[lacewing]

I sowed some Senshyu / japanese onion seed  last August in the open ground, they are growing away nicely but need thinning. when is the best time to do this? and can the thinnings be transplanted?

[arugula]

There is some useful content in this thread:

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=47201.msg554369#msg554369

[gobs]

If we are talking seed, your sowing sounds late, even where you are.

Might get some skinny ones out of them still. I assume, they are outdoors. I would  leave them alone  for a month or so. Even might leave thinning at all, just use some as spring onions, that would do the thinning business.

[lacewing]

The seed packet said sow July/August.  The plants are spring onion size now and have a long way to go yet, so should get a decent crop. I was hoping to  increase the harvest by transplanting the tinnings.   

[BabbyAnn]

The seed packet said sow July/August.

That's fine lacewing - the year before I misunderstood and sowed mine in the first week of September (the packet said mid-August to early September but if I had read further on, September sowings were more suited to gardens in the south  )  Then we had that horrible winter and I had given up on them but they grew on to lovely bulbs which were harvested at the same time as other overwintering onions in late June.  I wish I had thinned mine as those too bunched together were smaller.

Last year I sowed late August but they were very slow to germinate and I had given up on them and planted sets as a back up plan.  Now the seedlings are about spring onion size but a load of speedwell has made it difficult to weed without pulling up the seedlings at the same time.  I was also thinking about moving and transplanting them - with having the sets, I'm not overly worried about losses so will be giving it a try 

[lacewing]

I have now decided to thin the onions out as they were sown quite thickly.  I will try transplanting the thinnings and see what happens...... a lesson for next year perhaps!

[gobs]

Why to ask then?

[lacewing]

To seek other people's openion before making up my mind.  Thanks for the reply!

[stompy]

Why to ask then?

To seek other people's openion before making up my mind.

Exactly one of the reasons for the forum.
Ask for advice from people that may have done it before to see if it would be a waste of time, worth doing!

I'd like to know the result Lacewing for my own future refference 

[lacewing]

I will certainly let you know Stompy. Thank you!

[sunshineband]

Why to ask then?

To seek other people's openion before making up my mind.

Exactly one of the reasons for the forum.
Ask for advice from people that may have done it before to see if it would be a waste of time, worth doing!

I'd like to know the result Lacewing for my own future refference 

My thought would be to try to lever them gently from the ground so as to have as much root intact as possible, whereas if you are going to eat the thinnings as spring onions then you just pull them out and firm back the others carefully.

Can't see why thinnings wouldn't grow 

[DD.]

Onions transplant well, so I don't see why you shouldn't stick them in!

[Salmo]

When you sow any onions directly into the soil there will always be some that do not germinate or are lost to pest and disease. If you sow them too thinly you will end up with some big gaps. You have got to thin them anyway and with Spring sow onions the thinnings are pulled as spring onions, scallions.

I see no reason why Senshyu thinnings should not be transplanted. Bearing in mind that the trigger for these to bulb up is lengthening days (spring sown is shortening days) the timing of transplanting may be critical. Probably need to do it early enough.

Does anyone sow Senshyu onions in modules and plant out when they have 3/4 leaves?

[lacewing]

Thank's everyone!  The weather being mild here in the Garden of England, I will get to work at first light to-morrow.  Should get at least two more rows if the thinnings take and will also stagger the harvest.   Will keep you posted!

[Salmo]

It will not stagger the harvest, they will all mature at the same time. Bulbing is triggered by increasing day length and regardless of size when the trigger occurs they will bulb up.

The same is true of Spring sown onions except that the trigger for bulbing is shortening day length after the Summer equinox. That is why exhibition growers sow very early to achieve a long growing period before bulbing and onions sown after March seldom produce bulbs of any size.