why cant I grow spring onions?

[Cutecumber]

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

[wheatleys wheels]

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.

[noidea]

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

C

[beach chick]

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...

[Cutecumber]

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

[Marylou]

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".

[beach chick]

ooh Lesley, that's really depressing!

[Dig-in-Dudley]

Spring Onions

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!

[Headfry]

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

[Paulottie]

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!

[Mia]

How interesting to learn that I am not the only one that struggles with spring oninon..
I asked the guy at the farmers' market last Saturday how they did it - they had the most AMAZING sping onions I have ever seen (and tasted), and he described almost the same techinque as Flammery is using.
They grow them in modules, 7 or 8 seeds per cell, he didn't mention thinning them out. Once they have grown a bit, they plant out each cell (with several small plants in it) about 20 cms apart.
I sowed some a few days ago to experiment with this tip.

Happy spring onion growing,
MIA