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I planted some kelse onions to just to try and they have all germinate. They are under a grow light at them moment and about 1″ tall but still bent over. When’s the best time to prick out into cell and when can I put them in the greenhouse (unheated)?
If it’s ok to add another question to this – does anyone know where you can find organic Kelsae seed? I’ve had a good look on the web and can’t find any!
Many thanks
Seems difficult to obtain any seed at all, apparently due to failed harvests over the last couple of years. Happy to be corrected if any one knows otherwise. I’m going to grow mammoth red instead this year.
Hi Shaun. I have some OW autumn sown onions, multisown and planted in my plot back in late September. So far they have survived everything the weather has sent their way and their only protection is netting to keep the pigeons and rabbits off etc. so, alliums are very resistant to the cold. Fleece would help but I believe your problem is more the lack of daylight hours at this time of the year, hence most growers hanging back on sowings til February. Hope this helps a little. Tris
Earlier harvest next summer Shaun, June time, plus…..it’s fun! It’s also nice to see harvests to come in the plot, whatever time of year 🙂 I heartily recommend Charles vegetable course book but also check out Elliott colemans four season harvest, they work really well together; both inspiring and packed with great advice from years of experience. Good luck with yours.
Shaun
The really serious growers grow Kelsae for show. They sow in Late November and prick out at the crook stage into small pots, grow under lights and pot on twice before planting out in polytunnels in big raised beds.
I do not have facilities to do that so I sow early Feb and transplant to the garden around the equinox, spacing at 20*20cm.
The natural life cycle of onions is a 12 month August to August, with the cold of winter necessary to develop seed heads in summer. So if you want to avoid going to seed, it may be best to wait until March before planting ou, keeping them growing indoors…..
Hi Rhys, when do the show growers usually harvest ready for presenting? Just interested in how long those plants have lived. Are your Kelsae grown for show or is it more for the kitchen? Best for the coming growing season. Tris
Hi Tris
My Kelsae, the best of them, are fit for local shows but would get nowhere in the NVS classes.
Last year I was experimenting with onion strains and had great success with both Kelsae and Bedfordshire Champion, having done well with Alisa Craig in 2015. The Kelsae crop saw us through until mid December and we are still eating the Bedfordshire Champions with at least a month of stock left. You actually get very uniform Kelsae globes even grown in soil…..
Most serious exhibitors harvest five or six weeks prior to their main events to let the skins age nicely, so early to mid August. They are therefore grown for about 8-9 months. Those guys see a 10lb onion as proving their manhood!
Thanks Rhys, that’s interesting. Glad you are still eating from your stash of onions, it’s the same here with santero but they are coming to an end, so I’m glad I OW some senshyu yellows. I left ordering seed too late to obtain Kelsae seed this year but I’m looking forward to trying out mammoth red.
It’s each to their own and live and let live; I’d see a 10 lb onion as several fantastic curries on the horizon! 🙂
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