Beetroot & Spring Onions

[Akela Ben]

Hi Peeps

Last year my beetroots and spring onions failed miserably. The beetroots grew to the size of a small marble then that was it. Also my spring onions grew until they were about 3 inches long and very skinny and then just stopped growing. Does anybody has any hints as to what went wrong or what I can do now to improve future results. Everything else I grew flourished.

[smallblueplanet]

I hope to read the hints for getting spring onions to grow, think we've tried 4 or 5 different types and all have failed over a number of years.

[veg4681]

Hi Peeps

Last year my beetroots and spring onions failed miserably. The beetroots grew to the size of a small marble then that was it. Also my spring onions grew until they were about 3 inches long and very skinny and then just stopped growing. Does anybody has any hints as to what went wrong or what I can do now to improve future results. Everything else I grew flourished.

Sorry not grown beetroot before, I'm sure there'll be others along the way to help...

I think the majority of us here have complained one way or another on the dismal performance of our spring onions although I'm not too sure why yours stopped growing, did you start off late, did you try to transplant them, was it grown in pot or ground?

Most of us have complained that they're thin like chives as opposed to the nice fatter ones you buy in shops. Because they're so thin, I sowed a lot of seeds in a pot and did not bother to thin them out or even transplant (feared they'd break). Although you're not supposed to do this, I've decided to leave them in the pot and let them bulge up over the years (!!!) which means I get to use them like chives in winter and they have been pretty hardy. This was an accidental discovery that as long as you leave the bulb in, they do continue to grow year after year (just like flowering bulb) and also get fatter .

[sewer rat]

I too had struggled n the past to grow decent spring onions in my garden but this year I sowed about 9 rows, each 30m long, in my field. They were grown on top of ridges and I used a push along sower set at 1/2 inch depth and was rewarded with a fantastic crop. Other than one major hand weed, they were left to their own devices and grew well. The ground had been heavily manured in the previous autumn, but nothing added otherwise.
I will add that when they reached the crook stage, I had my doubts as they seemed to "stick" for a while but when they decided they were ready to grow on, they did so with a vengeance.
My beetroot - alledgedly a monogerm variety- were all pretty small too, but I think that the monogerm description was not too accurate as the small size can almost definitely be put down to the crop being too thick, despite thin sowing.

[Glasshousevirgin]

A study done last year by a consumer group showed how poor some seeds were at germinating and gave some companies rankings.
Spring onions were particularly unsuccessful and certainly not any where near the germination rates quoted on the packs.
Some of the reasons given were importing cheap (my inference) poor seeds that had not been tested properly and poor storage before packing.
I too have had repeated spring onion failures so am glad to see Sewer rat had some spectacular results.
I have noticed that some of my beetroots just never form into decent sizes but as most do I was not too upset. I would surmise thinning needs to be done early on or sow sparingly. Bear in mind each little seed (corm) bears 3 potential plants.

[Snadger]

Try a soil test...........I would guess the addition of superphosphate or Bonemeal may increase the phosphate levels and hence the size of onions & beetroot.

[Cutecumber]

Can I ask when you sowed your beetroot, and how and where you sowed them?

Spring onions can take a stupid amount of time to get going, but I am surprised to hear about your beetroot problem. In my experience, this only happens when they are sown much to early or too late (i.e. inappropriate amounts of light & wrong temps).

[pigletwillie]

I have for several year now, grown both beetroot and spring onions in modules before planting out.

Just like this
Evington Hilltop Adventures: Keep those crops coming


Before where spring onions were poor, I now have no problems at all, Flummery I am sure grows them like this too with good success.

[Flummery]

I sure do, both beetroot and spring onions. When they are going well I plant out the clumps.

How long have you been saving whales?

[ysb33r]

Spring onions can take a stupid amount of time to get going, but I am surprised to hear about your beetroot problem. In my experience, this only happens when they are sown much to early or too late (i.e. inappropriate amounts of light & wrong temps).

Same here concerning the beet root. The only ones that really failed were the ones sown too late or too early. Most varieties seem to work for me in both raised beds or clay soil. It is only with Burpees Golden where I experienced germination problems, but they are renowned for that - just sow more. I have also sown beetroots in paper pots before planting them out. That seems to work quite well.

As to spring onions, the only one that gives me consistent results is the classic White Lisbon variety.