I grow my spring onions in wooden troughs filled with multi purpose compost. I usually grow White Lisbon, a variety I've found reliable and tasty, and once sown, apart from watering, they get no further attention.
I find spring onions very slow growing, especially as I like them to bulb up, so I sometimes start some seeds off at the end of the growing season and allow them to stand over winter inside the cold greenhouse. They don't really grow through winter but they've got a head start ready for next year.
I always make sure that I sow plenty as I like to share the ones I grow with my dad, he's very partial to a spring onion. These are a few I pulled just before going on holiday to take with us. Neither Mick nor Eleanor eat them so there were enough here to make a few cheese and onion sandwiches for lunch.
I shall be sowing some more soon which will germinate and put on a bit of growth before the weather turns much cooler. They'll give me a harvest a bit earlier than the ones I sow at the start of the season next year.
Good post, nice looking onions.
ReplyDeleteThey taste delicious too.
DeleteYour spring onions look good.
ReplyDeleteThey are great in salads too ...
All the best Jan
They are. I'm eating so many more salads these days than I used to so I'm growing more salad things.
DeleteThat's a great tip Jo I shall try it later on this year. My first batch is just maturing now x
ReplyDeleteThey do take a long time to grow to a decent thickness so getting them going before winter does seem to help.
DeleteI've had very little success so far. I'll try a summer sowing!
ReplyDeleteThey're ready much earlier the following year if you get them on their way the previous season. I still sow some in spring for a later harvest.
DeleteWe used to grow scallions for sale commercially, we found that people actually preferred shallots pulled early to true 'spring onions'. Much quicker and easier to grow and totally consistent for harvesting.
ReplyDeletePeople do seem to have more success with shallots than they do spring onions. I've given shallots a miss this year, I never get round to using all that I grow as I don't use many in cooking.
DeleteI've been trying perennial bunching onions in order to get that early start to the season (I don't think regular spring onions would overwinter here), but the jury is still out on whether or not I like them as I prefer skinnier spring onions and the perennials tend to get very fat before they multiply. I may try some "normal" spring onions next spring, just to see how I like them.
ReplyDeleteI'd probably like the perennials as I like a bit of a bulb to my spring onions, I know many people prefer them pulled much earlier, more of a straight end to it. I think you'd need somewhere to overwinter the spring onions, they wouldn't like to stand in your cold winter.
DeleteI don't grow them every year, and when I do I've had varying success with them. Yours certainly look good. Flighty xx
ReplyDeleteThey seem to be hit and miss with a lot of people. I rarely have any failures yet I don't lavish attention on them, they're left to do their own thing really.
DeleteYour spring onions look fantastic! Much better to have the larger bulbs I think! Wish the shops sold them like that! xx
ReplyDeleteI always allow my spring onions to bulb up, I know many people prefer them more streamlined but it's how I've always grown them. The shops tend to sell them much thinner but then it doesn't take as long to grow them that way.
DeleteSome years are good; others no so. I grow them in the kitchen garden and I think that sometimes seeds get washed away, or turned into a pheasant's dust bath. Perhaps growing them in a container might help. Great post!
ReplyDeleteI think growing them in a container definitely helps. Direct sowing seeds in to the ground can be very hit and miss, especially when the seeds are very small. At least a container prevents them from being washed away.
DeleteMy daughter's favorite, Jo. She will drool when I show her your pictures. P. x
ReplyDeleteI always grow enough for my dad as he loves them but doesn't have his own garden any longer.
DeleteThey do look good! I find them easy to grow too, but as for onions, I can't grow them for love nor money!xxx
ReplyDeleteIt's the red onions which I have problems with, both proper onions and spring onions.
DeleteThanks for sharing the secrets of your spring onion success Jo. It seems a case of "treat em mean keep em keen". I sowed some Japanese overwintering onions at the back end of last year and used these as my main source of spring onions. Mmmmmmm - cheese and onion sandwiches :)
ReplyDeleteI think many plants react well to a touch of neglect, we can fuss about with things too much. I do love a cheese and onion sandwich.
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