Kitchen Garden Forum

For many years we grew spring onions without a problem . Grew in succession and even had onions to pick over winter.
Now we even have problem germinating the seed.
We have tried sowing direct, in trenches of multi-purpose compost, in modules, in pots, in tubs, Different varieties of seeds have been tried and nothing.
A few friends have commented that they have the same problem after many years of success.
Any ideas why suddenly they have become such a difficult crop.

same here, nightmare this year, the ones that did germinate (10% ish) have taken forever to get to an almost but not quite decent size

I have had similar problems with spring onions in past years especially 'White Lisbon' and now grow pickling onions from seed instead - 'Paris Silverskin'. These tiny white onions are great when used raw like spring onions. They are very easy to grow and I've always had excellent germination. We never have enough left to pickle.

John

I started having germination problems with White Lisbon type varieties (Allium cepa) well over twenty years ago. I switched to Japanese bunching onions (Allium fistulosum) sown in modules then planted out. Always good germination.

You are not alone....this year I have given up on Spring Onions totally.

Year on year I have had only one or two geminate from a packet.... ironically many packets were the White Lisbon variety

Weed wrote:You are not alone....this year I have given up on Spring Onions totally.

Year on year I have had only one or two geminate from a packet.... ironically many packets were the White Lisbon variety

Many of ours were White Lisbon too