+- Garden And Gossip Forums (https://gardenandgossip.org)
+-- Forum: From seed to plant (edibles) (https://gardenandgossip.org/forumdisplay.php?fid=11)
+--- Forum: Everything Alliums (https://gardenandgossip.org/forumdisplay.php?fid=50)
+--- Thread: Yet another onion set thread (/showthread.php?tid=2297)
Yet another onion set thread - JJB - 19-01-2025
Last year many of my cheapo (poundland) onion sets bolted. The seed sown ones, whilst smaller, didn't. I'm planning on sowing some seed onions today to give them a bit longer growing period than last year.
I noticed D T Brown advertising heat treated sets at an eye-watering price compared to Poundland or Home Bargains. What's the team think of heat treated onion sets and have you used them to advantage. TBH no matter the advantage I can't see me forking out £9.70 for 160 ish sets plus p&p when I can get the equivalent for a couple of quid. Plus I don't need 160.
RE: Yet another onion set thread - Veggie - 19-01-2025
As I understand it, Heat treated onion sets are less liable to bolting than non-treated sets. Having rarely grown any sort of inion that was much bigger than a set, I'm not the best person to advise you!
RE: Yet another onion set thread - Vinny - 19-01-2025
The main culprits for bolting are the red ones! This has always been true as I tried some last year thinking they may have gotten their act together after over 20 years of selling them they haven't! I have now given up on red onions from sets,but prefer the torpedo shaped red onions grown from seed anyway.
Normal sets are easy and cheap. I can usually bargain for about 10% of them bolting, which I can live with!
I haven't tried heat treated sets as they are stupidly expensive and the extra price would not cover the 10% expected loss?
What nmassively boosts the price up is the delivery charges, hence the reason I have already purchased my 100 x Centurian F1 onion set at a bargain delivery price of £1.30!
