Saturday, November 2

Just hope they live up to their early promise

I mentioned in an earlier post  that the autumn onions that I planted on 20 September had already produced shoots. After planting I had noticed that something had stolen some of the garlic cloves and I had laid chicken wire over the planted sets. My problem was should I remove the mesh or not?

Well the decision was made for me as the onions had put on quite a lot of growth.
The netting has now been removed. I just hope the onions produce better than they did last year - they are already further on than last year's planting was last spring. I just hope they are not teasing me.

The garlic has also started to shoot although it is not as far on as the onions.
The elephant garlic hasn't made a start yet and as this was the preferred bounty of whatever came and carried off a couple of cloves, I didn't want to leave it totally unprotected so I have arranged chicken wire tunnels over this part of the bed. 

Elsewhere on the bed that housed the summer onions - the ones that didn't grow very well - there are signs that I missed some mini onions. A few of these have decided to grow - a bit late but I'll leave them be and see what happens.
The leek bed is looking well - one variety though isn't doing as well as the other two. Ironically the ones showing weedier growth on the right are Giant Winter.
We still have some leek seedlings in a pot that were kept in reserve to replant any failures. We are trying to decide whether these would make spring onion substitutes seeing as growing spring onions successfully seems to be beyond us.


22 comments:

  1. Sue, that's nice you have warm weather and you onion and garlic is growing greatly. Ha.ha. the Giant Winter is smaller than others! Your leek is really giant, I love it.

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    1. It's change now Nadezda so I don't suppose there will be any more growing until spring

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  2. Wow that's a lotta leeks you got there. Nice to see the onions doing well.

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    1. Maybe they will substitute when we run out of onions. Elaine

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  3. Those leeks look fab, you're going to get a great harvest. I never got round to planting mine out so I'll be without this year. As for spring onions, I don't mean to rub your nose in it, but the late sowing I made have grown well and I should have an early harvest next year.

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    1. We'll have to try harder with spring onions, Jo, I just don't what has happened

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  4. The onions look great. I haven't been to the allotment for about a week and a half (half term) so I'm sure lots of mine have been pulled up. I have three precious cloves of elephant garlic, so I'm hoping they're okay.

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    1. It was really windy here yesterday so they are maybe flat by now CJ

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  5. Very promising start for your onions and garlic Sue! Love the look of all that lovely leek foliage. I now only grow spring onions in pots, works really well and makes succession sowing much easier.

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    1. I've tried in pots, Janet and still nothing

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  6. Those leeks look amazing!
    I have problems growing leeks but can grow spring onions easily, they even grow well in pots. xxxx

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    1. Gardening is very contrary isn't it, Snowbird?

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  7. What a magnificent bed of leeks. That reminds me that we should start eating ours!

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    1. Ours will soon be heading for the kitchen too Alain

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  8. Those leeks look awesome!

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  9. Great leeks! I have never planted before. I think it look like a lovely plant. I want to try it next dry season

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    1. Lees have quite a long growing season here Endah. We sowed the seeds at the beginning of April

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  10. Looking good so far. Autumn planted Onions seem to do well for me. I like to see a few things growing over Winter when the plots look drab.

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    1. So do I Rooko, It always amazes me how the plot transforms itself over just a few months

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  11. I think garlic has to be my favourite vegetable. Looks like you've got plenty there. Fingers crossed they grow big and strong. Yummy!

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    1. I'm not sure which I'd chose as my favourite vegetable - it changes through the season. Soon it will be sprouts.

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