Onions. Should I give up?

[zazen999]

Have a butcher's at this Snadger!
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1...nyA/edit?pli=1

I got an email from Kelly [the author of that article] who breeds in the USA asking to trade some of my Mrs Hutchinson's for his that he has bred to be huge...I sadly had to refuse due to not wanting to import any allium fly/leek moth etc into the USA...

This is how I found out about planting a large potato onion/shallot results in smaller but more plentiful potato onions/shallots and planting small ones results in less but bigger ones...if you can get the large ones to set seed, and I will be trying next year - that's how you breed larger potato onions.

I started out with 3 I think and had enough within 2 years to give them away let along eat them so you won't have to be too patient...again with this sort of thing I've concentrated on trying to bulk them up to give them away or sell rather than eat...The Mrs Hutchinsons ones from last year were great so they are smaller this year but I have high hopes for next year and they I will try and get the biggest ones to set seed...

See blog for the little/big onion picture...The Linear Legume: Why planting little shallots gives you bigger shallots...

[zazen999]

Darn VC that's something else to have a shot at next season.

Potty

If you join the Nottingham and Derby Seed Circle you will get some for free later this year...

[rustylady]

I usually do well with Red Baron in pots but they are definitely slow this year.

Potty

Do you grow from seed or sets Potty?

[RedThorn]

Now I'm intrigued too....

[veggiechicken]

If it wasn't so dark I'd wander down the garden and count my potato onions

[Potstubsdustbins]

RL sets as a rule. This year is the first year I have tried onions from seed but that's an other tale. My Red Baron are sets and to be honest if I get a 50% crop I will be lucky.

Lots different to last year and the year before. These were 2011.

Potty

[Shadylane]

Most of our red baron sets have bolted. First time I've grown sets since our first year. I'm going back to seed next year. Though the ones from seed didn't have a great start either - went all floppy - but at least they haven't bolted. Just haven't grown much either

[rustylady]

Just wondered Potty - I'm growing Red Baron from sets and this year they looked to be doing well but have now started throwing up flower stems. Only a few at the mo, but I'm concerned.

I'm wondering if it's worth paying the extra for the heat treated sets.

[kentishgal]

I hadnt heard of potato onions before, think I might give them a go next year! Ive given up on my pot grown onions and composted them as they really hadnt grown at all (same thing happened last year). I will leave the ones in the ground longer then to see if the bulbs swell. I think they have all bolted though and Im not sure if they will grow after they have done that! At the moment the bulbs are exactly the same thickness as the stem above.

[rustylady]

Kentishgal - onions don't really start swelling the bulbs until after midsummer day so if you have plenty of topgrowth you could still be in for a good crop of onions.

When you say they have bolted do you mean they have developed flower stems?

[Tripmeup]

I have potato onions growing this year too, in addition to my shallots and they are doing well...I haven't pulled any yet as we have other over wintered onions on the go at the mo...

My Radar sets planted last October have done really well this year and are a great size....Will post a pic when I pull them...
My Hi-Ball which were grown from seed (sown August 2012) over the winter are not as big and took a bif of a battering from the wind at times...Not a bad crop either tho...

[Two_Sheds]

Red onions seems more difficult the white ones.

Now I've always been better at the red ones, funny isn't it?

My soil's not ideal for onions (it's light & sandy, and I have white rot on the plot). Onions from seed look like grass for about 10 months of the year, then some will decide to set about and grow an actual onion.
This year's looking good: all of a sudden they bulbed up and got really fat, like shop onions! I've mulched them frequently with chopped up weeds & green manures, and grass clippings.

The caliente mustard seems to be helping with the white rot too: all onions are fine except for 2 rows, which is a vast improvement on last year

[Potstubsdustbins]

RL I usually use heat treated sets, but was let down by a supplier this year and had to take what I could get. Well that's my excuse and I am sticking to it.

Next year I will go back to my old supplier Marshalls I have always done well with their sets.

Potty

[Tripmeup]

Pulled some of my Radar over wintered onions this evening and they are a very good size.. The ones sown from seed are not as big but are not too bad either..

[samuelsapien]

I totally agree with the OP, it is a little frustrating to see things not doing well and wondering if you've maximised the potential space well. I tend to hedge bets a little by having things in starter pots just in case some things don't turn out well, but making the call to uproot...

In the meantime my Red Baron are doing OK. Got a bit battered by the wind but we'll see.

BTW Thanks for the introduction to Potato Onions. Went and did a load of research on them after reading this thread. They do seem like a better idea for a small self sufficiency garden. Will have to give them a try.