"Jan Jansen" wrote in message
...
can you help increase my yields of onions and garlic.
I wish to grow garlic and Japanese onions over winter this year and am not
sure the best time to plant out. I live in south Devon uk TIA Jan.

Hi Jan,



I live on the coast, in West Sussex, and grow both onions and garlic.



I usually plant Japanese onion sets (I don't know why they called Japanese
onions, though I've an idea, but I'm sure someone will tell us!) in
September/October to over-winter and main crop onion sets in, about, March,
however, it, obviously, depends when the onion sets are available and where
you live in the UK.



I really had bad trouble with both the Japanese and main crop onions this
year, for the first time. This was due to the drought we had in March/April
for about four weeks (when we thought our Summer had started early!!!) and
low temperatures and heavy rains that followed until a few days ago (when we
thought that Summer was over and the monsoon had begun!).



Our crops were small and neck-rot a serious problem. Normally I don't have
too much of a problem and growing the Japanese onions provides a good supply
until the main crop are ready, a few months later..



I plant garlic bulbs in either March (that's when I buy garlic bulbs from
the Supermarket and the growing season is shorter) and September/October
when bought from a garden centre or garlic grower and then they have a
longer growing period because they over-winter.



I had a very bad case of Garlic Leaf Rust this year and that crop, as well
as the onion, was not too successful because of it.



Onions can either be bought as sets or seeds and for the first time, this
year I have bought seeds (Thompson & Morgan Hi-Keeper) to sow in the next
few weeks for over-wintering, instead of Japanese onion sets.



I've never done this before but I wanted to try seeds instead of sets
because this year (back in March) I didn't have enough onions in the set so
had to go out, a few weeks later, and buy some onion plantlets from the
local garden centre. They looked so small against the onion bulbs that I
didn't think they'd come to anything but, a few weeks later they looked
bigger and healthier than the bulbs..



The packet says that they are to be sown from mid-August to September but
instructions and sowing times will, again, depend on the variety.



A good web-site for information on gardening (flowers and most vegetables,
though for some reason they don't mention Broad Beans), is GardenAction at
http://www.gardenaction.co.uk/.



I use this site a great deal as it does give very good information and
sometimes better than any of the gardening books I have.



I usually buy my garlic from a local garden centre but, this year, a few
weeks ago, I bought 5 bulbs from a place called "The Garlic Farm" , on the
Isle of Wight - their website is at http://www.thegarlicfarm.co.uk/



The bulbs were quite a bit more expensive (postage has to be added) but were
also in much better condition and great deal larger than those sold in the
garden centre. I asked for help, by email, and got a very quick reply
telling me what I wanted to know.



Normally, I can get about ten cloves from a garden centre garlic head but
these appear to have twelve or more.



There are, I'm sure other gardening websites and other garlic growers but I
can only tell you what I have used and found.



I hope this helps and that I've not forgotten to tell you anything that I
intended..



Regards and all the best



John