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have planted my 2nd batch of seeds in a pot. after about 5-6 weeks, all that is showing is litterally tiny threads - quite tall, but v. v. skinny, about a quarter of the size of a chive! last year I did the same, and left them in for ages - eventually the tops looked the right size but by that time I couldnt pull them, they just broke off at soil level...
any tips?

What variety are they? Where have you been keeping them?

Are you being impatient, perhaps?

Spring Onions are not a very quick crop in my experience. 12 weeks plus.

They were one of the first crops I tried to grow and were a disaster for me, I confess! This year, I sowed some with carrot in a mixed pot - they seem ok so far, but I am not holding my breath!

(by the way, I don't like spring onions... perhaps they know! )

oh yes, and they don't like to be wet or in acidic soil - I just remembered.

Spring onoinc are vey thin when they first emerge, mine have been in the ground for about 4 weeks now and are still quite thin, as said maybe your being rather impatient, you may as well let be,see what happens, but imo, theyr'e ok

They do look rather pathetic for quite some time when they come up.

I am wondering why yours "broke off" at soil level last time. Are you, perhaps, sowing too deeply?

hi cute & libby (may I call you that for short?!)
dont know why they broke off, think perhaps the compost had dried out so I just couldnt pull them. seeds were from new packets this year and last I think, so praps I'm just too impatient at the mo!

I've had poor results in the past from direct sowings of spring onions - not one of nature's fastest crops! This year I sowed 3 - 4 seeds per cell in modules and when the 'pathetic grass' came up I dibbed them out about 4" apart. I now have strong clumps which are beginning to fatten up. I see light at the end of my tunnel (and maybe it's NOT an oncoming train!). I've run out of compost but as soon as I can get some more I shall do the same again for continuity. This may not work for everyone, but for my own purposes I feel I may have cracked it!

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My recommendation - though I find it hard to do - is to leave them well alone. It seems to work with carrots in containers, so I'm hoping it will be the same for spring onions.

Dont worrying about forgetting to water them now and again - ignore them as much as you can. Seriously, not looking at my carrots made a BIG difference.

Perhaps they are shy

i bought a big pot of (lincolns??) and was told I could keep them in the same pot in the greenhouse and like you mine are pathetic weedies.

I find spring onions a right pain in the b*tt! Last year i sowed some, and only pulled them in early spring this year they were like chives for months and months....not worth it in my opinion, they only cost a few pence from the shop on the rare occasion i use them.

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Mine were the same, they just sat there almost a year! picked a few over the last few weeks! why do they say they are easy to grow???

It's funny, isn't. They're even in the range of "quick & easy" in some of the seed manufacturer's offerings.

I started with the Lisbon one and it was dreadful. After several years not bothering I've bought some Red Baron seed, so we'll see what happens. As I said above, I don't even like them - I only grow a few for my father and boyfriend, so I can't say I'm too bovvered

EDIT: the seed is Red Beard, not Red Baron (which is a larger onion) sorry!

Hi, I wondered about my spring onions too, they've been in for about 8 weeks and still are very skinny.

Oh no... I am a beginner and have sown some red baron in the hope of getting a nice wee crop. We eat lots of them.

How will I know then if they are ready? Or not as the case may be?

C

when they look like the spring onions in the shops, I guess - but you can eat them whenever you want. They will take a few months to swell up.

Mine were White Lisbon too.
This year I have gone for Ishikura, sorry about spelling!
WL did stand well over winter though

Just for the record, it's Red Beard that I am growing, Red Baron is a larger red onion, I think. whoops!

My spring onions always look weedy for ages but eventually swell up and get bigger. I eat huge amounts of them so I grow some every year. But I can understand why people worry about them. I usually leave them alone until they swell unless it is a really long dry spell when I would give them a good watering.I think because they do not really need huge amounts of attention they say they are easy to grow. I think I agree with the comment about some plants being shy.

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Red baron... mmm wonder what it is I have actually sown then! Best check I think!

C

so glad its not just me then!!! I am baffled at the 'easy to grow' thing, but I do like them, so wil keep trying. maybe the ones I grew last year I should ahve just left longer, because they were still not as big as you get in the shops...

You think you're confused! I can grow cauliflowers without any difficulties at all, but I can't grow a lettuce... it's embarassing.

I gave up on spring onion seed years ago. Now I just plant all the leftover onion sets in a row very close together. They make excellent "spring onions", as do the teeny garlic cloves from the centre of a garlic bulb - these grow into nice "garlic spring onions".

ooh Lesley, that's really depressing!

I've tried planting some spring onions for first time this year & I agree; they do look really spindly & I was quite worried too. Glad I've read everyone's comments because I'm going to leave them alone! They (the onions) clearly are very shy & just like to be left alone to do their thang! Can I add that this website & the grapevine is FAB! I've learnt more about my veggie plot in the last week than I ever thought I would. Just goes to show that real advice from folks getting their hands dirty is worth more all the books in the library!

I totally agree....I too have learnt more here than anywhere esle and have "met" some lovely people.

Oh Dig -you say the nicest things! any time you want to say we are fab here you just feel free.

So to sum up: Red baron's a fat pilot; Red beard's a skinny pirate?

If you want spring onions in spring you must sow(white Lisbon) under cloches in autumn.

Really they are just so easy, you just need to be patient, if you can grow any other seed you can grow these, sow them between rows of carrots to keep flys confused. love the 'watched onion never grows' policy

Or cheat and call your puny onions and garlic 'springs'- like that one too!

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