Best way to grow Onions ?

**Potstubsdustbins** · 13-05-2012, 03:19 PM

I grow all my main crop onions in containers of one sort or another. I use cut down plastic cold water storage tanks, polystyrene fish boxes (free from fishmongers) and standard pots. They will be quite happy in any container that will hold 6" depth of compost and you can plant them fairly close to each other.

You will have to feed them through their growth cycle, I use a quality onion fertiliser added before planting and tomorite for potash as they start to swell. The pics may give you some ideas.

Colin

Attached Files

**GardenFaery** · 13-05-2012, 04:00 PM

I used to grow them straight in ground, but as slightly clayey soil I now heap up big trench and row things so that onions have plenty of depth and good (better) drainage. I plant them in box shape surrounding roses for companion planting ( and also next to potatoes) Plant them with necks slightly sticking out. I sometimes think growing anything's easier in pots though plus you can move them round...

**Florence Fennel** · 13-05-2012, 04:35 PM

I plant in the ground, but have never had much success. I'm hoping for a good crop this year. Follow Colin's advice and you'll not go far wrong Terry.

**Terry1968** · 13-05-2012, 08:07 PM

Thanks all for the advice its much appreciated and will definately help me out...

Thanks for uploading the pictures as well Colin as they have given me very useful advice..

I'll look for a couple of containers in the hardware shop tomorrow.

**Two_Sheds** · 14-05-2012, 06:16 AM

Originally posted by Terry1968 View Post

any ideas and tips please

In October, buy yourself some sets (cheaper)

**chris** · 14-05-2012, 07:04 AM

My overwintering (first try from seed) seem to have failed - only a couple of them are beefing up. From reading around, I think it's down to lack of feed, so I'd echo what Colin says... I found a post from AP saying that onions are gross feeders.. I hadn't fed the soil which I'm guessing is down to my failure.

**Shadylane** · 14-05-2012, 03:51 PM

I sowed my overwintering onions where my potatoes were, which had been manured the previous autumn. Didn't give them any other feed and they're looking pretty good. I think our first year we sowed sets in ground that hadn't been improved with anything and they did pretty good too, so not sure they need that much feed

**chris** · 15-05-2012, 07:28 AM

Originally posted by Shadylane View Post

I sowed my overwintering onions where my potatoes were, which had been manured the previous autumn. Didn't give them any other feed and they're looking pretty good. I think our first year we sowed sets in ground that hadn't been improved with anything and they did pretty good too, so not sure they need that much feed

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...tml#post812586 - this was the thread I read... I'm guess that my plot's ground needed some work. We'll see next year though, as I've kept some of the seed back to try again

**Shadylane** · 15-05-2012, 07:40 AM

That bit about roots and onions confused me in our first year. Carrots and onions are supposed to be great companions but carrots don't like manure and onions supposedly do. Then I found out from my own experience that onions don't really need manure, at least not that year, though if there's been some dug in the previous season I guess that would be beneficial.

But then I also remember reading not to manure onions as this can encourage onion white rot if it's not very well rotted and dug in well. This is why I put my onions in where the spuds have been cos it's not been freshly manured but has been recently improved. Seems to work for me, but that's gardening for y.

**Headfry** · 15-05-2012, 08:10 AM

My onions seem to start off well then 'un grow' they end up same size they were when planted as sets.
Every year .....why, oh why, oh why?
They look really great until about late May then just go down hill. Last year I tried feeding with a seaweed feed but it did not help.

**chris** · 15-05-2012, 08:17 AM

Someone drag AP into this thread

**donnakebab** · 15-05-2012, 08:37 AM

My over wintered onion tops look great but the bulb is either under ground or non existent. Does the bulb push itself above ground at some point? Have I done something wrong?

**Matt94** · 15-05-2012, 10:05 AM

you onions are perfectly normal donna - the little onion sets you planted earlier on in the year will probably have gone by now - but dont worry thats normal and the stems on your onion plants will swell later on in the year and produce onions.

**veggiechicken** · 15-05-2012, 10:12 AM

Originally posted by chris View Post

Someone drag AP into this thread

His thoughts are elsewhere at the mo'.

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