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How
To Plant/Sow Onion Seed and Sets Sowing Maincrop Onion Seed
Choose a dry day to sow onion seed,
March
is ideal in your area. The soil should be moist but not wet,
if it sticks to your boots, wait a day or so until
conditions are dryer. Dig out drills (see diagram)
about 2cm (3/4 inch) deep and 30cm (1foot) apart. Sow the
onion seed as thinly as possible, three or four seeds every
15cm (6 inch) (right hand row of diagram) gently replacing
the soil over the seeds.
It
is possible to sow the seeds in a continuous row as shown in the
left hand row of the diagram, although more seeds will be required
thinning out later will take longer. The seedlings
should appear about 20 days later. Onion seed can be sown about 3
weeks earlier if they have the protection of poly tunnels - click
here for more details of how to use poly tunnels.
Click here
to buy a poly-tunnel or cloche online from our recommended suppliers. Sowing Maincrop Onion Sets Plant onion sets 10cm (4inch) apart in rows 30cm (1 foot) apart to a
depth where only the very tips of the sets are just showing
through the soil. Dig a hole in the soil with a trowel and place
them in the hole with their necks uppermost. Do not just push
them into the soil, they may grow out of the soil later. Sowing Spring (Salad) Onions Sowing Japanese Onion Seeds CLICK
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Onion
sets provide an easier method of growing onions and with more
chance of success. The picture on the right shows the size of
the small onion sets in comparison to the fully grown onion.
Sow them in drills in a continuous row lightly covering the seed
with soil. Sow at three weekly intervals from
March
to
June
to ensure a continuous supply.
Japanese onions are sown in
mid August
in exactly the same manner as maincrop onion seeds.
Name: d. mansbridge
E-mail: d.mansbridge@ntlworld.com
Date posted: July 18, 2011 - 03:05 am
Message: For the first time my onions have started to bolt we hve had in my area a very dry 3 months I have watered very well but today is more like winter than summer and I noticed a doz. of 150 sets I planted are going to seed what should I do leave them until Sept or take up the ones that have bolted now? Thaks for any advice Dave M
Name: jim
E-mail: jandklamb@btinternet.com
Date posted: June 05, 2011 - 11:16 am
Message: my onions dont seem to swell up got plenty of green but no sign of bulb getting bigger