Lifting over-wintered onions to transplant later

[finnfrenz]

I am new to ‘no-dig’ and am in the process over changing over traditional beds to ‘no-dig’ beds. Last Autumn I planted onions sets in my traditional beds and there has been very poor growth which I think may be a combination of a heavy clay soil and a lot of rain (interestingly the garlic seems to have coped much better). I have lifted a few very tiny onions and put these into modules to bring them along (they appear to be responding) and then intend planting them back out in a few weeks into a more layered bed (when I have got that far) and am wondering whether it is worth lifting all of the onions in the same bed (various sizes from tiny to small) and treating them in the same way. Opinions gratefully received.

[Peter Maughan]

finnfrenz

In order to let your new no-dig beds have the best chance of success it would be better, in my opinion, to use some fresh onion sets. If you transplant the failed crop and still get poor results you won’t know whether to blame the onion sets or the new beds.

Peter

[charles]

Fair point Peter, maybe plant some new and transplant some of the old ones too.

[finnfrenz]

Thank you for the reply, my main question was whether it was possible to replant the onions I had lifted and you have answered that for me. I don’t feel a need to ‘test’ the principle of ‘no-dig’ beds – I certainly wouldn’t blame the beds if the onions failed, it was more whether it was OK to do this in the first place. I have bunching onions and walking onions started so will add those in to the same bed too. Thanks for the help both.

[Author]

Posts