Knowing your onions

Gardeners' World Web User 22/11/2007 at 15:11

I have grown and successfully stored onions for about five years now, usually managing to grow enough to last up until the next years crop is ready for lifting. I always buy 'Setton' as sets to plant out in late winter/early spring and after lifting them in late summer, i leave them on my greenhouse staging for about a month. I make sure the greenhouse is well ventilated, but is still warmed by the late summer sun to dry the onions well. This i believe has been key to my success. I then store them in the house under the stairs in onion sacks haggled from a market stall.

Gardeners' World Web User 22/11/2007 at 15:13

having grown the onion family on an allotment for several years, i have come to the conclusion that my onions (shallots and garlic too) store best in strings in the garden shed which has few windows but is normally frost free though well ventilated at all other times. After bringing some strings into the kitchen for interesting xmas decorations i noticed they started to sprout into growth, becoming soft and unusable, although the same crop stored in the shed was fine.

The answer... try to store them as above, and chop, sweat and freeze some for use in soups/stews etc. Use all the onion family in season, i.e. onions from august to xmas, then shallots (which seem to keep better) followed by leeks straight from the ground till spring. Spring onions can be used till the summer crops, and don't forget chives, which can be cut and frozen as they are or chopped into ice cubes. it makes for interesting cooking, i like French onion soup in early autumn, roast shallots with sunday dinners in winter and cock a leekie in january, but Bolognese made with leeks is surprisingly good.

Gardeners' World Web User 17/12/2007 at 10:23

I have grown onions from sets with good results for 30yrs and from seed with varying results. This year being very wet during June/July the onions were large weighing around 3/4 lb each with thick necks. I managed to dry them out and prevent neck rot by splitting the necks and pulling the leaves apart down to the tops of the bulbs.

I have previously stored them in an unheated greenhouse in trays over a few, relatively frost free winters. Can anyone advise on whether they will withstand a period of below freezing weather.

Gardeners' World Web User 23/01/2008 at 11:30

We live in Leeds and have recently taken on a very overgrown weedy neglected allotment. We have cleared this, applied weedkiller (no choice in view of the neglect) and have made 4' wide by 15' beds for vegetables. I planted onions, garlic and shallots in the autumn. I have keept thes weed free and protected from birds with netting. Have I done the right thing? Will the frosts damage the sets, and will they survive all the wet weather? I see that the garlic should have been planted in modules for planting out in March/April - should I rebuy and try again? Advice please!

Gardeners' World Web User 18/03/2008 at 18:48

I have overestimated the amount of onions I needed for my allotment can I store them for next year kind regards D Duff