Onions from sets or seed

[Pies]

Just curious what everybody chooses and why

This year I've grown both and those grown from seed look a far better quality than those grown from sets

growing from seed seemed fairly easy,just have to remember to start them off early enough.There is also a larger choice of seeds

So why do people grow from sets

Just curious

[Shadylane]

Last year didn't bother with onions as I thought, they're cheap and I can't grow enough for our needs. I also had some weird issue with growing from sets - it felt like cheating somehow. This year, I thought I'd try some from seed as I read on here it was easy. They're mostly very small and only good for pickling apart from a few. Next year I think I'll try both.

[jacob marley]

Just curious what everybody chooses and why
.

So why do people grow from sets

Just curious

Because it is easy to grow from sets and you just plant and walk away.
What i have found growing from seeds the Onions do not run to seed like Onions grown from sets so you pays your money and take your pick...jacob

[Queen of Spades]

I have grown onions from seed for 30+ years, I thought sets were cheating too and only used them occasionally. The last 3 yrs I gave in and bought sets. They save an awful lot of time and space. You have much more choice of variety with seed but they need plenty of REGULAR water and in a hot, dry year(!) they go to seed easily or stay small - probably what happened to yours. Don't give up on seed, there are some great varieties, but try both and see what you think. (Can't grow the autumn planting varieties as our plot is nearly under water every winter)

[Jillyreeves]

Only grown from sets so far so cant comment on growing from seed, but I use them because they are so easy.

[zazen999]

I love growing them from seed; but always pop some sets in just because I can't resist buying them in the autumn when the beds are emptying and after all, the space is there to be used?

I have started sowing my next year's onions already - so have some of the schools - we will be growing loads over the winter in the 2 with greenhouses

[Two_Sheds]

Mine have been very variable:
Kelsae (seed) - brilliant
Cipolla (seed) - not good at all
Spring onions (seed) - never good, always slow
Red Baron (seed) - don't know where they are ...? Died?
Red Baron (sets) - OK, considering the difficult year. Already ready & drying off

winter ones: Radar & Electric (sets)- OK, considering the hard winter. Hi Keeper (seed) poor this year

So I will continue to use both seeds & sets

[Snadger]

Mine have been very variable:
Kelsae (seed) - brilliant
Cipolla (seed) - not good at all
Spring onions (seed) - never good, always slow
Red Baron (seed) - don't know where they are ...? Died?
Red Baron (sets) - OK, considering the difficult year. Already ready & drying off

winter ones: Radar & Electric (sets)- OK, considering the hard winter. Hi Keeper (seed) poor this year

So I will continue to use both seeds & sets

Ditto................

Some people say fungal diseases like whiterot can be imported on sets and I must admit it is a palausible theory. Just pulled one of my supposedly white rot resistant Golden Bear plants up this evening to be met with the tell tale cotton wool on the bottom of it!
The rest seem ok though so here's hoping!

[Two_Sheds]

Golden Bear plants ... tell tale cotton wool on the bottom of it!

Oh no
I was counting on your Golden Bears before I bought my own seed.

Thing about white rot: I've had it on Wilko sets every year for the last 3 years. I am still growing onions in the same ground though (like you're not meant to) and not all of my onions have got it this year - most don't.

[Shadylane]

I love growing them from seed; but always pop some sets in just because I can't resist buying them in the autumn when the beds are emptying and after all, the space is there to be used?

I have started sowing my next year's onions already - so have some of the schools - we will be growing loads over the winter in the 2 with greenhouses

Do they not bolt if you sow them this early or is it the Japanese ones your sowing now? I deffo want to give seeds another go and was thinking of starting off in December. I overwintered some white lisbon which were sown last September and they haven't bolted yet. Mind you they haven't grown that big either considering how long they've been in there or is that cause they're bred to be harvested small. Onions confuse me sometimes

[Queen of Spades]

White lisbon are spring onions, the sort you have in salads, not 'proper' onions. That's why they haven't grown much. Sow a pinch every 10 days through the summer and you'll have them small pencil size for your salads all year.

[roitelet]

I have grown from sets and seed. The sets are not nearly as goos as the seeds so from now on it will be seed. They don't bolt like the sets and keep well.

[Shadylane]

White lisbon are spring onions, the sort you have in salads, not 'proper' onions. That's why they haven't grown much. Sow a pinch every 10 days through the summer and you'll have them small pencil size for your salads all year.

Aye that's what I've been doing Some of the spring onions are bulbing up to look more like 'proper' onions but they still take forever. I grew red ones from seed also and they are pathetic. Some of the white (normal not spring) are a reasonable size but not many. Mind, I didn't feed em or water em till late so that's probably what did it. Better luck next time

[Pies]

Well it seems most people grow from set for ease of growing.I think i will try to grow from seed as if they fail ill have time to sow sets

I;ve attched a couple of piccys of my onions ,sorry about the quality, hopefully the seed sown bulbs look better that the sets