If you can get sets, they would mature a lot faster for you. You have to start seeds in February in order to get decent-sized onions. Even from sets, ours rarely get bigger than about 4" across, usually more like 3". The yellow sets are good keepers and when we get a lot of nice ones, they keep through the winter and sometimes we even have onions into spring - not often, though.

I don't think it's a lost cause, though you probably won't ever get the really big Spanish onions. :)

Usually around the middle of June, I step over all of my onion tops. This helps the bulbs grow bigger. I pull them out before Sept 1. They seem to keep better if you get them out before rain or heavy dews from cooler evenings happen.
I grow just the regular yellow set onions for keepers. And either Kelsey or Walla Walla for canning with pickles and tomatoe sauces etc. Some of my spanish type onions were at least 5" across this year. My grandmother who lives a half an hour from me had much larger ones though.
Shelley
Shelley

Marcia, I grew pearl onions from seed this year just to try and get a pickling onion...some were big enough and the rest were great for late green onions:^> I do plant sets for my main crop. Do the yellows have the skinny necks? I never remember where I planted white or yellow, and one type has a really thick stalk that I don't like and the neck never dries up.

Shelley, my MIL does that too and I did it for a couple years, but then this year I read a couple times that you shouldn't do that...so I didn't this year. Sounds like its working for you though! Whatever I read was probably refering to warmer climates (as usual) where the onions would have lots of growing time. I think this calls for some experimenting next year! It was rather fun to stomp on them...could be great stress therapy.
I did try and get mine pulled during our nice weather earlier this month, too. I've always left it too late and it makes it difficult to cure them. Like you say, damp nights and often stretches of cold rainy days.
Walla walla's look like they'd be worthy to try. Thanks.

Encouraging to hear your onions are bigger than my pathetic ones! Any special growing tips? Are they heavy feeders?

Toots

We usually knock over the tops if they don't fall over themselves. We learned that from an old gardener. :)

Onions are supposed to have skinny necks but every so often some of them don't. Use these ones up first because, as you found out, they don't store well.

I plant my onions in a garden that never gets watered or fertilized. The same goes for my potatoes, carrots and beets. Survival of the fittest??? I always plant way too much anyways.

Well, back to stomping for next year. Thanks for the thoughts and advice.

Toots :^)