Onion Seeds

[Sue]

Hi
First time I've tried growing onions from seed, my query is how do you repot them. Do you treat them like leek seedlings?
Sue

[Snadger]

Hi
First time I've tried growing onions from seed, my query is how do you repot them. Do you treat them like leek seedlings?
Sue

Treat them just the same as leeks. I'ts advised to transplant them at 'crookneck' stage gut I usually leave them a wee bit longer before transplanting!

[kernowyon]

Treat them just the same as leeks. I'ts advised to transplant them at 'crookneck' stage gut I usually leave them a wee bit longer before transplanting!

thank god for that, mine are past that stage now and am going to transplant at weekend. so at least it wont just be me!

[Sue]

Snadger
Thankyou, I did try doing it the "ordinary" way but not very successfully. Guess what I'll be doing this weekend!
best wishes
Sue

[bobleponge]

Sue
I pot mine on when they are just after the crook stage. One thing I have found to be succesful though is to plant them much deeper than you would think. I have the leaves only just above the compost and they always seem to work for me

[Sue]

Bob
Thanks for the tip, the first few I did were too shallow, I'll plant the remainder deeper this time.
Anyway lost the first lot as my new kitten knocked the propagator off the table - twice - didn't do my onions a lot of good - a real mess...
best wishes
Sue

[palborn]

What is the crook neck stage? I have sown a load of onion seeds in a plug plant propagator and they have all germinated and have grown a 2" long thin stem that has bent right over. Is this the crook neck stage?! Should I be transplanting them into pots now? They've taken about 3 weeks to get to this stage.

[bobleponge]

That is the crook stage. I pot mine on just after this stage, as it straightens, putting the seedling very far down in the compost, and mine always seem to be fine.
I'm sure there will be some expert onion grapes along who will give other suggestions, but its always worked for me.
(Can you have an expert onion grape?)

[palborn]

Thanks Bob. So they will straighten out eventually? How big will your plants be when you plant them out and when you do you normally do it...so to speak! Do you intercrop with carrots? Sorry for all the questions but I've never grown onions in pots before. Last year I sowed straight into the ground and ended up with the huge harvest of 2 yellow and 2 red. So I thought I'd try a different approach and see if I can be a bit more successful this year.

[crichmond]

Last year I sowed straight into the ground and ended up with the huge harvest of 2 yellow and 2 red.

LOL...

Last year was a bad year for me on the allotment as well, but my onions did well grown from sets. Growing from sets and seeds this year.

[bobleponge]

Palborn,
Yes they will straighten out, just give em warmth water and time. As for planting out, size really isnt important.
Although they are dead 'ard and can withstand most of what nature can give em, I wait till the soil has just started to warm up (when the weeds appear) and then pop em into the deck then.
I dont intercrop with carrots because I cant grow the b@#$%dy things. Also, my onion soil is normally manured not long before they go in, and that causes the carrots to fork and look like something you used to see on Esther Rantzen's Thats Life.
Last year was a bad year for most people, I think I grew less than a dozen toms from many plants, so dont be discouraged.