I'am going to try and start my own onions from seed this year and am looking for any tips. How deep of an container should I use? I have also heard that after they are a couple of inches high you should clipped off the tops every two weeks to give them thicker stems. Has anyone tried this? Thanks for any help

Hi, I start my own onion seeds as well. It can be a bit frusterating at times : ) But, I use a typical flat ( the fiber kind), Parks sells them. And if they get leggy I cut them back. Once they are the size of about a pencil I plant them out doors. I will use a foliar spray of kelp and fishy stuff. I get my sprays from Gardens Alive, they have a lot of good products, check them out. I hope this helps some. It just takes patience!!!!
Angelswings

I guess in Oregon, you still have time. Here in Texas we start our spring onions in November. Most onions have a maturity of 100 days from transplant. The seedlings grow pretty slow themselves. The summer heat kills them before they are fully mature if we dont have them set out by mid January. I just recently set out 3 cases last month. Thats 14000 onions. However being farther north, I guess now is the time to start from seeds. Good luck.

Bobby/Farmhound
Dont talk about the farmer with your mouth full

Hi, WOW! That's a lot of onions! I actually start them Dec. or do my own sets in the summer to plant in the fall. I get bigger onions if I plant them in the fall when I plant my garlic. They usually ripen mid to late July depending on the variety and if I need some "now" or not : ) My onions are growing a long good, I really need to get them out, some years I am just behind on some things. This winter was really wet, I guess making up for last winter. We had a rain streak of about 52 days! Anyways, good luck with your onions, say what kinds do you grow?? All one kind or a variety?

Hi - I am interested in starting onions also. The flats that you use, are they separated into cells, or just one big open space? Do you keep the seeds in a dark, warm place to germinate? Do you use the usual seed starting mixture? About how many plants per flat?
Sorry about all the questions!
Deb

Hi, I use the large flats. I keep them warm, I usually cover them with saran wrap ( to retain moisture) and place them ontop of my fridge, that is if there is only a couple of flats. : ) I use an Organic seed starting mix, and I wet it first with hot water and then put it in the containers, plant, cover and put them away. If kept warm usually with in a week they should be sprouting. As for how many, well I don't over seed but if you get to many you can snip them out. I hope this helps.
Angelswings

Actually, starting onions from seed is pretty straightforward. I use reclaimed poly containers (you buy transplants in them here in Quebec). They're about 3 inches high, internal dimensions 5.5 by 8.5 inch. I use a mix of 4 parts potting soil (standard shop mud), two parts vermiculite, one part peat moss and one part compost/sheep manure/whatevers available (my standard starting mix) and water after planting from below (containers are set in a standard plastic flat). I space them at about three-quarters of an inch on a grid - these containers give about 7 by fourteen "targets". They're kept at our standard room temperature (15 degrees c) under a clear cover. After germination, I run them under double flourescents for 14 hours a day (it matches the day length of my normal planting out date). You can ndeed clip them if they get too spindly. I Use the same approach for leeks, but at a slightly greater spacing.

In fact, I planted some last Sunday (24th Feb): six varieties in three containers @ 14 by seven [you do the math ] and the first little wonder poked its head above the mud today. WooHoo!! I love this passe-temps.

chris

Ok - did it! Planted in flats on Sunday. Wish me luck! One more question: when transplanting, what is the best type of soil? I have 8" high raised beds to be refreshed with more compost later in the spring - will that do?

deb

Hi, Good luck: ) For planting they like a well drained, enriched with compost soil, so it sounds good. They do not like to compete with weeds so keep the bed clear of them. Hope all goes well, let me know.
Baldwin_T@msn.com