Allotment Diary : Growing Onions : How to get an early start with sets.

Planting this years Onion sets out early into modules to give them a head start before planting outside later . I can't plant my onion sets outside at this time of year due to the cold and the fact that the soil isn't in a decent condition. If I did plant at this time of year they just wouldn't grow and would just get a "check" with the cold weather and probably go to seed later in the year. Maybe down south in warmer conditions you can get away with it but I just can't. I prefer to plant out the onion sets into 24 cell trays, grow them on for a month or so in the greenhouse or polytunnel, and then plant these out in early to mid April when the soil starts to warm up. This way they have already put some roots down and grown a few leaves and should grow away better and produce bigger bulbs. These will go into the polytunnel or greenhouse for about 6 weeks and then be planted out into the soil. Varieties are Red Baron and Sturon. Website : http://www.allotment-diary.co.uk