In previous years, I have planted 'Radar' onion sets in October as they
are a winter hardy variety. They seem to take well and are popping
above the ground strongly by early November.

However I find that, come the spring, a lot of them are lost. And those
that remain and thrive well are not much earlier for cropping than my
main crop onions sets that I plant out at the usual time.

I feel that they offer little advantage and that I might be better off
saving the space that they would occupy to plant out more of the regular
sets around about April time.

What are other peoples' experience here with over winter onions?

Are they worth doing?

Ed

"Ed" wrote ...
In previous years, I have planted 'Radar' onion sets in October as they
are a winter hardy variety. They seem to take well and are popping above
the ground strongly by early November.

However I find that, come the spring, a lot of them are lost. And those
that remain and thrive well are not much earlier for cropping than my main
crop onions sets that I plant out at the usual time.

I feel that they offer little advantage and that I might be better off
saving the space that they would occupy to plant out more of the regular
sets around about April time.

What are other peoples' experience here with over winter onions?

Are they worth doing?

In a word, No.
We had the same experience as you, lost a significant number over winter,
crop no better or earlier than spring planted, well perhaps a fortnight
earlier, and they don't store well either. Basically not a lot going for
them so we stopped growing them.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
W.of London. UK

Ed ex@directory wrote:
However I find that, come the spring, a lot of them are lost. And those
that remain and thrive well are not much earlier for cropping than my
main crop onions sets that I plant out at the usual time.

I feel that they offer little advantage and that I might be better off
saving the space that they would occupy to plant out more of the regular
sets around about April time.

What are other peoples' experience here with over winter onions?

Our experience was pretty much the same as yours, although I think the bed
we used had a proneness to white rot that we hadn't realised. May try again
this year in a different area.