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onions from seed
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Posted by marric Z5a Ontario (My Page) on Wed, Oct 28, 09 at 11:04
| This year I tried growing onions from seed, Red Marble. They grew well. I cut them back once and they got bigger so I thought I would transplant them to a bigger pot. I lost half of them when I transplanted. I was wondering if I would have been better off waiting and planting directly outside? I want to try again this year and hoping that someone could give me some tips. Also, I was wondering if I would be able to winter sow onions? Has anyone tried this before? Thanks. marg |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: onions from seed
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| The problem with onions from seed is they take a long time to get to a size that will enable them to make a nice sized bulb. I don't know if you are aware or not, but with most bulbing onions it's the day/night length that triggers bulb formation. Once the time arrives the onions have to make due at whatever size they are at and get busy with that bulb growing. While you probably can wintersow and get germination I doubt they will sprout early enough to get to any size before bulb formation is triggered. |
RE: onions from seed
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| Marg, I sometimes grow from seeds too but I transplant them after 4-5 weeks or when they have at least 2 leaves. I get almost 90% success - 10% are either too low or I get careless. They are rather delicate but very strong and come back fine. I wonder if you wanted too long to transplant. |
RE: onions from seed
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| I've found leeks, onions, bunching onions, chives and garlic chives all transplant very well. That's even if you break up a community pot, untangle their roots and plant them bare root. Perhaps they weren't sufficiently hardened off to the sun? Once mine start to come up I move their pots to almost full sun. |
RE: onions from seed
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| I do like p spark does. I germinate them in the house, but as soon as some come up, put the flat or pot outside in the sun during the day as long as temps hover above freezing. I keep them growing in the same container until just before transplanting directly into the garden. I may snip the tops once if they get too long and shaggy. I also give them a light fertilizer twice a week when they get big and crowded, since there is nothing but root mass left in the flat by that time. You do have to rip away some roots when you separate, but 98 percent survive just fine. If you have plenty of water and good soil, or fertilize, you can grow very nice sized onions in a season. I never buy onion sets any more, just grow from seed and plant as early as I can. |
RE: onions from seed
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- Posted by marric Z5a Ontario (My Page) on
Fri, Oct 30, 09 at 17:16
| ddsack: when do you start yours? I just checked last years records and I started mine Feb. 5 and they sprouted 5 days later. Did I start them to soon? |
RE: onions from seed
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I know most people start onions from seeds early spring time. But I started some this fall(direct sown in garden). They are up about 4-5". and I am hoping they will get stronger and over winter (in my zone =8 GA). This way they will have a head start program and by next july I will harvest them. I will also start some from sets (if I can find them) and pearl onions later in December or early january. I have planted some shallots(first time) they are just doing great. Maybe I will cut the tops once before the cold weather arrives.
Anyway, The onions (from sets) overwinter here fine just like garlics. So I think that seedlings should also do well. |
RE: onions from seed
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| Even in GA, Vidalia onions are started first from seed in the Fall/Winter |
RE: onions from seed
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Thanks Mensplace.
Now you reminded me to get some vidalia onion seeds and try them.
I will get some vidalia onions and will plant them for seeds as well. onions are great. you enjoy them young and store them for months. Not too many garden veggies are like that. Potatoes are another.
cyrus |
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