[Benandbill]

Good morning - and what a glorious morning it is!!  I have a packet of the White Lisbon seeds.  Usually they're sown March - May direct into the ground, but the packet says they can be sown August - September 'under cloches' for spring cropping.

We have what I call a small plastic greenhouse in our concrete back garden (I think this is a 'cloche'?!?!) which is good for starting things off before planting out in the allotment, but...  don't onion roots not like disturbance?  We have quite a lot of seed trays I can grow them in that are about 2 inches deep, but would I be better off growing them in something else, or even planting them straight out?

[LilacSandy]

Hi,

I always sew my onions or leeks into a seed tray and transplant when they are about 4 to 5" high into individual plastic cups and grow on in these, you can then plant out with a minimum of root disturbance, and as they grow very slowly can stay in the cups for quite some time.  I keep them in my unheated greenhouse but they could as easily stay under a clouche cover, just remember to ventilate well

[Benandbill]

Thanks LilacSandy, going to get the seeds in a tray right away! 

[Benandbill]

A week on and still nothing's popped up? 

[sunshineband]

A week on and still nothing's popped up? 

generally they take about 10 days even if warmer weather, so no worrying yet

[Gandan57]

I sowed winter hardy white lisbon last September and they came through last winter unscathed with no protection.

I`m trying a variety called Evergreen Bunching this autumn. The seed will be just broadcast in a 2ft x 1ft block, covered with half inch of compost and they should be fine.