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How to Grow Onion Sets
Index
- Sowing Instructions
- Crop Maintenance
- How to Harvest
- Storage
- Pests & Diseases
Sowing Instructions
- Sowing time: From mid March, assuming frost has passed
- Sowing Location: Sow direct into rows
- Sow 1 set every 10cm
- Alternatively sow them every 5cm & thin later
- The closer you sow your onion sets the smaller your harvested onions will be
- Prepare soil prior to sowing, dig & manure your soil the previous autumn if possible
- A sunny site with good drainage is ideal
- To sow simply push the set into the soil
- Sowing depth: onion set's tip should be just below soil surface
- Space rows 15cm apart
Crop Maintenance
- Keep moist
- Weed regularly during summer months
- Check sets early to see if birds have lifted them from the soil
- If so, simply re sow them
- Apply a general fertilizer if needed and rake the surface on a dry day
- If your soil is a heavy clay it is recommended that you improve you soils drainage
- Alternatively place a small amount of horticultural grit beneath seeds prior to sowing
Harvesting
- Harvest when the bulbs have swollen and when the stems turns yellow and falls over
- Using a garden fork, slightly lift the onions in their position. lift to snap the onion's roots preventing further growth
- Leave for 14 days and carefully remove on a dry day
- You can speed up the process by bending and tieing the stems once they start to yellow
- On a dry day lift your onions and place them out in the sun
- Depending on the size of your onions and weather conditions it can take up to 4 weeks for the onions to dry
Storage
- Consume any damaged bulbs first
- Short term storage in the fridge
- Can be stored for up to 7 months in a cool dry place
- You can also tie up your bulbs using their own stems or some cord
Pests & Diseases
- Bird attack is most likely the biggest threat to onions
- Netting should be used to protect against birds that pull up roots
- Other pests and diseases include: Onion fly, root fly, bolting and downy mildew
