sets (store in the garage) and they are sprouting. It's too early to put them in the ground (which is wet and cold) so is it ok to pot them up individually?

[simonwatson]

You can pot them up in trays or pots. Just be careful not to disturb the roots when transplanting.

[Rexmundi]

If I pot them up, can they be kepts outside?

Will the frost be a problem to them do you think?

Thanks

[simonwatson]

It's my understanding that exposing sets to a long cold period makes them more likely to bolt. Does that sound right to others?

[JayG]

It could do - onion sets "work" by trying to fool what is usually a biennual plant, which is programmed to flower in its second year, into not flowering by lifting them prematurely in the first year (they are sometimes also heat treated in an attempt to kill the embryonic flower cells before planting.)

Unfortunately onions are not very intelligent plants, so can easily be fooled yet again after planting out if conditions lead it to believe it really is time to flower (it can happen with onions grown from seed too but seems to happen less often than with sets, perhaps because they have one less shock to the system to put up with.) 

[alancas]

can they be planted in peat pots and then put in the ground when it warms up?

[Rexmundi]

can they be planted in peat pots and then put in the ground when it warms up?

That's exactly what I did yesterday - so i'll be interested to read the replies from other members to your question alancas.

[alancas]

i've never tried it but didnt want to waste time if it dosent work.

[mumofstig]

You can, but I'm not a lover of peat pots. Tear the top rim off when you plant them, otherwise it seems to act as a wick and make the pots dry out. Once they've dried out the roots can't grow through them.

[alancas]

thanks i think i might try some this year just to see if they are any better,as well as planting direct into the soil.

[gavinjconway]

Pot them into modules and pop them in the ground in Spring.. simples. Mine are in 40 tray modules getting some good roots going.. them in Spring they will go to the plot. They are my earlies and the rest will be from seed planted a week ago.

[New shoot]

I planted a load into modules yesterday and they went into the greenhouse (unheated) to get going.

Noticed a couple in the bag just starting to sprout - even though I only bought them a couple of days ago   

[Yana]

Sorry haven't been back into this discussion since I first asked the question.
So it's OK to pot them up and put into a cold greenhouse?

Gavin - aren't the onions too big for the space in a 40-module tray?  :blink:

[Rexmundi]

Hmmm, reading on a different thread that onion sets should be planted so the top of the onion is just below the surface.

I think I've put mine in pots 2/3 cm below the surface. 

Do you think this is a big deal and do I need to rectify?

Thanks

[JayG]

Rexmundi: not sure whether you are describing less than 1cm or nearly an inch below the surface, but if they are in pots it doesn't really make that much difference as they should still root OK and you will no doubt plant them outside at the right depth when the time comes.