Onion variety feedback.

[StringfellowParticipant]

Thought I’d throw this up and, if they’d like to, others can add their findings.

Last season I grew three varieties from seed: mammoth red, long red Florence and santero improved.

Red mammoth: spaced at 8×8 on the square, plants grew well and formed large bulbs. I had to harvest early due to thievery but still had a bumper yield from the space. Tastes great but started regrowing slowly in December time. Definite to grow again, but only for late summer and autumn use.

Long red Florence: what a harvest from the one packet of seed! Fantastic yield of lovely large banana shallot type onions. Taste lovely but again, started to regrow, possibly even early November. Due to this latter fact I won’t be growing these again for some time.

Santero improved: varied sizes of white onions, reasonable yield with downy mildew resistance. Still firm now, mid January, and no regrowth. Lovely strong onion taste.

So, I’ll be growing a large quantity of Santero improved this year, mainly due to their excellent keeping qualities and resistance to downy mildew. We use onions regularly in the kitchen, so long term storage is a must.

What do other growers recommend, bearing in mind the above? Cheers.

[charlesModerator]

Hi Tris, my experience is similar with those varieties. Ted Baron stores until March though, and Sturon + Stuttgarter until April, however they are not mildew resistant.
So I grow a fair number of Santero, and like you we need lots from now until mid spring, by which time we have large spring onions.

[StringfellowParticipant]

Thanks Charles, glad they behaved themselves 🙂

Any others? Rhys, Don, Pete, Asif, Bluebell, English Lady…

[RhysParticipant]

Tris – for storage I have found van Rijnsburger go until April, as do Bedfordshire Champion and Ailsa Craig. I had problems with allium leaf miner, so yields were down this year.

Zeebrune shallots did well, though.

I have my own Kelsae seeds this year, so I am trying sowing them tomorrow to see if early pioneer Bill Rodger’s timetable works well or not…

[StringfellowParticipant]

Thanks Rhys, helpful. Do you know when the kelsae start to kick out shoots of regrowth? Good taste?

Ever had issues with downy mildew? I lost a lot of onions about four years ago so I usually go with the Santero as a bit of insurance. Zebrune grew well for me a couple of years back though, lots of shallots from the one pack of seed.

Great job on the seed saving by the way, do keep us posted here or on your own blog 🙂

[RhysParticipant]

Tris

We tend to eat the Kelsae first so I have never stored them beyond end November.

The taste is quite mild, but they do a grand job as a base for soups.

Not had issues with downy mildew, probably because here is relatively dry: only 600-700mm rain each year and quite warm in the summer.

[StringfellowParticipant]

Thanks Rhys. Interested to hear how your trials go with home saved kelsae seed.

You only need to lose a crop to downy mildew once and it changes your perspective on growing alliums! Only experienced it the once so perhaps a little unlucky.

Best to all for the coming season.

[RhysParticipant]

Tris

My bugbear is allium leaf miner: it goes after onions and garlic in spring and leeks in autumn.

I am now growing garlic in bags in the front garden, only grow leeks for July-September and am wondering about delaying setting out onions until late April or even the start of May. Not to mention growing Kelsaes in pots for show…..

It is a right pest of a disease……

[RhysParticipant]

Tris – first seedlings emerging on day 7 after 3 days of warmth on 19-21st to get them going.

I sowed 48 modules with 3-4 seedlings per module as I have no idea how good the seeds are yet. Looks like I should know in 7 more days what they are like….

[StringfellowParticipant]

Nice one. Exciting to be getting cracking already; will be interested in your findings re. Eventual Yield etc. Just harvested my new batch of ripe compost for earthing up spuds – strangely satisfying, a new batch of the home made black gold 🙂 clears space for turning the other heaps….

[RhysParticipant]

Tris – here is germinated home made Kelsae seeds on day 12: early germination was by day 7, highest rate of emergence days 10-12. Rate of germination not huge but it is January.

[StringfellowParticipant]

Good stuff. Guess you’re gonna thin each module to one strongest seedling?

Half wished I’d sowed something a couple of days before this super duper blood blue moon…..did you…or anyone else?!

[RhysParticipant]

Yes, thinning when I pick best 36 into 8cm pots. 66 visible seedlings on day 12 from 200ish seeds sown, I think. Says we will end up with 40-50% germination rate,
I guess. For a first go, I will take it…

No sowing this supermoon for me – the onions I sowed around new moon have in effect ‘germinated’ mostly around this full moon with the majority of seedlings emerging between 28 and 31/01.

My sowing starts in earnest at the next new moon, 15th February. Beetroot and 1st early potatoes in pots on 15th, spinach, cabbage, lettuce, dill and coriander on 18th and early Red Alert tomatoes on 21st, with Maskotkas and chilli peppers on 28th.

[Converted no diggerParticipant]

I have got some Bedfordshire Champion seed this year. Has anyone tried them? How well do they store.

I grew Sturon from sets last year and lots of them bolted.So I am going to try all from seeds this year.Some of the Sturon were a massive size.

[StringfellowParticipant]

Tried Bedfordshire champ, but they were blitzed by mildew. Definitely more susceptible than the Red Baron growing alongside them, all from seed. Others have had lots of success but I obviously can’t say how well they store! Good luck.

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