Onion growing advice please

Yesterday, as a thank you for a small kindness, my neighbour gave me two packs of Unwins onion sets - 1 Senshu (Japanese) onion, the other Yellow Moon shallots, both of which say 'Plant Sept - Dec'. The thing is, not only have I never grown onions before, but in truth I don't have anywhere to put them, at least not the combined total of 85 sets, so I'm seriously in need of some advice please.

Can I plant (some of) them in containers?
What would be a good size of container?
Would there be any advantage in putting that/those containers in my unheated greenhouse during the worst of the winter?

and lastly .....

I know onions prefer a light(er) soil which is fine - mine's light and quite sandy, but what else do I need to know about growing onions, watering, feeding, etc?

As usual, all advice gratefully received.

 

I`d be inclined to use growbags FM, planting 10 to 12 sets per bag.

 

Thank you guys. I've no idea where I'm going to put them but I'll find somewhere, (even if it's only dotted amongst the flowers!) but I'm certainly not going to waste them so I might try sticking a few of the 'left overs' in the greenhouse and, when they bolt, JWK can smile and say 'I told you so'!!

 

Sorry, I'm of no help! I grow all my onions from seed,........

Onions do like a rich free-draining bed, I have two purpose built beds ready for next year, these are to accomodate my Kelsaes which I'll be sowing 26th December. Unlike last year, my new beds are in full sun, this years harvest (from shaded beds) have confirmed that and been rather disappointing, (Still bigger than any shop bought onions though and a slightly stronger flavour than usually associated with Kelsaes)

As I said, NO use LOL

 

I'm not actually after huge onions, but would rather have something of pickling size. That said Vince, all knowledge is useful, but ...

... I thought men escaped to the pub on Boxing Day!

 

I planted my left over onion sets in seed trays this year and packed them quite close to each other and when the leaves withered away at the end of the summer they'd grown in to lovely little onions just short of the size of a golf ball :thumb: