Topic: Onions - to overwinter or not ?

[Dadnlad]

I'm considering whether to bother with overwintering sets this year

Have got a good few varieties of onion seed to try (which I think can be sown anytime from New Year on),  in which case will they be ready around the same sort of time as overwintered sets ?

[Amazin]

I'll be trying both this time round. I grew white and red from sets sown late Autumn last season and although I had some mould (or possibly white rot), overall I was delighted with the results, especially the red which had a really strong flavour. This time round I plan to put seeds in between the sets for comparison.

[asbean]

I usually grow two lots of sets - one lot go in Oct/Nov and the other Feb/March.  This year I grew some from seed in the spring and they were fantastic, I've just dug out the packet of overwintering onions to sow this weekend.  I hope they'll be as successful.  Will grow in modules in the poly tunnel and then put in the ground in the spring.

[Barnowl]

Dropping the conventional overwinter.   

Only going to try white onion (Silver Moon) from sets. Perhaps if we had a larger plot we would go for it but after two seasons we have concluded that for us the time margin over the main crop doesn't justify the effort / space usage .

Will probably grow Pink Torpedo from seed again: sown in late January last time so may try Dec this time, since they were ready at the same time as the normal crop rather than earlier.

[asbean]

I read somewhere that the overwintering ones (which are ready in Julyish as opposed to August) do not keep as well as the spring sown/planted ones.  I think I should be holding back on the overwintering ones and growing more summer ones.  I do want to move to growing from seed rather than sets, as it is a lot cheaper.

[Dadnlad]

I agree  Asbean, we grew Silvermoon and a red one ??? from sets(Tuckers)overwinter. They grew fine, but by the time they were ready, the Long Red Florence (sown early March indoors) had caught up ::)