My Tiny PlotNot Onion Sets but Starts
I ordered some red onion (variety Red Zeppelin) from Johnny’s seeds and expected to receive some onion sets (the miniature onion type) but these came instead. They are dormant starts.
As I understand it they are plants started from seed, grown during the winter then uprooted when the weather gets cold. The soil is knocked off and they are kept in cold storage like this until Jan/Feb when people like me buy them and plant them in their gardens. So in effect they are onion seedlings that have been grown for me.
It’s interesting. I’ve never grown onions like this before so I’ll be watching closely to see what difference they make. I have bought some conventional sets just to make me feel safe. I fear change, really I do!
Shall be looking forward to your feedback on these… did you get more individual seedlings than you’d have expected mini onions in a set?
I’ve gotten the small plants like these from Dixondale Farms for the last few years and they’ve done great. I worried they’d be at risk of drying out/dying off quickly when they would need to sit in the garage for days/weeks before I was ready to plant them, and they were just like any other purchased onion sets/plants I’ve worked with – you get some duds, but overall they were fine.
Gosh: never seen them before! I always grow from sets, so I’d be fascinated to know how these get on.
Like Ian, I would love to see how it goes.
Please update your blog for us.
I bought some these at Home Depot last year and they never did anything in my garden. That doesn’t mean anything though since my success growing rate is probably about 20%.