Onion Update
Ever keep trying to get something done only to be encountered with obstacles and multiple failure? For me, this is starting onions from seeds. Last year, I started onions from seeds and they germinated quickly (within 8 days indoors) and for about a month in a half I had really decent onion shoots in little containers on a grow rack in my living room. However, each time I went to transplant outdoors, I was discouraged by torrential rainstorms. These downpours prevent transplanting and ultimately, result in my seedlings withering and dying.
This year, I tried to combat last year’s issues, by starting the seedlings about a month later to prevent indoor withering. However, this year I encountered an entirely new issue. My onions this year were slow to start and the shoots appears thinner and less healthy than last year’s plants.
Cut to a month after starting my onion seeds, the plans withered to nonexistence. My heart fell, another year of failed onions.
The photo above was taken a few days after the onion starts died and I determined they could not be revived. What was I to do? I had no more onion seeds to start and as we approach spring, I need to get onions in the ground and matured at a similar timing to other plants for the many products that I need to produce.
The resolution to my problem, onion sets/plants. For those who are unfamiliar, these are onions that have been started by growers and are further along. Resulting in quicker maturity time for gardener. I ordered three different kinds of sets/plants: Patterson yellow onions; redwing red onion; and, walla walla sweet onions. Each unit of onion sets/plants come with approximately 50 onions. This year I chose to get my sets from Johnny’s Selected Seeds in Maine given that they also are located in Northern New England.
My onion sets/plants are expected to arrive the first week of April and I plant to get them into the ground that Saturday, weather permitting. The reason I ultimately chose to pick onion sets/plants instead of another round of seeds was both based on timing and cost considerations. The cost was about $20 for each onion and the advance maturity was worth the cost in my opinion. I am hoping these onion sets/plants will give me the advantage I need to be successful with onions.
Although I want to and have a desire to start onions from seed and grow to maturity, I did need to make a call on what’s best for the current garden season. In the future, I will attempt to grow onions from seeds again but for the current year sets/plants was the best option.
Look forward to planting the onion sets/plants in the coming weeks and updates throughout the season.
