Do people have any hints and tips of these please?
Treat me as a beginneras I have only had the allotment for a couple of years and the first time I tried overwintering onions they did very badly.
Basic info:
Location: Herts/Bucks border
Site: sloping, northish facing, clay/chalk/flint and very stoney
I have just had the KG offer onions delivered with some notes, which I have read but helpful stuff from here would be appreciated.
Overwintering Onions
Moderators: KG Steve, Chantal, Tigger, peter
Stephen, I have grown the overwintering onions Radar for the last three years and have not regretted it. I usually plant them in October without cover but protected by wire netting (to stop the birds pulling the sets out) and leave them to it. They usually put out green shoots quite quickly and then seem to come to a standstill over winter. When the weather warms up in spring, they suddenly take off again and are usually ready to harvest in May or so, just when the summer grown onions from the previous year come to an end. For us, they never grow very large but then, I don't want huge onions. And they don't store very well, that is, this spring's harvest is now feeling a little soft, but by now, of course, we can start harvesting the summer grown onions.
They are certainly very useful to provide a continuous supply of home grown onions!
They are certainly very useful to provide a continuous supply of home grown onions!
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sally wright
- KG Regular
- Posts: 722
- Joined: Tue Nov 29, 2005 7:32 pm
- Location: Cambridge
Dear Stephen,
I find that the planting time is about the date for your first frost. This allows the onions to put out their first leaves as Monica says and not to grow too large before winter sets in. If they do go in earlier than that and get too big then there will be losses due to winter kill and then many will bolt in the spring.
I also find that as a sufferer of both mildew and white rot the overwintering onions give a better crop. I find they will store better than Monica and I usually keep them up until Christmas. I usually dry them off in the greenhouse on the staging where they will get lots of heat and sunshine.
I do know that if you plant close, say 6" x 6" then the bulbs will be smaller than if you planted say 9" x 12".
Between them and leeks any disasters with my main crop onions is not usually a calamity in the kitchen.
I do not usually fertilize my onions as they follow the potatoes on my rotation but if they are looking peaky in the spring then I will use a low nitrogen fertilizer such as rose food. I have found that using growmore makes for lush plants that are more prone to the mildew and make soft bulbs that do not store well.
Regards Sally Wright.
I find that the planting time is about the date for your first frost. This allows the onions to put out their first leaves as Monica says and not to grow too large before winter sets in. If they do go in earlier than that and get too big then there will be losses due to winter kill and then many will bolt in the spring.
I also find that as a sufferer of both mildew and white rot the overwintering onions give a better crop. I find they will store better than Monica and I usually keep them up until Christmas. I usually dry them off in the greenhouse on the staging where they will get lots of heat and sunshine.
I do know that if you plant close, say 6" x 6" then the bulbs will be smaller than if you planted say 9" x 12".
Between them and leeks any disasters with my main crop onions is not usually a calamity in the kitchen.
I do not usually fertilize my onions as they follow the potatoes on my rotation but if they are looking peaky in the spring then I will use a low nitrogen fertilizer such as rose food. I have found that using growmore makes for lush plants that are more prone to the mildew and make soft bulbs that do not store well.
Regards Sally Wright.
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Stephen
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- Location: Butts Meadow, Berkhamsted
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Hi
Thanks for the tips.
Sally, I will be putting these into some of the ground occupied by spuds this year so will follow your advice. I confess that I hope the first frosts are some time off!
Monica, I have read that the length of day controls the growth of onions, so don't expect much over the winter (but it is mildly depressing seeing them looking the much the same for months on end!)
Thanks for the tips.
Sally, I will be putting these into some of the ground occupied by spuds this year so will follow your advice. I confess that I hope the first frosts are some time off!
Monica, I have read that the length of day controls the growth of onions, so don't expect much over the winter (but it is mildly depressing seeing them looking the much the same for months on end!)
Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently talented fool.
Hi Stephen,
I agree with both Monika and Sally. Although your onions, over the winter, appear to be doing nothing top growthwise they are actually forming a superior root system and as has been said come spring they bounce into action. Spring sown Onions have to start off from scratch hence the difference in the timing of crops.
JB.
I agree with both Monika and Sally. Although your onions, over the winter, appear to be doing nothing top growthwise they are actually forming a superior root system and as has been said come spring they bounce into action. Spring sown Onions have to start off from scratch hence the difference in the timing of crops.
JB.