Forum home Fruit & veg

spring onions

Why do my spring onions take forever to grow? I am still waiting for those planted as seeds last year to get to a size big enough to eat-  the seed packet said they'd only take 6 weeks- not more than 12 months!

I have tried them in pots in the greenhouse, and outside in the veg garden in a good garden soil. Actually the story is the same with radishes.

I live in central Scotland.

«1

Posts

  • BriBri Posts: 13

    Will be Interested to find this one out, I'm in the same boat as MaggieL and in the Manchester areaimage

  • figratfigrat Posts: 1,619

    What cultivar are you trying?

  • krukru Posts: 9
    My spring onion are doing the same.
  • jude5jude5 Posts: 65

    Same goes for me, think I've only ever had one reasonable crop, so long ago that I can't remember what type. The ones I've got in at the moment look hopeful (White Lisbon) I've got them in a fleece tunnel but they are being rather slow. However I have already had some radishes. I'm in Chester, weather was v.warm through March but is now cold and wet and frustrating!

  • KoalagirlKoalagirl Posts: 225

    My spring onions always take ages too.  I tend to get my best results from sowing White Lisbon in the autumn.  They grow a bit and then stop during winter.  They start up again as soon as it warms up a bit in spring and that bit of a head start makes all the difference.  If I sowed them in the spring they would not be ready until autumn.  This year I am going to give japanese bunching onions a try.

  • WintersongWintersong Posts: 2,436

    My spring onions grew lovely last year, but I did sow leeks last year that all grew except one. It got left over winter as a puny thing ready to be pulled out this spring, but now its started growing again! image

    I have no idea why this happens, I live in South-East UK

  • ItalophileItalophile Posts: 1,731

    Spring onions always take a devil of a long time to maturity. I find they germinate pretty quickly, get to about three inches, then really take their time. The seed packet advice is optimistic in the extreme. I'd say more like three or four months.

  • EdentoyEdentoy Posts: 61

    I sowed my spring onions from seed into the soil last year and they also took a long time to mature most of them ending up in the compost bin in October, but the previous year i brought them on in a polysterene tray before planting out and had a great crop.I am trying both methods this year to see which method gives the best result, my money is on the polysterene tray method.image

  • hoppy2hoppy2 Posts: 1

    I'm in the same boat!!!

    I've tried sowing them in trays in the greenhouse and also directly sowing them outside. I've used red and white lisbon spring onions but they're all spindly. I garden on clay near Blackpool. I'm glad it's not just me! 

  • EdentoyEdentoy Posts: 61

    hoppy2,keep faith with the tray method and plant out end of May i garden in Carrickfergus N. Ireland so our weather is much similar to yours so it should be a bit warmer, WE HOPE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Sign In or Register to comment.