[colinc]

I have grown onions from seed for the first time in a greenhouse and then planted them outside in beds, I have been told  I would have been better planting onion sets straight in the ground.

[snowdrops]

By whom, someone who can't grow from seed. It is just 2 ways of growing onions. Onion sets are just small onions grown from seed the year before.I've grown from seed this year having read Anne Swithenbank recommending it if you have had failures due to white rot & so far so good.

[mumofstig]

sets are easier IMO, but you can't get the range of varieties that you can with seed.
Have grown 3 varieties from seed this year and so far so good

[Gandan57]

Haven`t been impressed with my overwintering sets so I`ve bought some Di Savona seeds to sow in September.

[AnneB]

I do both.  The sets are more reliable, but trying to get more than a few standard varieties is difficult.  Sets can be useful if your area is prone to problems with onion fly though.

[potatogrower]

tried to grow from sets for past 2 years and trying different techniques but they just don't grow. the green grows but nothing underneath is bulbing up. red onions bolted so i won't be having high hopes for them despite cutting off the flower, white onion sets haven't bolted but bulbs are still small.

resolution is to work the soil with rotted manure as much as possible and start growing from seeds, narrowed down the choice and looking at either Stuttgarter, mammoth or Bedfordshire champion variety.

[prakash_mib]

the thing is the seed companies promise that the sets are heat treated which prevents them from bolting. I've grown over wintering from sets for the past two years and reds did provide excellent results and the yellow ones as well. 
growing from seed does take up lot of time and effort whereas sets are easier to bung in and expect the results in this fast paced world.

[SnooziSuzi]

colinc, I have had better results growing from seeds than I ever had from sets so don't take any notice of them, however some other folks have better luck with sets rather than seeds.

Whoever said that you would have better luck with sets doesn't know what they're talking about as it's down to lots of factors as to which does better!

[DD.]

I get far better luck with sets. 

My entire sowing one year made a jar of pickles. 

I've tried again, but the sets along side the plants are far bigger & healthier.

[potatogrower]

reading from here looks like the success varies on seeds/sets. As a last ditch attempt i have grown some cheap onion sets recently bought from Wilko for 15p at different sections of the plot to see which grows well in given space of time even although growing them now is off season. i checked the place the sets are now and its kind of dampish but poke my finger in and its hard, i would describe it as almost clayish, not rotivated but it doesn't get as much sun as the other half due to the shade from the house over winter/spring but summer is better. other end was rotivated with sand and its really soft and gets lots of sun. its an experiment to see which onions grow better in the same amount of time and which soil condition helps improve growth of foliage and bulb.

as everyone's plots will be different i.e. soil condition, location, care, i can only conclude that the results will vary so inidividuals need to experiment with their plot to see what grows best.

Always remembered from science lesson when conducting tests to observe your environment, what are your expectations, actual results and conclude what factors helped achieve those results and why. 

PG

[DD.]

I wouldn't draw any conclusion whatsoever from sets planted now. They've hardly had a proper test of the growing season and conditions in the soil can vary over that time in different spots.

[potatogrower]

Like i said i know its off season and i'll be the judge of what conclusion i'm looking for!

[mumofstig]

Like i said i know its off season and i'll be the judge of what conclusion i'm looking for!

There is no need to be rude when someones trying to help!

[TerryB]

The big advantage seeds have is that the new growing season starts on Boxing Day.
 

[simonwatson]

I bought red and white sets from Wilco this year. Stuck 'em in the ground in April and left them to it.

they got watered pretty regularly during the drought we had in spring, but other than that I've not done much with them at all.

The failure rate was very low, maybe 5 out of 150 failed to grow. I've had to take off about 10 flower stalks, but that's it.

I'm no expert and I don't follow any special guidance, but I love onion sets as for me they're proved very easy.