Onions

[wfmdfm]

I planted onions from seed this year for the first time. I guess maybe I should have started them inside. I planted in early May and nothing came up so I replanted at the end of May. I now have very small grass like plants coming up. They seem very slow to grow and I fear cultivating near them as they are so small. I have been hoeing the rows to try and keep things in line but I will soon need to use the Cub. My question is are they usually this slow from seed? These are Coral Onions and should be a fall harvest and good for storing.My onion Bulbs are doing great as usual but these are a summer onion and don't store well. Sonny??
Wally

[bob in CT]

Onions are very slow to germinate. 2 weeks is not unusual. I now start my leeks in flats so they can go in a little larger. makes it a lot easier to cultivate. They love lots of nitrogen.

[Bill Hudson]

Wally,

Take a look at some of these resources on onion production:
http://www.ext.colostate.edu/ptlk/1808.html
http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/1000/1616.html
http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/m1253.html

I hope this helps. If you have other questions, please ask.

Bill

[SONNY]

Regretful to say,---ya ,they are VERY slow to germinate and even slower growing!---the problem that I found with seed is that even after it grows, the tops die off at the normal time,--(end of July here), and the bulbs are quite small,--about the size of sets that you buy in early spring!---some will be a bit bigger than that but not many.

To start them indoors it needs to be done in Feb. and even then they dont do well here,--others in other areas may have good luck with them, but we dont.

When they first come up the leaves are folded double and as they grow bigger the leaves unfold and stand up like a corn plant!---they are a VERY touchy time consuming crop from seed.---I only use plants IF I can get them or sets if thats all I can get!---Did the seed thing 2 years as a test and both times were a failure for me! thanks ; sonny

[v w]

I start all my onions from seed. Seed gives more choices and low cost. I start them the 1st of March for planting outside May 10th. Or so. I sow as thinly as possible in an old plant flat. Be sure the seed is fresh. I will not use seed from even the previous year. My onions are a foot high now. I live in sw MI and our average frost free date is 5-11 but onions will take some cold. This year I have Burgermaster (red) onion, yellow spanish onion, candy onion and shallots. Don't give up on seed. Start early. They transplant easy. Don't worry too much about depth when transplanting. The onion will bulb where it wants to anyway. Vern