Hi everyone!
first of prob many questions!
I am completely new to growing my own veg have got my garlic in pots and its starting sprouting the day and am about to put my onion sets into the ground was wondering if i need to cover them with fleese or just leave them? I live in Shetland and it is very windy and although the weather has been mild so far it does get cold come in dec/jan

Welcome to the vine plant head. Shetland sounds wonderful.....let us all know by putting it in your profile location.

Just leave the tip of the set showing. That should do it!

Hi Planthead, welcome to the Vine

Your Onions should be fine, just check they are overwintering Onions
Garlic should be fine too.


paul.

Having been caught with Allium Leaf Miner - cover them!

thanks people might just cover them to be on the safe side then, anything you would recommend? was thinking a few tunnels from Buy Garden Tunnels with Changeable Covers

I grew some in a cold frame last winter and didn't open them up until the leaves touched the glass in late spring. They grew really well and cropped about a week or two before the others.
Well worth covering I reckon...............especially in Shetland!

I don't cover my overwintering onions at all and they survive the winter without problems. I haven't as yet had any problems with allium leaf miner. Our border controls normally turm them back unless they have the right paperwork

Hoping you'll post some pictures though Planthead! Welcome to the vine by the way
(the onions should be fine!)

I had an elderly customer who once went to Shetland on holiday. She sent me a postcard saying it was lovely up there but windy and said "it nearly blew my head off"

If it's as bad as that, your onions may need a wind break but if they can survive a winter in Aberdeen like we had last year, they should otherwise be ok up your way.

Now you know it must be cold up there when AP in Aberdeen is suggesting it's colder than where he is.....brrr. Makes me feel I am almost tropical in the Midlands.
Wonder if the Sweet Southeners are feeling hot hot hot

Allium leaf miner seems to be confined to the midlands at the moment, dont understand why, thought last winter might sort it out but it seems to be worse than ever this year

I would cover your onions if only to deter inquisitive birds that pull them up to see what's lurking beneath. Bless em!

Well, here in blowy Lumphanan - a mere amateur compared to Shetland admittedly, when it comes to wig-liftingness - we never bother to cover them, there has never been any allium miners up here, and as long as the occasional bird doesn't pull at them in the first couple of days before they are anchored by roots, they are hunky dory.
Stands to reason though, if you can use (non-blowaway) cloches to keep at a slightly higher temperature for growth, then over the long term it will make a difference. Your problem will be getting a shelter strong enough, not pests...
Doesn't garlic need prolonged cold to make the cloves split, anyway ?

Ha ye it can get cold but i have found it to be colder down south my friends in edinburgh are telling me there are already having to de ice there cars in the morning! up here its still sitting around 7-11 c, but wind can be a factor will put the onions in one of the more shelters spots and see how they go without cover this year, will get photos up when i get them in and take some pic of things round about for all you that have asked,

Birds are not much of a problem here we get a few small birds and seagulls but thats about it not many trees on the island at all!

Ye hoping the garlic will be good up here with the cold I love garlic and am really looking farward to diggin up my own!! got 3 types I have started in pots in the house that have got nice green shout sticking out the soil now and will get them planted out when i get the onions in along with some spare cloves I have.

I have never covered my onions, but then I am in sunny South Devon, however after planting my onions the other week and going back and finding them all over the place, thanks to the birds, I have covered them with the only thing I had to hand, a large piece of carrot fly netting lol, will take it off when the onions are a bit more rooted and the birds leave them alone.