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I've been drying out onions to prepare them for storage. This batch was lifted - from sodden beds - during the non-stop rains of late-July, then spread in a single layer on crates and mushroom boxes in the shed. Ordinarily, I would have left them

and slippery that it wasn't possible to push a barrow along the slope. But after just a few days dry weather it is now possible to incorporate some manure into the soil.With the soil drier, I have finally managed to plant the last of my garlic and onion sets

After a good few years of vegetable growing I would go so far as to say that I know a thing or two about onions and their cultivation. For instance I know that onions are prone to a nasty fungal disease called 'white rot' and I know exactly what

have been a bit chilly, but you won't find me complaining — or my lovely little seedlings that are starting to grow.Everything on the plot is pretty rosy I must say. All the onions and shallots I planted are sprouting away happily. And only a few

If you grow your own onions then one choice you have is whether to raise your crop from seed or from onion sets. Both methods have their pros and cons, so the decision isn't a straightforward one.In the past I've always opted for onion sets, which

Stringing onions is a great way of storing gluts, as you can keep a large number of bulbs in a small space. Hang them in a cool, dry, frost-free place - such as a shed - until you need to bring them into the kitchen. If you have room, grow more

Learn how to grow overwintering onions for an early crop the following summer, with Chris Beardshaw's video advice. The video includes tips on spacing and planting depth.autumnMore advice on growing onionsRead Pippa Greenwood's blog on growing

Follow Monty Don's guide to planting onions, shallots and garlic, with tips on soil preparation, drainage and compost.springMore advice on growing alliumsRead Lila Das Gupta's blog on growing garlicHarvesting garlicPlanting out leeks

Onions are easy and cheap to grow, whether from seed or from heat-treated sets. Follow our step-by-step guide, below, on growing onions from seed (skip to Step 3 for instructions on planting out sets).Onion sets are miniature or immature onions

've not grown it before.The onions also went in, but not where I'd planned. The bed I planned to plant them in had been freshly weeded and forked over, but onions need a really firm bed. Last autumn I cleared, weeded and forked another bed, which was crying