Onion Growing 2025

Thanks @JWK. Not bought before from the seller but have used Just seeds in the past and they seemed ok. Have used premier seeds for….seeds funnily enough! but not their sets. Will have a look at what they are offering. You have sort of confirmed what I thought re size so will not bother with the seller of big sets. Your expertise is always very welcome. Anybody new to veg growing take note.

 

My Mammoth Reds are just looping in the heated prop.

 

Well I am a wee bit ahead of you atm. No doubt for the first and only time! I also will no doubt have spent a fortune of electricity with mine being in a heated propagator since around Christmas. Well needed as until recently it has been extremely chilly!

 

I sowed my onion seed last week, nothing so far but they are in pots on a sunny window sill. No extra heat underneath them.

 

Last year and 2023 I had reasonable success with Onion Sets Centurion and Radar.
I've got the Onion Bug now and fancy growing a few from seed.

Does Ailsa Craig onion have an alternative name ?
A tad late for sowing I know, but want to grow a larger variety from seed.
I will sow in plastic seed trays and start them off on the kitchen window sill.

Any info much appreciated

 

I wasn't going to grow many but you know how it is, couldn't walk past a packet of red barron sets the other day, then ordered a packet of Zebrune seed.

Ailsa Craig is the only name I know, I think a lot of seed companies do that one.

Bedfordshire Champion is one I used to grow.

 

My Mammoth Reds are not germinating quite as well as I would like so a second sowing in the same cells has taken place, I only need a couple of dozen, but as of yet I don't quite have enough.

 

Onion Ailsa Craig, 50 seeds, sown 21/01/25
On window-sill in cool kitchen -- looking a tad feeble ATM.

 

They are ok ! Slow but steady growth is what you need. Suggest seaweed extract as encouragement. Little but often.

 

Cheers @infradig
ordered some seaweed extract

It will get used on Potatoes too !!

 

Well I said the Mammoth Reds weren't growing, well they are now, just slow getting going(and I know that feeling), so I now have what I wanted plus the Red Barron, better too many than too little.

 

I normaly grow from sets, but why do some onions have a bit of outer skin in the middle on an oinion usally at the top of it

 

I don't know, but I sometimes wonder if it's down to stop/ start grow caused by dry and then wet.