[gowing238]

Hi. Do you think its worth the effort of starting my onion sets off in a tray of compost until im ready to plant them in a month or so? Do you think transplanting them to the soil will damage the root or upset them?

Cheers!

[noshed]

I think it will be OK if you use small pots rather than trays, to give the roots a bit of room.
I must admit I stuck mine in the ground on Sunday.

[greenhead]

I've started mine off in trays indoors a week ago, they have already formed roots and the 'green' is just starting to show. I do this for two reasons - sorts out the dud sets and when planted in the lottie the root system acts as a bit of an anchor so the birds don't pull them out thinking the tops are worms.

[Jeff Glanrhyd]

Just put mine in empty loo rolls in my unheated greenhouse...in the hope that they will have a good head start for when I stick them in the ground mid march.
Fingers crossed !

[bigben]

Last year I grew 300 and have got 3 left. This year I have planted 150 winter onions and plan on growing 400+ normal ones. I could not face trying that many in compost. If your not growing many then it might be worth it.
what about covering the soil now to get it a little warmer to give them a head start?

[andy135]

Like Greenhead, I placed mine in a tray of compost last year. I ordered 100 and when I unpacked them there were 122.
I placed then shoulder to shoulder in a seed tray on 1" of potting compost. When I came to plant them they had 2" shoots and about 2" of roots. They weren't too difficult to untangle but they got away really quickly. Out of the 122 I harvested 120 onions. I'm doing the same this year but I have doubled the amount of white onions and I'm also putting in 50 reds.

[gowing238]

cheers for the replys! Think im gonna give a few a go in trays them compare with those i just bung out!!

[bigben]

From the replies I get the idea about putting them shoulder to shoulder. I thought you meant one per module which would involve loads of trays and compost. It actually sounds quite achievable the way Andy135 has suggested. I might give it a go with some of mine.

[BabbyAnn]

Isn't it a little bit early to be planting onion sets outside?  I was told that if we got a cold snap, the sets would readily go to seed rather than bulb up later in the year.

[gowing238]

Isn't it a little bit early to be planting onion sets outside?  I was told that if we got a cold snap, the sets would readily go to seed rather than bulb up later in the year.

I am planning on planting them in trays of compost in the greenhouse then transplanting them outisde mid to end march

[BabbyAnn]

Isn't it a little bit early to be planting onion sets outside?  I was told that if we got a cold snap, the sets would readily go to seed rather than bulb up later in the year.

I am planning on planting them in trays of compost in the greenhouse then transplanting them outisde mid to end march

  Sorry, I got a bit confused with:

Think im gonna give a few a go in trays then compare with those i just bung out!!

and

I must admit I stuck mine in the ground on Sunday.

[mickeyboy]

silly question but why cant we bang them in the ground yet got 200 in a bag and not sure what to do.......... please advice
Also bought garlic i can plant that now cant i or will it rot??

Cheers
Mickeyboy!!!!

[DD.]

Because they will not like it if we get a really cold snap, (checks calendar to find it's still winter). Shallots will stand up to it better. You may be lucky, on the other hand................

Get the garlic in, that can stand the cold and in fact benefits from it.

For me, shallots in Feb, (if I can get on the ground), onion sets in March.

[mickeyboy]

thanks DD whats the best way of storing the sets til march? as i dont want them going soft as they have prviously

[andy135]

As above, I put mine in a tray with a little potting compost and then placed them on a north facing bedroom window sill at the beginning of March. That way they get daylight but no sunshine. They kept well untill I planted them out about the middle of April.
I haven't even ordered my sets this year yet. I'll be doing that at the end of this month.