In my earlier post I mentioned that some of our small onions had been used in pickles as they were starting to shoot.
On the plot the autumn planted onions are still progressing well.
The tops may have been bent a little by the wind but generally speaking they are looking better than they did at any point last year when many either disappeared entirely or just didn't grow. We are hopeful that this year we will at least get some sort of harvest - that is as long as the rain doesn't continue and they end up rotting!
For next year's summer onions we have bought the same varieties as last year - Red Karmen, Rumba, Sturon and Stuttgart. We have been tempted by more varieties of shallot and have bought, Golden Gourmet, Red Sun, Jemor, Yellow Moon and Picasso (that's what comes of visiting a garden centre!).
Some of the sets have been planted in modules in the greenhouse to give them a bit of a start.
We will have to make sure that these are planted in the ground before they become pot bound so we will be looking to get them planted out during the first week of May.
I posted here about how pot bound plants just didn't seem to recover. Some sets will be planted directly in the ground and maybe a second batch set out in modules.
As before left over sets will be planted close together to provide us with a crop of small onions that we can pickle next year.
And so the cycle continues - we hope!
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I have never tried putting onion sets into modules first and since our kitchen garden soil is heavy clay which takes a while to warm up, I think it might be an excellent way for our onions to start the season. Thanks for the idea. I will follow your lead!
ReplyDeleteJust make sure that you don't let them stay in the modules too long and become pot bound, Crystal or they will stop growing and not start again
DeleteI might start our onions off in modules, the shallots are being planted straight into troughs.
ReplyDeleteAs I said above, Jo don't let them stay in the modules too long.
DeleteI imagine that we probably eat more onions than potatoes - there is hardly a day goes by when we don't use at least one in something - so I would have to devote the whole of my plot to growing them if I were to try to be self-sufficent. To put this into perspective, we bought a 5kg bag of onions for £1.49 the other day. Somebody somewhere must be growing a lot of them!
ReplyDeleteNot something we would grow if we were short of space, Mark
DeleteI'm growing Red Sun shallots this year, they've got a lovely rich colour to them, haven't they? I got all my onions and shallots planted up in to modules yesterday, fingers crossed that the red onions succeed this year, it will be the first time they have if they do.
ReplyDeleteThey have a good colour, Jo. We usually managed a few red onions but they are definitely more fussy but them again we find the white ones even worse!
DeleteYour onions already look very good Sue.
ReplyDeleteJust hope that they produce decent bulbs, Alain
DeleteI'm still deciding on whether I'll grow onions this year. I enjoyed growing them last year and they did well. Maybe I'll try shallots. Your so organised getting your onions going!
ReplyDeleteI think shallots are less tricky, Kelli
DeleteI still have LOTS of onions left from last year. My hubby although liking the tastes of onions can't abide the texture. This did encourage me to dry some this year so that I could add to cooking and this worked well. Maybe I should dry a few more...but I'm totally getting away form what I was going to say. Although my Hubby doesn't like the texture of onions in food he loves them pickled so i am thinking of getting some and planting close together as you say you do with your extras for pickling. I'll let you know how it goes...how close do you plant them??
ReplyDeleteThey are just about touching but not quite, Tanya,. Not just one row but several also very close together.
DeleteLovely. Onions and garlic always feel like the start of it all to me. Some of mine went in in autumn, and I've got some more to put in whenever I can find the time. I'm growing more this year, so I'm hoping they store well. I've just finished last year's ones, and several of them were starting to go soft.
ReplyDeleteWe plant twice in the year, CJ one lot to overwinter in autumn and another lot on spring.
DeleteHow strong your onions look, well on their way to providing you with another bumper crop.I'm hoping for a better crop this year, now the tree is no longer blocking the light on the veggie patch things seem to be growing much better.xxx
ReplyDeleteI'm sure most things will appreciate more light, Snowbird
DeleteNo onions for me this year due to lack of space - just a few shallots I think straight into the ground.
ReplyDeleteI'd do the same if space was an issue Elaine.
DeleteI fail grow onion and shallot this season, all the seeds have rotten. I want to try and try again
ReplyDeleteCan you buy sets, Endah?
DeleteDo you grow those "long" shallots Sue? I fancy trying them, but wonder if they perform ok. And if they have a good taste!
ReplyDeleteJermor is a long oner, Jill byt it will be the first time we have grown one so can't answer your other questions yet.
DeleteThanks Sue- I might await your trial! Or maybe I'll just go for it if I can find some...
DeleteIs it starting to dry up on your allotment Sue? It has been raining every day the last week down here, but only short sharp showers or some drizzly rain, not amounting to much. It will continue like this next week too here, but my garden feels a lot drier already. Have you lost anything due to the weather as far as you know? I think I am all right so far!
ReplyDeleteWe don't appear to have lost anything, Helene but time will tell. As for the plot, being clay, it does tend to hold on to moisture but as we haven't visited for a week or so I can't really answer for definite.
Deletegreat variety of onion and shallot!They look good despite hot weather!
ReplyDeleteNo hot weather here, Malar
ReplyDelete