[gavinjconway]

I didn't bother with over winter onions last winter shoozie. Onions are cheap as chips to buy in the shops and they don't seem to crop for me as well as either garlic or shallots, both of which I use a lot and consider more expensive. I didn't think they really tasted that much better home grown either.

Yes  they may be cheap but you cant but a good green onion like the winter onions grow... they are best when used like leeks in white sauce..

[arugula]

Yes  they may be cheap but you cant but a good green onion like the winter onions grow...

Yes, but I can't buy green onions in the shops here unless you mean spring onions, in which case we can't grow them here. 

[sunshineband]

I didn't think they really tasted that much better home grown either.

Realy - i find homegrown onions taste alot sweeter than bought onions! Maybe its just me?

Compared to the vast difference you get with most veg.

I always find home grown onions a lot more flavourful and certainly stronger smelling when preparing them 

[shoozie]

Thanks everyone for all the tips - Gavin, yours is the only reply that isn't coming up for me to quote - they were electric and senshyu, in a raised bed that, although clay, isn't normally too bad for drainage in normal rain as opposed to the winter monsoon.  Though, it doesn't get much winter sun (not that there was much anyway!) so, I think it was constantly damp.

Thanks for the tips BabbyAnn and New Shoot for manure and grit, as opposed to compost.  I grew some summer onions in compost in buckets - I'll look out for any signs that compost causes rot from now on.

I noticed your location is Scotland shoozie and wonder if autumn is leaving it a bit late to plant overwintering onions and maybe get them planted as early as possible such as any time now up to mid September to give them chance to throw roots out before winter?

You could be right there, it was October when they went in.  To be fair, they seemed to take off quite quickly at first til winter descended.  But, maybe earlier would give them more of a chance.

I didn't bother with over winter onions last winter shoozie. Onions are cheap as chips to buy in the shops and they don't seem to crop for me as well as either garlic or shallots, both of which I use a lot and consider more expensive. I didn't think they really tasted that much better home grown either.

I enjoyed the ones that grew, argyllie ... Though with only seven, we had to pace ourselves    but did use a couple as greens and they were a bit of a treat, .... albeit a short lived one  . Left two to grow on a bit longer and they made a fine salad size

Last year, I put my overwintering onions into module trays in cold frames and planted them out in spring. That way I was able to control the amount of water each got.

Glad this worked for you Kirpi.

Thanks again everybody,  I'll give them another go, some in the ground and others directly in buckets to see if I can get more than seven this time  

[fatcat1955]

Dib the hole for the set , then fill with sharp sand. Place your set on this . Did it this season and grew the best onions and garlic i have ever grown. Not one rotted and all a decent size.

[mumofstig]

I only had 5 survive the winter, so won't be bothering again.
 
It must depend on your local conditions whether they are a worthwhile crop or not 

[gavinjconway]

Yes  they may be cheap but you cant but a good green onion like the winter onions grow...

Yes, but I can't buy green onions in the shops here unless you mean spring onions, in which case we can't grow them here. 

Sorry my spelling was bad... I meant to say you cant buy green onions so you have to grow them... Not spring onions as they are too small..

[Ian_A]

never had much success with overwintering onions.

So for the purposes of fool-proofness I always plant out in the spring and feed them every couple of weeks with fbb, water well and ensure the weeds are dealt with (by hand to get in between them easily) - and each year so far I have got lovely large onions.

[sunshineband]

I grow both the autumn planted ones and more in Spring  

For the first time this year I grew the Spring ones from seed, and despite issues with a range of foliar diseases, still ended up with a really good crop.

Still got some of the huge ones we harvested in May in the garage, but I hope the ones just harvested will last well into Winter 

[compostqueen]

I always grow a crop of onions over the winter. How they do depends on the weather, as with most crops, but they're worth doing.  Most recipes start with "take an onion"   

I do spring planted ones too    Same with garlic and shallots, so all bases are covered

[JohnB47]

My over wintering onions (and my spring planted ones) were pretty poor this year.

The over wintering ones seemed to be doing OK then started going to seed then died down, leaving very small bulbs and many soft wet and rotten. The spring planted ones, from seed, did slightly better but are really quite small - the best three or four (of about 50) are what you would describe as a small onion, the rest are hardly much bigger than large shallots.

I'll still grow both types this autumn/spring - I've had good luck with onions previously. It's just down to this years weird weather, which I hope won't happen again next year 

[shoozie]

My over wintering onions (and my spring planted ones) were pretty poor this year.

The over wintering ones seemed to be doing OK then started going to seed then died down

I might only have had seven that survived - but, they didn't go to seed - that was a bonus! 

Unlike the spring sown sets - about half sent up seed heads, whereas those grown from seed behaved themselves.  So, I'll definitely be growing from seed again in January and try some different varieties.

[Willow_Warren]

I've been reading this post with interest deciding whether to try some over winter onion (and garlic again - didn't do well last year).... I think I will give it a go, nothing ventured nothing gained - now just to find somewhere to buy a relatively small quantity (I only have a small veg patch in garden) for a reasonable price and get them in the ground!

Hannah

[compostqueen]

Wilko have them in stock now.  They will be available to order via the local allotment association too

[Willow_Warren]

Wilko have them in stock now.  They will be available to order via the local allotment association too

I was just cursing that there isn't one too near to me and I've just checked the website and there's one in Bletchley (which isn't far from my work!) - where did that come from I swear it wasn't there before!  I will be "a-visiting"...

Hannah