Overwintering Onions
Autumn planting onion sets are available in the shops at the minute, so get planting now while this beautiful weather makes gardening a pleasure!
While Spring is an excellent time for planting onions, autumn planted sets will give you an earlier summer crop. They’re so easy to grow, take up so little space, and are such a useful vegetable (especially in French cooking!) that we recommend planting them in both autumn and spring – after all, it’s nice having something growing in your potager throughout the winter months.
They’re suitable for the open ground or raised beds, but don’t plant them in grow bags as the compost is too rich and would lead to rotting (likewise, do not add compost or manure to the soil prior to planting). They need plenty of sun and a well weeded, freshly dug spot with well drained soil. Plant the onions 10 cm/4 inches apart in rows 20 cm/8 inches apart. Push them into the soil, leaving the tip of the onion showing. While the plants are establishing themselves, check them regularly, as birds are rather fond of lifting them. Just push them back into the ground so the roots can develop.
They’re a low maintenance plant. Water them if the weather is dry, for but overwintering onions this isn’t likely to be very often, if at all. You will need to weed them regularly – they are shallow rooting, making them susceptible to competition from weeds for water and food – but a quick hoe or hand weed will easily keep on top of it.
