Wednesday 3 October 2012

Champions They're Not

I decided that I would have a go at growing onions from seed this year. In hindsight, I don't think it was the year to be trying anything new with everything the weather has thrown at us. I chose Bedfordshire Champion, but was rather late in both starting the seed off and also in planting the seedlings out, which probably contributed to the poor outcome, along with the cold, wet conditions in which they were grown. They hardly grew at all in the earlier months, then seemed to put on a bit of a spurt towards the end. I don't think you can really tell in the photo, but they're not much bigger than golf ball sized. I'm unsure at the moment whether I'll have another go at growing from seed or if I'll go back to growing from sets.

The runner beans have finally started to produce enough to get a decent picking each time I visit the allotment. I doubt if they'll go on producing much longer now that the weather is much cooler, but I'm really enjoying them while they last. I've even managed a picking from the late sown dwarf French beans too. It's such a shame that I haven't managed to freeze any beans for later use, I'm just pleased to have managed to get any sort of harvest after the disastrous start I had at the start of the season, with slugs munching everything in sight.

One thing which is producing well, now that the plants have got going, are the courgettes. There's plenty to pick on each visit to the allotment, it's just a shame that there's only me who really enjoys courgettes in our house. Even my mum and dad aren't keen, so I can see lots of meals incorporating courgette in my future.

42 comments:

  1. They still look pretty good to me! Love reading your blog.

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    1. Thank you for visiting and leaving a comment. They'd have been ok if they'd only have grown a bit more.

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  2. Mine didn't get much bigger than golf balls either and were grown from sets!

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    1. I did really well with sets last year, I think the weather this year has let us down with many crops.

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  3. Always a difficult choice, deciding whether to have another try. One attempt is not a good statistical sample though! I had a similar result with my garlic: nice but very small, so probably not worth the effort.

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    1. It was rather faffy sowing the seed, then transplanting the seedlings at an already busy time of year. Much easier to just plant sets and this is why I'm still unsure what to do next year.

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  4. Our onions weren't great and I think the garlic has disappeared :)
    The Runners put a spurt on for us but they're well and truly over now.

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    1. Let's hope we all have a much better year next year, it can't get much worse.

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  5. i gave up in april trying to grow onions from seed, i went for sets as my seeds kept rotting off, i had a great crop of onions this year, but i covered my onions as they dont like to much water as a result the best crop of onions to date,i only had 6 out of about 100 go to seed. i am planning on making a cage for them for next year so that if we have a spell of persistent rain then i can cover them so they dont get to wet. :-)

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    1. Glad to hear that your onions did well for you. I think it was probably wise to use sets this year instead of seed, especially if you were having problems with them at the outset.

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  6. Jo, I think you need to get yourself a poly tunnel.

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    1. I'd love one, I just don't have the room, or funds.

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  7. I wouldn't use this year as any sort of guide, Jo. Just wipe it out of your memory and have another try.

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    1. I probably will have another go at growing from seed, but don't know if it will be next year. I'm still deciding about that.

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  8. Mine didn't do great at all dand they were from sets. In fact the red ones did very bad, didn't grow at all.

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    1. I had some red sets which just rotted, I didn't have a very good year at all with onions.

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    2. Our red ones from sets were very poor too - some didn't grow and others disappeared altogethr

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    3. I've never grown red onions before, so I'll definitely give them another go.

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  9. I grew my onions from seed this year, just because I'm using up seed. The red onions did the best. The white ones were a dead loss.
    Love from Mum
    xx

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    1. At least you had some success. It was a big disappointment for me after the great crop I got last year.

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  10. I have never tried growing onions from seed - maybe just at the beginning of my veggie growing life - I'm sure you can get more varieties in seed form but as you say it is a bit of a faff. At least you got something for all your efforts.

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    1. It's much easier growing from sets, and as I only want them for eating, not showing, it's probably the best way to go.

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  11. The good thing about courgettes is they can be somewhat disguised and put in things like chili, lasagna, stir fries, etc. I've heard they're event good in muffins (I haven't tried that yet).

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    1. My lot would see beyond the disguise. More for me is what I say.

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  12. At least you gave growing onions from seed a whirl, which is more than I have ever done. Not only that, but considering the weather we have had, I think they look rather good.

    Our courgettes started well, but look pretty sorry for themselves now, so I am envious of your glut of them. Have you tried chopping them up and hiding them in various meals?

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    1. I think the photo makes them look better than they actually are. I don't hide veg in meals as my lot would still find them, fussy lot they are.

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  13. I stick to onion sets - but we didn't grow any at all this year as we have run out of space in the rotation for alliums and have to wait a year or two before it is safe to grow them again.

    Pomona x

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    1. Crop rotation can get very complicated. I use a four year rotation and it seems to work out well.

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  14. I grew onions from seed too Jo this year for the first time. I sowed about half a dozen to a cell and then planted them out in clumps. They have grown to be a reasonable size although not as large as I hoped. Yours look ok to me. How about using some of those courgettes in a cake? It might persuade the rest of the family to eat them :)

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    1. Glad you managed to get something for your effort. Courgette cake is a good idea. I've been meaning to have a go at beetroot chocolate cake but seeing as I didn't manage to grow any beetroot this year, it was off the menu.

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  15. I always grow from sets and so far have always done well with with mine. Interestingly on one of the forums someone's sets didn't grow hardly at all this year.
    Well done with the runner beans, you know how I fared with mine. My one courgette plant got eaten by slugs the night after I planted it out.
    Flighty xx

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    1. I may go back to sets next year, but I'd like to give seeds another go at some point. I'm pleased that I did a late sowing of runner beans, they came good in the end. The courgettes are still coming, at least I've had one thing which has done well this year.

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  16. Courgette cake is lovely Jo and even my kids that don't like courgette enjoyed the cake!!

    Glad your finally getting some beans to harvest. Mine weren't as great this year either and although I have plenty of runner beans I have no others in the freezer. :-(

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    1. The courgettes are really stacking up now so I may just give a courgette cake a go. I can't believe how badly I've done on the legume front this year, they'e never let me down before.

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    2. I know what you mean Jo..they have always 'bean' (lol) something that has been trusty and reliable for me in the past...thanks god for courgettes is all I can say!"!

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    3. It serves me right really for saying I wasn't going to grow runners at the beginning of the year, I might have had more luck with them at the start of the year, but they've come good in the end.

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  17. Its good to try something different like growing onions from seed. Shame it was such a challenging year! My onions weren't as successful this year either though mine were grown from sets. The ones that I planted in the autumn and harvested in June were great though but the ones planted in spring never really got going and some rotted. My shallots didn't do very well either and they are normally one of the easiest crops for me.
    Chocolate courgette cake is a must, makes for a very moist cake and no hint of courgette taste.

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    1. I don't think it was the year to be trying anything different really given the weather conditions. We didn't know what it was going to be like at the start of the season though. It's good that you had some autumn sown onions to fall back on, the belt and braces approach it often the best method.

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  18. I agree with Annie above...you've got to try something new every year. Don't beat yourself up over uncontrollable forces!

    I too tried growing onions from seed this year and they did okay, but probably only because I kept them indoors in modules until May. It was a real hassle though and I think I may just go back to sets after I get through the remaining seeds. How do you rate your experience of seed vs set?

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    1. I agree, sets are much easier than seed. I'd like to give seed another go, but perhaps not next year.

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  19. Good to know I'm not the only tomatoer who suffered from the poor weather this year =]

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    1. Thank you for visiting and leaving a comment. I think all gardeners have suffered with one thing or another this year. Let's hope we have some better luck next year.

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