onions

I live in Scotland weathers still a bit cold .can I sow my onion sets in trays in march and put them out when they have grown shoots please help

Just got my sets today and by tomorrow they'll be in trays of compost to get started. I prefer this way because not all will start to grow despite looking healthy.

But i still have several hundred sets planted so its not to bad

But i still have several hundred sets planted so its not to bad

not in the dodgy compost I hope..

Super cheap compost/mix from places like poundland should be used only as fillers or for flowers you hate since you really do get what you pay for. For my own crops, which I depend on, I use only good quality potting mix. Saves money in the end because I don't lose seeds/sets and the plants can survive easily for some time until planting out. In my climate, starting them early is a huge bonus.

hi waliz -  my onions have been growing now for 6 weeks and just got them planted in the ground this week

I plant my onion sets in loo roll tubes ( I get everybody to save me them ) in fact I plant nearly all my seeds this way 

I find they grow better outside rather than in the green house - they don't mind the cold at all , hard as nails

they are filled with compost ( I make my own from sifted compost heap matter and mole hiil soil )

put the loo rolls  side by side in a seed tray with sides , once the root grows through to the bottom of the tube dig a hole with a trowel and plant the whole thing tube and all into the ground , job done

so glad I did it this way this year as the ground is still to wet to dig to a tilth so made planting easy in the wet soil

added this picture today to show you how they look in all this wet soggy weather

 - 20 Brrrrrrrrr