Onions
Few cooks would disagree that the most useful vegetable in the kitchen are onions. What’s more these vegetables are among the easiest to grow in the garden.
Experienced gardeners grow their onions from seed; this method gives them a greater choice of varieties and of course is very cost effective. Unwins sells a wide choice of onion seed varieties.
Gardeners that want a fast and efficient way to grow a crop of onions are better opting for onion sets. These are specially prepared, ready to plant baby onions that will mature into large, tasty onion globes by mid to late summer.
Unwins sells four different onion varieties in handy prepacks that contain dozens of ready to plant bulbs. Choose from:
- Unwins ‘Stuttgarter’
A firm favourite for its sweet flavour, high yields and great storing properties. - Unwins ‘Sturon’
A tried and tested traditional favourite with gardeners and allotment growers. Sturon produces large, strongly flavoured onions and has good resistance to bolting. RHS Award of Garden Merit. - Unwins ‘Setton’
A tasty, round onion with a great taste and excellent storage properties. RHS Award of Garden Merit. - Unwins ‘Red Barron’
Ring the changes with this tasty, easy to grow red variety. Great for salads and garnishes but with a strong flavour for cooking too.
Some Unwins stockists sell these onion varieties as loose sets (bulbs) so you can choose to buy exactly how many onions you want to grow. Alternatively Unwins sells small packs ‘Try These’ Onions of Unwins ‘Stuttgarter’ and Unwins ‘Sturon’ and also Unwins ‘Golden Gourmet’ another RHS Award of Garden Merit variety that is highly acclaimed for its mild taste and large round bulbs that store well. The plants are also more resistant to bolting.
Sowing Onion Seeds
Spring-sown seed can be sown in trays under glass in midwinter. Harden off and plant out in rows in mid-spring. If you like to grow your onions from seed try one of the varieties from the Unwins Gro-Sure Seed range for great results.
Planting Onions
Onions should be planted in an open position in a light soil that has been manured during the previous autumn, try using Westland organic Farmyard Manure for great results. Unwins Onion Sets can be planted out in early spring. For detailed advice see our guide on How to Grow Onions from Sets. Plant them at 10cm/4in intervals in rows that are spaced about 30cm/12in apart.
Keep the plants weed free. There is is generally no need to water unless the summer is particularly dry.
Harvesting Onions
In mid to late summer when the leaves start to yellow and die off lift the onions slightly out of the ground so that the sun can reach the base of the bulbs. As soon as the foliage has died off completely the onions can be further dried inside the greenhouse or shed before stringing them and storing them for winter use.
