Grow Your Own Magazine

I planted out onion sets last autumn and i thought that they were looking quite fat and happy - until i peeked below ground yesterday
The plant i looked at has 10 leaves but the onion itself was almost non-existant below ground. Is this normal? what should i be doing to fatten them up?? I had been hoping to harvest a few soon. How will i know when they are ready?? I had read somewhere that they are ready when they have 13 leaves, is this right??
I haven't grown onions before and am a complete novice.....
Any suggestions please
Tx

tootles as far as I know, the onions develop the leaves first then the leaves feed the bulbs making them swell, I think the leaves start to go brown when the onion are ready around July time. Not sure if they need feeding but I'm sure a more experienced grape will be along any time now......

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Imagination is everything, it is a preview of what is to become.

as lainey lou says,they grow their leaves to feed the bulb, which is what they're up to at the moment. Then, once the days start to shorten, the bulb starts to swell to overwinter itself - or feed you whichever happens first

The onion set shouldn't be below ground..........only it's roots!

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My Majesty made for him a garden anew in order
to present to him vegetables and all beautiful flowers.- Offerings of Thutmose III to Amon-Ra (1500 BCE)

Can anyone tell me what happens if you plant an onion that has sprouted leaves in the kitchen? Anything good or it is just a waste of a perfectly good onion?

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Warning: I have a dangerous tendency to act like I know what I'm talking about.