Forum home Fruit & veg
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Winter-hardy onions have exposed themselves


“One touch of nature makes the whole world kin”
Trolius & Cressida

Posts

  • Hi, I’m new here,
    I just went to check on the onions and I noticed a few were really growing out of the soil- one I covered up, it was practically 3 quarters out and tilting. I took a pic of another offender.

    I’ve found scant help, or some but just slightly out of the range of use due to the way some spend their days under the tray or that they’re the winter-hardy sort.

    can anyone advise what to do? 

    I dunno if this helps but I *think* this is the NOT no-dig end of the veg box. 
    At my disposal are:
    composts, good quality mulch, semi-rotted down “helicopter seeds”, and soil recently treated with compost and a few transparent 2-litre plastic bottles
    “One touch of nature makes the whole world kin”
    Trolius & Cressida
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    My onions  - winter and summer varieties - have always sat at least half above the ground.  They're more like beetroot than carrots in that respect so don't worry.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • Hmm okay, I’ve also read contradicting suggestions about exposing the onions to the elements and sunlight.

    Could I perform a partial cover to err on the side of cation?

    not sure of this is hairsplitting stuff either but I drew this as a sort of colour coded guide- at what level would it be helpful or too much?

    “One touch of nature makes the whole world kin”
    Trolius & Cressida
  • Nanny BeachNanny Beach Posts: 8,719
    Same here if they are actually Keeling over I just bank a little bit of soil round the bulb
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    They're fine as they are, honest.

    If it helps, Geoff Hamilton advised sowing onion seeds, just a few to a module and then planting out the whole module, suitably spaced.  As the onions grew and swelled they'd push each other to the side so would nearly all be sitting lop sided and not buried.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
Sign In or Register to comment.