Onion growth stopped early

**zazen999** · 22-10-2009, 08:54 PM

The only thing I can think is that they got too warm too early and thought it was time to stop growing.

I'd grow onions in a polytunnel through the winter, but it is far too warm for them in the summer.....I think anyway

**Pies** · 22-10-2009, 09:26 PM

I doubt it heat as i read many blogs of onions being grown in polytunnels.I suspect the onions dried out.Did you water them regularly ?

**SMT** · 22-10-2009, 09:33 PM

lol. I thought I did. The pumpkins I grew were atlantic giants so required watering nearly every other day. I watered everything at the same time. I couldnt have given them too much do you think?

It did get very hot some days when we did actually see signs of a summer.

**Two_Sheds** · 23-10-2009, 07:13 AM

My onions were a mixed lot (they are every year). Half of them grow nice and fat, the other half stay small and useless.

Last year I know my small onions were down to poor feeding. I grew half on good soil and half on poor sandy soil. The poor half barely grew at all.

But this year they all went in the same patch, and I still ended up with a lot of very small onions. Perhaps something wrong with the onion set itself?

**SMT** · 23-10-2009, 08:06 AM

Thanks btw for the replies

It has crossed my mind the feeding might have been an issue. The ground had not previously been cultivated before (lawn) so I bought in fresh topsoil with a compost/manure mix. I also broadcast some chicken pellets over the polytunnel as it was a rush to get the poly up in time before planting.

I have read somewhere that its best not to manure onions the same year as planting. Then again I've seen info to say they need a lot of manure. I dont know what to believe. Anyone know whats best?

**gojiberry** · 23-10-2009, 01:21 PM

I often have problems with onions and didn't know if it was a problem with the Ph level. I know that some plants can't take up nutrients if the Ph is wrong and am wondering if onions are one of them.

Ian

**Two_Sheds** · 23-10-2009, 02:40 PM

Make sure you don't plant the set too deep.

Also, this chap (who seems to know his onions) says "not to use too much organic matter"

**SMT** · 23-10-2009, 10:10 PM

Thankyou everyone.

The link is a good read Two sheds, thankyou.

Fingers crossed for next year.

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