Onions--bulblets, seeds, or starts?

Discussion in 'Fruit and Veg Gardening' started by marlingardener, Mar 25, 2014.

  1. marlingardener

    marlingardener Happy

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    I've never started onions from seed, just the little bulbs or the tiny green onions that are sold in a bunch with a rubber band around them.
    Which do you prefer? I am seriously thinking of starting some onions from seed this fall, and I need to hear advice and other gardeners' experiences.
     
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  3. carolyn

    carolyn Strong Ash

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    I have done both seeds and bulbs. The seeds are CHEAP! but a lot more work. Honestly, I wouldn't waste my time on the seeds unless I was selling the plants or bulbs Or I needs a thousand pounds of onions for something.
     
  4. KK Ng

    KK Ng Hardy Maple

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    I have started onions from seeds and bulbs. The very first time I started onions from seed was very exciting for me because before that I never knew onion seeds were available. :oops:
     
  5. Chrisle

    Chrisle In Flower

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    I always used the bulbs. This years I am going to try the seeds. Every year I like to experiment with how to grow a vegetable in a different way. These are the Spanish onion as they are not a winter keeper I will be buying some onion bulbs that the onion will store for the winter. I'll be planting my onion seeds today!
     



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  6. mart

    mart Strong Ash

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    Seed is not worth the trouble. I use the started onions. I have six bunches waiting and likely will need more. White granex and Texas sweets.
     
  7. Growingpains

    Growingpains Young Pine

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    I'm open to advice on onion growing. We grew nice, large onions only once. Every year since they haven't grown large at all. I've tried both seeds and sets. I read that the yellow onions grow best in SE Michigan.
    Should I try deep container growing? Should I add sand to the soil?
     
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  8. zuzu's petals

    zuzu's petals Silly Old Bat Plants Contributor

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    Onion sets for me. :like:
     
  9. 2ofus

    2ofus Hardy Maple

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    Onions are Idaho's main commercial crop (along with potatoes) so ordering sets or starts out of state is banned, due to possible bugs or disease entering with them. I tried the sets that are sold here but didn't care for them as each set developed two or 3 onions each which made the onion large and they were exceedingly HOT! Onions starts are really hard to find so last year I started seed in the house under lights. (we can order seeds from out of state) They were a pain in the rear-end, especially when up-potting them but well worth the effort so I'll be starting them from seed from now on. I don't plant potatoes as I can buy 50 pound sacks for $8.00 from the farmers.
     
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  10. mart

    mart Strong Ash

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    Your soil may need an application of lime if your onions are that hot. Have others complained of the same thing? Never heard of sets having multiple bulbs. What variety were they?
     
  11. Sjoerd

    Sjoerd Mighty Oak

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    Hello There Growing,

    I have found that onions really dislike wet ground, so having some sand mixed into the rows to facilitate this would be a good idea. The water would drain away then more easily.

    Also, personally I would not use very much fertilizer because it could cause the onions to shoot...you want any growing that they do to take place underground, right. If you add, say compost...just make sure that it is very thoroughly composted. If you use stall manure or compost that is still a bit "ripe" and not well-rotted it could effect the growing of the onions negatively and also could attract the onion fly.

    When you plant them, plant them deeply enough so that only the very tip of the set peeks through (above) the soil. Another tip that I discovered is that they like loose soil, so you can loosen-up your soil in the bed where you plan to plant them.

    Weeding is something that you probably do, but I would say that it safest to weed around the developing onions with your hands instead of , say, a hoe. The reason for this id that the onion's roots are shallow and not unthinkable that they could be damaged.

    I know, I know--this is all way more info that you needed --hahaha. I just sorta began talking and couldn't stop. at any rate these suggestions are what works for me in my garden, if they will help you in your location I do not know.

    Lots of luck.
     
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  12. Growingpains

    Growingpains Young Pine

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    Triple onions on one set may be Walking onions?
    True, potatoes are reasonable at market, but I so enjoy digging them up from my own garden.

    Sjoerd, thank you. All advice is considered.
     
  13. 2ofus

    2ofus Hardy Maple

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    I really don't know what kind of onion the sets they were as they aren't labeled ( yellow skin and white onion but definitely not a walking onion) but I know that the mature onion would look like a regular onion until you started slicing it and there would be 2 to 3 actual onions inside that you could pull apart. They would have 2 or 3 layers that surrounded all of the onion so, until you cut the top off, it looked and felt like one big round onion. Plus, every time I sliced them, I would have tears running down my face. The yellow Spanish onion I grew from seed last year was a normal onion like you buy in the store and they do not make me cry. My soil is very alkaline so I'm not sure about adding lime to it. Here are picture of what is left of the onions we grew last summer.

    onions 001 (Medium).JPG

    onions 002 (Medium).JPG
     
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  14. Sjoerd

    Sjoerd Mighty Oak

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    Those look really good, 2OF.
    I like how you keep them.
     
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  15. mart

    mart Strong Ash

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    OK,, Here is my thought and what info I have found. If your soil is alkaline it naturally contains a higher amount of sulphur compounds. Sulphur is usually added to correct alkaline soils and lime is added to correct acid soils.
    When you chop an onion,,sulphur compound that is naturally present is what makes you cry. So you need to lower that in your garden by adding lime. Onions love lime/calcium. Of course you have to start with a sweet onion variety.
    I limed my garden this year and added extra over the onion bed.
     
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  16. Sjoerd

    Sjoerd Mighty Oak

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    Hey!--That is a good posting, Mart.
    I have veen ground and thus I must lime my onion bed every time, otherwise I have probs with a white fungus. I have to do the same with my brassica's because of clubroot.

    Everything isn't naturally perfect in my garden, but I have learned "work-arounds".

    Once again--good posting, Mart.
     

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