[surbie100]

I saw that. 

I need to find my fleece and the bits for the mini-grow house to put the other shelf on.

[New shoot]

I've just been out to check mine and added a fleece overcoat to the mini greenhouse inside the main greenhouse.  I've got to go out to work in a bit, so they are getting tucked up early. 

So far so good.  They came through the last lot of frosty nights unscathed, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed 

[Growster...]

Ours have failed miserably!

Going to plant sets pretty soon!

[AlaninCarlisle]

Waste of time. Mine sown two and a half  months ago in a heated propagator and then transplanted into individual pots in the greenhouse are still no bigger than the leeks I sowed a fortnight ago. Just bought a load of sets to ensure a harvest this summer

[Casey76]

Am I too late to start from seed this year?

I tried sets 2 years ago and they all bolted (all of them - over 250!) before they had plumped up even a bit :/

[New shoot]

Am I too late to start from seed this year?

I tried sets 2 years ago and they all bolted (all of them - over 250!) before they had plumped up even a bit :/

Not too late at all    The seed grown ones do seem to be a lot more resistant to bolting than sets.  The earlier you sow, the bigger the eventual onions, but a decent crop can still be had from sowing now and you may have a longer season anyway where you are.

Waste of time. Mine sown two and a half  months ago in a heated propagator and then transplanted into individual pots in the greenhouse are still no bigger than the leeks I sowed a fortnight ago. Just bought a load of sets to ensure a harvest this summer

Don't write them off so soon.  The seed grown ones are very slow to get going, but they keep going after the sets have finished growing and as said above, are far less likely to bolt.  Mine are only at the 3 leaf stage but it was the same last year and I got a great crop.

March last year

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=117739.msg1394542#msg1394542

By April, they had suddenly got going

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=117739.msg1402603#msg1402603

By the end of the season, I had smug face mode fully engaged

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=117739.msg1432175#msg1432175

I've got some sets as well this year, but I'm sure my seed grown onions will be far bigger on harvest 

[surbie100]

I'm echoing NewShoot - my onions looked feeble for ages, but I ended up with grapefruit sized, juicy strong onions. They just suddenly took off.

My shallots are at 3 leaves, and the resown onions on nearly 2. Next year I will resist sowing till mid-Feb, I just don't have your trick with the fleece down pat yet News!

[snow white]

I carefully raised some onions from seed took them up the allotment for potting on and hardening up, and dropped the blighters at the gate.  Recovered some of them but I gave up after 40. 

[AlaninCarlisle]

Having read a couple of the above posts, I'm reprieving half of the onions I sowed in January. I've discarded the weaker ones to create more space on the g/h bench. I'm still doubtful about them as they are just the same size after nearly 3 months as the leeks are after 3 weeks! I'll transfer them to the polytunnel once I pot on my tomato seedlings as that will be the g/h benches totally full

[New shoot]

Just a thought Alan, but have you fed your onion seedlings?  Mine get a liquid feed several times during their growing on period.  I can't remember what I have this year - I think it may be Growsure one I saw on offer, but any general purpose one will do.

I carefully raised some onions from seed took them up the allotment for potting on and hardening up, and dropped the blighters at the gate.  Recovered some of them but I gave up after 40. 

I would have said a few choice words at that one.  Bad luck 

[Growster...]

I don't think I'd have wasted time choosing words here...

There would have been a torrent of disgusting expletives!

Hope the forty survivors get to mammoth proportions Snows - you deserve the result!

[New shoot]

This years seedlings at 3 months old.  They are still in the blowaway inside the cold greenhouse, but only because I haven't had room on the staging for them.   The door of the blowaway is open all the time now.



The seed spuds were all planted today, so space has cleared.  Over the weekend I will have a move round and they can graduate to the staging.  They got a liquid feed today, so with that and the extra light they will get, I'm expecting a bit of a growing spurt 

[Snoop]

I'm a bit late in comparison with all of you, but the seed packet instructions say I'm in good time, so I sowed Megaton leeks and our shallots today.

I'm afraid I cheat and buy in seedlings (not sets) for our big (let's hope) onions, as I grow far too many to be able to grow them from seed. Sorry about cheating in that respect.

Sorry to hear about your accident, Snow White. I'd have been cursing big time.

[Beekissed]

I direct sowed my onion seeds into the garden a few weeks back, both in my son's garden and into mine.  His are up, even in the heavy frosts we've had since then, and looking jaunty.  His were sown first, so that doesn't surprise me, but I'm expecting to see mine peeking through the soil any day now.  We are supposed to get below freezing again this week and the next, so I'll be interested to see what happens with them with that kind of weather. 

Planted around 600 seeds this year, so hoping I'll get a good return of most of those. 

[snow white]

Well my dropped ones are surviving ok.  Surprisingly.