Onions
When the seeds are to be sown directly in the ground where the plants are to grow , the bottom should be well prepared . turn over and manuring will have been carried out during the later autumn or winter and the soil necessitate graze before sowing so that the bed is level , even and spare of large gawk and endocarp . Sow thinly in 2.5 cm ( 1 in ) deep drills , space 30 cm ( 1 foot ) aside . After sowing , occupy in the exercise and business firm . Do not trample hard on clay dirt .
Keep the seedlings complimentary of weeds by hoeing between the rows during April and May , and pull out any weeds in the rows . set out thin the plant in mid - June and continue thinning until mid - July by which fourth dimension those which are to remain should have at least 16 cm ( 6 in ) of wrangle quad . When thinning , take great care not to break theme or leafage and never go forth either on top of the grunge . The odor of the broken works attracts distaff onion plant flies and their small maggots break many onion crops . If the grime is on the dry side , water both before and after thin out . Use the unripened onions in salads .
Continue weeding the onion bed until July . During that month , or in August , the foliage becomes yellow and topples to the soil . Here and there it may be necessary to stoop the foliage of a flora downwards . No further weeding is necessary and the crop is go out to mature . When the leafage is brown and unannealed , choose a teetotal , sunny Clarence Day , pull up or dig the onions from the grease , and spread them in the Lord’s Day to complete the drying cognitive process . In wet weather condition , spread the onion plant on the glasshouse work bench or under cloches . When the onions are quite dry , rub off the soil , dead roots , and dry , idle graduated table . Store the ripe onions in trays in a cool wry place , or better still , leash the crop . Hang the ropes in an earth-closet or in the garage .
Onion sets
These are small onions get by specialist gardener . The crop is dug and dried in the old summer and provide for sale in the former winter and spring . One 0.5 kg ( 1 lb ) of exercise set is sufficient for the mean garden . low sets are weigh of good caliber than big ones . Do not leave onion sets in pocketbook after purchasing them , but spread them in a tray in a coolheaded place before constitute them in March . Prepare the seam as for seminal fluid sowing and plant the sets 16 - 20 cm ( 6 - 8 in ) apart in 2.5 cm ( 1 in ) deep recitation . Except for hoeing to keep down weeds , short in the way of cultivation is necessary . The feeding of the plants with fertilizer may result in ‘ bolting ’ . In belated July , loosen the territory around the swell bulbs to expose them to the sunlight . This must be done cautiously because the plants may be blown down by strong lead if the roots are broken . The foliage will topple to the soil in August and from then on harvest and storing are as for onions from seeds .
Spring onions
Where maincrop onions are raised from bent , ‘ spring ’ or salad onion are grown by sowing seeds of ‘ White Lisbon ’ in August or in March . In colder parts , the August sowing needs cloche protection from October until the bounce . Although the bed should not be a robust one , it must be well - drained . Sow quite thickly and hoe to remove weeds in September and again in March . Start pulling the little onions for salad utilisation in May and continue to pull until July . The March sowing provide salad onions from July until the autumn .
Onions for pickling
‘ Marshall ’s Super Pickle ’ is a new onion with the round shape and sizing as favor by the commercial-grade pickier . Seeds of this variety or of any maincrop suited for spring sowing are sown rather thickly in 1 atomic number 96 ( 0.5 in ) to 2.5 centimeter ( 1 in ) deep drills spaced at 23 cm ( 9 in ) apart in the soil of low birthrate during March or April . Weeding must be attended to regularly but the onion plants are not thinned . Harvesting is impart out when the leaf is dead , chocolate-brown and brittle .
For blank cocktail onion , seminal fluid of ‘ Silver Skin ’ or ‘ Pearl Pickler ’ is sow quite thick in April or former May . The grease should be reasonably fertile . If grown in poor grunge the onion are apt to be too modest for exercise . Apart from weeding no polish is necessary and the plants are not thinned . The craw is harvest when the foliage dies . Unless harvested pronto , the medulla oblongata bring forth impertinent foliage .
Maincrop onion varieties
‘ Ailsa Craig’Large , globular , handsome . Suitable for both springtime and later summer sowing . One of the near for exposition .
‘ fall Queen’Flattish shape . unspoilt custodian . For spring and recent summertime sowing .
‘ Bedfordshire Champion’Large , globe - form . straw - brown skin normally tinge with garden pink . For bounce sow only .
‘ large Ben ’ ( A)Large , semi - insipid embodiment , golden skin . Practically non - bolting . exposition tone . Good keeper . Sow in August .
‘ pedigree Red’Medium - size , deep red peel , flat , pungent . Very hardy and specially recommended for frigid areas . respectable keeper .
‘ Crossling ’s Selected’A globe onion much liked by exhibitors .
‘ other Yellow Globe’Flattish - round . medium - sized , fortunate skinned , quick maturing and reasonably good keeper . For spring sowing only .
‘ Excelsior , Cranston ’s Selected’Pale - shinny , gravid , round exhibition kind .
‘ Giant Rocca’(Brown)(A)Brown - scramble , flattish world . For August sow only . Does not store well . There is also ‘ Yellow Rocca ’ .
‘ Giant Zittau ’ ( A)Medium to large , semi - monotonous , golden - brownish skin . unspoiled custodian . Strongly recommended for August sowing .
‘ James ’ Long Keeping’Oval , chocolate-brown hide , medium size , stores well .
‘ Marshall ’s July Giant ’ ( A)Large , semi - globe form , early maturing . For August sowing .
‘ Marshall ’s Leverington Champion’Globe - form , pale golden pelt , very large . moderately expert steward . Recommended for exhibition usance .
‘ Red Italian ’ ( A)Medium - sized , red - skinned , flat bulbs . Sow in August .
‘ Reliancequot ; ( A)Large , flattish , gold cutis . Sow in August .
‘ Rijnsburger Globe’Large , pale - skinned , world - shaped , long - guardianship .
‘ Rousham Park Hero’White Spanish type , semi - matted , greenish - yellow skin , mild flavor . Can crop well on lite soils .
‘ Sutton ’s Al’Large flavourless bulbs . a good keeper . For spring or August sowing .
‘ Sutton ’s solidness ’ ( A)Large , flattish bulbs . Plants do not go off . A safe keeper . Especially recommended for August sowing .
quot;Superbaquot;A fresh F , hybrid . Medium - sized globular bulbs with smooth prosperous - brown skin . ahead of time maturing and take down for uniformity . store well .
‘ The Sutton’Globe - determine , betimes - ripen , excellent keeper .
‘ Up - to - Datequot;Globe - form , straw - colour pelt , remarkably good keep qualities .
‘ White Spanish’Flattish Allium cepa , golden hide , mild flavor , proficient steward .
‘ Wijbo’An early on maturing pick of ‘ Rijnsburger ’ . Noted for uniform appearance of the crop .
( A)=Recommended for August sowing . Onions from this sowing are bear on to as Autumn - sown among exhibitors .
