I gave my baby onions their first grownup drink of water yesterday as the temp. in the conservatory has been quite high recently. Despite the downpours and gales, more to come today. The seedlings are looking well so now I must empty and clean the greenhouse and move the seedlings into their winter quarters.
I planted Stuttgart onion sets yesterday and they've now been well watered in by the rain but I shall have a go at sowing some pink ones early in January, along with chillies tho probably not NY day. Maybe the 2nd as it's a BH.
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)."
It is hammering down here, forecast for the rest of the day . I am wondering if, due to the very wet winters we have in Cornwall, I have had such poor results with sets.
Joyce Goldenlily If it's any comfort, our winters are probably just as wet as Cornwall. I once read that leeks like Chicken Manure pellets so, being from the same family, I've always given my onion sets a few.
@Joyce Goldenlily - my Belgian garden was very wet in winter so I learned not to plant Japanese/autumn planted onions and to start off onion sets in small fibre pots in a sunny, sheltered spot and then plant them out when they had a strong root system. I'd also make sure there was plenty of garden compost added to the soil to open it up more and add pelleted chicken manure.
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)."
Yes, I agree. My winters are very wet so assumed that was why autumn-sown onion sets did not do well. I have had success with onion seeds sown in Jan. and planted out later. I just had an itch I couldn't scratch about autumn sown seeds which I had never tried before so had to have a go and see what happened. So far all good. A good germination rate and healthy seedlings. Now "all" I have to do is keep them going. If all it means is I have a slightly earlier crop I will have to decide if the result is worth the effort.
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The seedlings are looking well so now I must empty and clean the greenhouse and move the seedlings into their winter quarters.
My winters are very wet so assumed that was why autumn-sown onion sets did not do well. I have had success with onion seeds sown in Jan. and planted out later.
I just had an itch I couldn't scratch about autumn sown seeds which I had never tried before so had to have a go and see what happened. So far all good. A good germination rate and healthy seedlings. Now "all" I have to do is keep them going. If all it means is I have a slightly earlier crop I will have to decide if the result is worth the effort.