[suesowsseed]

Hi All,

I have a tray of Alisa Craig onions sown from seed which germinated well and look healthy enough but they seem to have stopped growing.  They are at the second leaf stage and still a bit spindley.  Should I plant them out in the open ground to get them growing again?  I sowed into seed compost so assume the nutrients are too low by now. 

Or, should I re pot them into trays of multi purpose?

Thanks

[JayG]

I seem to remember Mumofstig saying her onion seedlings were doing better than previously so she might be along soon with some tips.

As for mine (first-time effort) they have gone from pathetic to calamitous (watered them with Miracle Grow and half of them have since died; probably over-watered!) 

[slow_worm]

Make sure they are not kept too wet - damp will do!  Your growing compost should have plenty of nutrients for many weeks.  Plenty of light is required - where are you growing them?  I grown mine in the conservatory then they go outside in the day into a cold frame for maximum daylinght until they are big enough to pop in the ground.

[TerryB]

Put a cloche over the ground you are going to plant them in, to warm the soil up and plant out at the end of April. Leave the cloche on for 2/3 weeks after planting.
In the mean time move them into a cold frame.

[mumofstig]

I seem to remember Mumofstig saying her onion seedlings were doing better than previously so she might be along soon with some tips.

No tips from me I'm afraid, I think they liked the warmer weather
I saw the forcast was for back to cool so still have mine in the cold greenhouse. They now have 3 leaves, which I've read is planting out time, but they still look so skinny
this site  http://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Data/Onions/Onions.htm

suggests 15 weeks from sowing to planting, and that's not for another few weeks for mine(planted 17 jan) ............they better do well after all this faffing about

[shokkyy]

I just got sick of looking at mine, never changing or growing, week after week, so last weekend I decided the hell with it and planted them out

None of them have died or gone droopy so far, and they couldn't possibly grow any slower than they were in the modules, so I don't see how it can do any harm. I was already leaving them out overnight anyway and at least they're getting more nutrients now. I've stuck BFB down in the bed but that's all. Fingers crossed.

[someoneorother]

I just got sick of looking at mine, never changing or growing, week after week, so last weekend I decided the hell with it and planted them out

None of them have died or gone droopy so far, and they couldn't possibly grow any slower than they were in the modules, so I don't see how it can do any harm. I was already leaving them out overnight anyway and at least they're getting more nutrients now. I've stuck BFB down in the bed but that's all. Fingers crossed.

I've done similar - they were looking very droopy in the modules so I thought 'to hell with it' and planted them out a couplre of weeks ago. They haven't died or anything, and are now standing up (mostly) rather than flopping over. Still very spindly though.

[Salmo]

Onions from seed always look pathetic until Derby Day. Then they start to bulb up and overtake sets.

[JayG]

Onions from seed always look pathetic until Derby Day. Then they start to bulb up and overtake sets.

Not sure my remaining seedlings will last that long; if I finish up with 1 onion I'll probably think I've done well! (Thank heaven for shallots and spring onions!) 

[mumofstig]

afternoon update 
I sowed mine in tiny plug plant modules, so just decided to put them into bigger ones.
I can report that they may not have much top growth , but there was a lot of root growth..............so they must just be doing their 'own thing' and will come right in the end.


fingers crossed 

[mumofstig]

further update....
I planted mine out today, about half the size of a supermarket spring onion, but they look big enough to hold their own, and they had plenty of root on them

[JayG]

further update....
I planted mine out today, about half the size of a supermarket spring onion, but they look big enough to hold their own, and they had plenty of root on them

Tut, tut! (Wot kept you Mum?)!   

Planted my surviving 10 onions a couple of days ago (about half the size of a short piece of polypropylene string and approximately the same degree of floppiness!!) 

[mumofstig]

No floppiness here, they were erect, if I am allowed to say that 
28 Sweet Spanish, 28 Walla Walla (which look stronger) and 24 Long Red Florence.

If they don't get bigger........I guess that's my spring onion supply taken care of

[Kristen]

suggests 15 weeks from sowing to planting, and that's not for another few weeks for mine(planted 17 jan)

Mine sown mid January were getting very yellow at the tips. I planted them out, and the ones sown mid Feb too.

The mid-Jan ones had strong roots coiled round the bottom of the cell (straightened them out and planted them vertically), the mid-Feb ones had only just started doing coiled-roots.

About 1-in-5 had snuffed it, or were too tiddly to consider planting out.

Hope I've not gone "too early" ...

[mumofstig]

fingers crossed for all of us then