onions

[Ricard with an H]

Geoff, your onions are above ground. I thought the bulb grows underground but you know I'm a novice.

I pulled two onions yesterday because they were looking sad. Wind had knocked the tops over and stunted their growth compared to others in the row. I purposely planted my sets a little closer together this year, for two reasons. Wind, and I start picking juniors as large spring onion for my salads. It seems a shame to waste all that lovely green-eating though I now have lots of spring onion to go at.

I planted red baron (Oct 2013) and feed them with comfrey though I won't know how effective this is for a few weeks yet. I did expect them to be ready by now. Also, earlier in the year I emptied my stove-ash bin that was full of wood-ash around those onions then teased it into the soil. Nettles love it.

[Monika]

Our overwintering onions (Radar) have grown huge this year and we have been using them for the last fortnight. Earlier this year I thought they would never come to anything!

The two different garlics (also planted in October) are still small, the shallots are doing ok.

We certainly use onion fertiliser for all the onion family plants in early summer. to give them a boost.

[PLUMPUDDING]

I checked my allium bed while doing a nocturnal slug hunt last night and the shallots in particular and some of the onions were being devoured by dozens of slugs and snails.
Couldn't believe how many. I had a satisfying squashing session. I'm past the gathering up and releasing at the end of the road. It is now instant death.

[Ricard with an H]

I had a satisfying squashing session.

I'm not usually squeamish but I dislike squashing slugs because of the oozing and horrible mess so I bung them over the bank, presumably I'd be doing my bit for the environment if I gained a sort-of 'cathartic' feeling I get from chopping wood out of hunting and squishing big-fat-slugs.

Horrible things, does god love them and are they good for anything ?