What did I do wrong..?

turmeric

My son bought me some onion sets (unnamed unfortunately) back in January.  I haven't grown onions before but I looked them up online and it was apparently ok to get them in in Feb, which I did.  I placed one set per large pot of multi-purpose compost, with the neck of the set just poking out of the top of the soil.  They grew brilliantly and now each have 6inches of green 'leaves?' coming from each set.  But today I noticed that every set is soft and feels as if I could squish it completely (which I resisted doing of course).  I thought the sets grew into larger onions but these look as if they are going to soften to small, mushy sets that will just die.  What did I do wrong?  I haven't watered them at all as it's rained regularly and each pot drains well.  I thought they were ok to be outside? Help anyone?

Obelixx

They've most likely run out of space and nutrients and are dying of thirst too.

The trick with onion sets is to plant them out in well spaced rows or, if your soil is cold or wet, you can start them off in cell trays or individual pots and then plant them out once soil temps rise.

turmeric

Do you think so Obelixx? Each small set went into a pot with a diameter and depth of 7inches.  I would have thought this was masses of space to grow and plenty of fresh compost to have lasted them longer than the four weeks they've been in there surely?  As for thirsty I haven't let them dry out at all because it's rained and I've made sure the soil is wet.  My first thought was that they had got too wet but I thought they could be planted out in Feb and they would have got the same amount of rain in the ground.  Hence my confusion as to why they've gone soft?

Obelixx

The opposite then.  I have started onion sets off in cell trays, max 2" square, when the ground outside has been too wet or frozen - last garden.   I think maybe February is a bit too soon too - https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/grow-your-own/vegetables/onions  

hatty123

I planted an over winter variety back in October. Pulled one up by accident the other day and it looks like a spring onion. I think what they do is establish themselves by using the small bulb and grow leaves/roots and then grow a bigger bulb later on? So I wouldn't give up on them yet. Or maybe someone with more experience can correct me if I'm wrong!

turmeric

Okey dokey.  I think, as the pots aren't in the way I shall leave them alone and see what happens.  I can always try again next year but it would be nice to know what went wrong so I don't make the same mistake.

Skandi

I think they are absolutely fine ALL my onion sets (and I grow several thousand each year) go through a mushy stage that's just the way they grow the outside "rings" die off as they give their energy to the new sprout.

I will say that unless they were heat treated Feb is a bit early sets that are subjected to to much cold are more likely to bolt (flower) it's not a huge problem you can still eat a flowering onion they just won't store well.

turmeric

Skandi thank you so much for your reassurance.  Sorry I took so long to reply, I'm an early to bed person and an early to work (just got home!).  I shall leave them all and wait and see.  Now that the weather is warming up I shall also make sure they don't dry out.  Thanks again.