onion seeds

[small]

I'm trying onions from seed this year, good germination, but should I 'help' them by removing the seed case from the sprout? They are weighed down but I don't know if I'll do more harm than good fiddling. Any advice gratefully received.

[small]

[euronerd]

It doesn't seem to make much difference but it does no harm to take the skin off if it looks to be hampering progress. They'll have more than enough strength once they really get going. I always ask myself, "What would Nature do?"

Geoff.

[chriscross1966]

From experience you'll damage up to half the ones you try to "help"...they straighten up quickly enough... once they're a couple of inches high they want to be in modules of something with a bit of oomph in them, I usually boost my multipurpose with a bit of BFB in th emix... Watch out for damping off, it can be a bit of a bugger with onions, so don't overwater them when they're small, copper fungicides are usually effective if needed...

[small]

Thanks for all the advice (PM included), balance is to leave them alone, not as easy as sets are they!

[chriscross1966]

I generally find seeds easier than sets, when they're small and vulnerable they're somewhere you can keep an eye on them, the birds don't pull up small plants the way they do with sets sometimes.... also they almost never bolt ( I say this last year I did have a couple bolt, first time for everything I guess... finally the range of varieties available is huge compared to sets...

[laurieuk]

When growing from seed I like to  pick out or pot up before the first leaf straighten out, as you only have one root to deal with whereas once you get more leaves you have more roots that can be damaged.

[small]

This is more complicated than I had thought...so I need to prick out, how deep do I bury the seedling? I really don't know if I have the fine motor control to do them so tiny.....

[green lily]

I grew my first main crop onions from seed last year. I started them early [Jan] and helped them with extra light. I learnt a lot especially they are hungry feeders and need extra supplements to ordinary compost before going out. I had a good crop and followed all the on line advice from A4A experts and others. I'm sowing later this year because I've been away but don't expect to have to give so much light.
I shall pot on pretty soon after germination to about 3 or 4 into a module them plant out when the weather settles. Keep them cool but not really cold although some people just put some glass over a tray and leave them outside. Thats a bit brave for me but if they get too warm early they're more likely to bolt.
Last years biggest problem was keeping onions dry enough not to rot. You bet it'll be the opposite this year. Best of luck and keep close to the experts