Kitchen Garden Forum

Hi all,

I always get awful germination on spring onions and when they eventually come through I normally lose the majority when they simply collapse and die.

The latest failure is in my square foot garden when after an age two 1ft long rows came through, spaced @1/2 inch apart. I now have three green wisps left who are only hanging on to be polite I'm sure.

I would be very grateful for a succesful strategy.

Thanks very much,

David

I find sowing in modules and then planting out works for me.

I sow a few seed, 4 or 5, in each module and plant out the "clump" when ready.

HTH

Jerry

Hi - I do the same as Jerry, but plant up two or three "clumps" from the modules into a couple of 8-inch pots, and there they stay. I do three or four sowings per season, and that is enough to keep us supplied for salads.
Regards, Lyn

Hi David, I module sow mine also but I have commercial trays of 576 modules and I fill with compost then pat down with a stiff hand brush then "broadcast sow" over the top and then put sifted compost over the top of the sown seeds.
I always give them a good watering after sowing and then await the results. I leave them in the modules until they really are slightly potbound then plant them out. Using modules you can delay planting for about a month which nicely spaces the crop. They literally take seconds to plant out. I plant two varieties good old White Lisbon and North Holland Blood Red "Redmate." I normally do two sowings of each variety and that serves my needs. I didn't manage to eat all the "Redmate" a couple of years ago and they went on to make quite passable little onions and are superb fried.

Basically the same here - small pots then plant out.
Nice to know it isn't only me who can't germinate them in situ.

Blimey, something I CAN do better than you lot!

I just sprinkle the seed into rows and up they come. I have a row that was left over from last year which are still just about OK, I've eaten a lot of them this year, and my new rows are looking great.

Thankyou all thats another little problem ticked off.

Chantal, Its unfair to use your 'special' powers in this way but the picture of your 'familiar' is nice......

David

Thank you David, she is lovely. She can wiggle her nose too...

... what's more, she likes spring onions!