This is where I hit upon the second snag. We have two 5 pole sized allotments quite close together on our local site. Ideally I would love to allocate one of the beds there to my onions, however, we have tried to grow onions on our oldest plot in the past and found that we had a high incidence of white rot. Rather than risk it, I decide that I need to find space in my back garden. We have three small (4*6 feet) raised beds that we usually use for growing easy, quick access crops like salads and mange touts. I requisition these to become my onion beds.

The good thing about this is that we’ve been growing veg in these beds for over 15 years, so the soil is very well cultivated. One bed is already full of garlic and onion sets, so I have two 4’*6’ beds at my disposal.

At the beginning of March, I gently fork over the bed, remove all weeds (I know that onions do not like competition for nutrients) and rake the beds level. I then empty three 40 litre bags of well rotted farmyard manure onto each bed, spread that level and then leave them until planting out time.

Given the less than 100% germination rate and after consideration of the number of onions I need to grow, I sow another batch of both types. Germination rates prove to be consistent for both batches

The Mammoth Improved Onions are the first to show (after 8 days) and germination rate was 80%. Mammoth Red Onions are a little later (after 11 days) and germination rate was slightly lower, 75%. I think the fast germination and lower germination rates are caused by my seeds being on the bedroom windowsill rather than the constant, controlled 12 C recommended. Robinsons recommend potting off the seedlings into a slightly stronger JI compost at the crook stage. Since my seedlings are already in quite roomy 9 berth modules, I decide to leave them alone.

Onion seedlings

We’ve always grown for eating rather than showing.  However, this year we’re going to have a go at a few “giant” vegetables.  We’ve laid in seed for onions, leeks, pumpkins and tomatoes and Lynn sowed the first of these earlier this week.

Progress reports to follow (with photos if we’re successful).

Every Christmas morning, we each have a Christmas stocking to wake up to. Mine is ancient (it was a present for my first Christmas from my Godmother) and small. So Santa’s little helper has to be quite creative to find things that can go in it.

This Christmas, Santa’s elf did himself proud. Included in my stocking prezzies are a selection of seeds from Robinsons of Preston (http://www.mammothonion.co.uk/):

Mammoth Improved Onions and Mammoth Red Onions. Now the pressure is on to grow a whopper for the village veg show in September!