The Poultry Keeper

Spana · Joined: 30 Apr 2005 Posts: 2130 Location: North Cornwall

Anyone planted their onion sets yet? I keep thinking I will but then it turns frosty. Anyone taken a chance?

Knobby · Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2006 9:59 pm Post subject:

Will be doing mine at the weekend

Spana · Joined: 30 Apr 2005 Posts: 2130 Location: North Cornwall

Oh yeh. What variety have you got?

Knobby · Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2006 10:49 pm Post subject:

No idea, I'll go and have a look !

nigel · Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 7:29 am Post subject:

we have sturon and i think i'll wait a week yet

mojo · Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 10:29 am Post subject:

wait a week and put a pinch of sand on top of each to help water run off before it freezes.......................mojo

Issy · Joined: 22 Nov 2005 Posts: 371 Location: somerset

we have sturon too but I think I am going to have to wait a bit longer, as the ground is still frozen, and claggy.

Spana · Joined: 30 Apr 2005 Posts: 2130 Location: North Cornwall

Ive got Sturon as well. Its supposed to be snowy here next week so think i'll wait a bit also.

Heard Bob Flowerdew say about putting sand over them but I think that was to stop birds pulling them out. Not heard of it before. Have you tried it Mogo?

My problem is mice. I plant nice straight rows useing a line, then the little blighters mess it all up Mad

and I hate crooked rows.

mojo · Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 6:03 pm Post subject:

sand stop birds and it also helps drainwater off the necks ...........to deter mice a long thin strip of fine chicken wire works wonders dont forget to weight it down

Spana · Joined: 30 Apr 2005 Posts: 2130 Location: North Cornwall

Do you mean over the row? Sounds a good idea but when do you take it of? Dont they get pulled out if grown through it?

mojo · Posted: Fri Feb 10, 2006 4:47 pm Post subject:

take it off when green bits are 4in high approx........... if you arch the wire like a tiny tunnel it works super

Timbo · Joined: 03 Mar 2006 Posts: 202 Location: Cranfield, Beds.

Sounds like a plan Mojo!

I've just put mine into small individual tray pockets to start them... (Monty Don suggestion) the weather seems far too cold for me to be out and I don't think they will grow below about 5 degrees anyway. I'm hoping to get the roots just started so I can anchor them in the ground a bit better as my soil (clay) gets so hard they grow a little root and push themselves out!

So... it's an experiment. (I'll probably end up with no Onions this year!..)

Spana · Joined: 30 Apr 2005 Posts: 2130 Location: North Cornwall

Ive chanced it and planted them on Sunday. Put sand over them and so far none have been pulled out. Used all my spare wire making chickens runs.

summayah · Joined: 14 Apr 2005 Posts: 4289 Location: luton

I put mine in at the end of last week ~ one day when it was a tad warmer than it's been ever since!

Issy · Joined: 22 Nov 2005 Posts: 371 Location: somerset

Mine went in last Tuesday and fingers crossed I have only had to replant 2.