What is it about onions in modules/pots which sees them flop without rainfall?

[Rhys]

Does anyone else see this? Every time I leave onions in modules or pots to experience rainfall, they are all upright and alert afterwards, whereas watering them with tap water or from the butt leaves them floppy.

I’m using perlite in my soil mixes, so aeration should be good, so I wonder what it is about rainfall that makes onions look so much better after a good soaking?!

[Stringfellow]

Could the butt do with a good scrub out Rhys; could be turning the water sour?

My onions have been in the ground receiving plenty of rainfall (!) since March; are these late sowings?

[charles]

Perhaps its not the water quality but the way that rain maintains moisture over a longer period than is achieved by a quick watering. Perhaps the perlite lets too much water through and is not swelling to hold moisture when you water..

[Stringfellow]

Great insight and hard to improve on nature! Perhaps placing your module trays in a shallow tray of water for a couple of hours, so as to draw up water, would work in a similar manner; watering happening in a more gradual but thorough manner?

[Rhys]

Tris

These are competition onions which I grow in pots – the ones in the ground are all fine!

I was indeed always watering from underneath, letting them stand in trays with water added to them, all the time from transplanting them from modules into pots.

Now they are outside all day, they are exposed to the elements and the rain made them all perk up wonderfully.

I’ve stopped watering them now as it seems to rain often enough to keep them quite happy!

[Stringfellow]

Ah, onions for competition…..I’d be interested if there were any possible explanations to explain your observations; I don’t have the experience to offer anything further.

Good luck for the competition!

[Author]

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