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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

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

'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

It's always good to aim high, isn't it? I had lofty ambitions of getting all my potatoes in last weekend, along with my shallot and onion sets. But it wasn't to be. I literally ran out of steam with an aching back and tired feet.So round two

. But the disasters were beyond my control. The cabbage white caterpillar invasion springs to mind, not to mention onions that simply wouldn't dry off, thanks to the horrifically wet summer we had. This time of year is also perfect for planning how to manage the plot

beautifully that anyone who saw them passed comment. It's a lovely variety to grow and the fruits did look fantastic, but I can't tell you what they taste like!My third 'failure' is less severe. This year my onions are decidedly patchy performers. I've got a

It's all go at the moment, there's so much to do. The recent hot weather has had quite an impact on the plot - plants have doubled in size, flowers are abundant, the onions are trying to bolt and I've got a spring in my step.When there's so much

draw up a crop rotation plan. I actually drew a rough outline of where I was going to grow this year's crops in the autumn, before putting in the onions and garlic. Typically, I never got around to finishing it off.My crop rotation plan comprises a

things that don't need regular picking. So this year I'm saying 'no' to courgettes and 'yes' to butternut squashes.I'm planning a couple of beds of onions which always seem to do rather well on my plot, as well as a small bed of shallots. I've had great