I have not tried growing onions in a cold frame or greenhouse, but I have started seeds of bulbing onions and got them to grow and make bulbs, but it was too much work for what I got. It is pretty easy to buy plants around here for $2.00 a bundle or less. That may seem high compared to seed cost, but for me it is easier in the long run. Winter onions are easy to grow from seeds, to easy, they will spread like weeds.

I've grown onions from seed. They were in a cold frame located in a warmer southern side of the house. Boy, they were hardy! I transplanted them into the garden early spring and then someone came and plowed deeply. I was so happy to have the earth plowed I didn't care about the onions. Every one of those buggers close to the surface continued to grow.

I like your tire frame idea. I could use one or two or three.

I have no idea if this will work or not but I just wanted to have something green growing, despite the cold weather, to hope for come spring. I don't like winter and not being able to grow something. I try to grow things because I enjoy planting and watching how they grow. This is just for fun anyway.

I'm torn. Johnny's has Candy seed, and somewhere I saw 1015Y. I was planning to start some. But buying cheap bundles is a good point. Right now I'm trying to reign in my seed buying, and not expand the garden TOO much...

Amy it's too late to start seed. They need to be started around the fall equinox. Then, ya gotta watch 'em close and let them grow and protect them if it freezes until the necks are about pencil size. They're hardy but freezes reduces the number of good ones. Then, ya gotta pull 'em and store 'em properly. Then, ya gotta transplant and survive the wild temperatures and spring rains until the sunny days are longer and they start bulbing up.

Now, all of this would be fine with me if I could successfully grow onions to obtain my own seed, but that part is a real pain in the behind, too! I'd do it if there were no other choice, but imagine netting all those onions to avoid cross pollination after 2 years of growing? Yuck. With our weather I don't think they'd make it.

I ponder what would happen if things hit the fan. Ya know? I'd imagine someone in warm parts of Texas would hitch a wagon up this way with bundles of onions pricier than gold! lol

bon - thinking out loud again

I was going to start them inside in Jan. I winter sowed some last year, but had no place to put them when the time came...they may still be growing in pots with other things. If it hit the fan we would use walking onons or potato onions. Maybe wild onions. I winter sowed leeks last spring which eventually found a home. I ate some last week. Not Candy onions, but a mild onion taste. I cook with a lot of onions and garlic, so I would miss them. I am looking at seeds for a nodding onion this year. But I can only find it one place so it's another shipping charge. Nodding onion Prairie moon has seeds, so I guess I need to see if they have anything else I want.

I whatcha mean, now. I think they require a much longer growing time for a larger bulb. Would work okay to get something. They'd probably be small. Would be interesting to see how different varieties do, though! I betch there's an oddball variety that grows fast? Now that we're talking about it I find it very interesting. Of course, Dawn will probably stop by and say .. um no. LOL

Because there was a garden long long ago on this property there are chives, wild garlic and wild onion growing everywhere. I picked a very small green leaf off of what I thot was wild chives. Got very sick a few hours later. Dizzy, stomach cramps. It passed quickly.. but whoa. I'm still convinced it was garlic chives, but I won't do that again. lol

Thanks for mentioning the nodding onion varieties. I'm dependent upon onions. I need to consider these.

When I was a kid we were told not to eat wild onions unless we could tell the difference between that and "crow's poison". Couldn't tell you what weed THAT is, but I never ate wild onions. We grow garlic chives. Mine are flat, tough leaves I don't much care for but DH likes them. You can eat the flowers, though. They REALLY attract spiders.

I never got that lecture. lol

I googled it and found this Wild onion - crow's poison

Around here the Creek Indian's call it Crows Foot, it looks a lot like wild onion and they say it is poison. It looks a little like dahlias. It does not smell like onion. Never pick anything unless you know what it is. The wild onions look like small onions and have the onion smell. You can tell wild garlic by the smell, it smells like garlic. It's a little late to plant onion seed for bulb type onions now but they could still make some smaller onions. You still have plenty of time to plant leek seed the green bunching onion seed though.

AmyinOwasso,

I just planted a few more seed today in my cold frame. There were a few skippy places so I scattered a few seed in them. If they come up at all they will be a month and a half behind the others that are all ready up. But you never know how things will turn out unless you try. You have to experiment to learn and even if it is late you can plant a few onion seed and see how they do. Every time you try to grow something you will learn a little. I know I do. Even if they don't grow big bulbs you can possibly get some green onions or maybe some scallions which can be chopped up and put into the freezer and used to cook with. Then the next time you can try a little earlier until you get it right. I have tried many things many times before finally getting it right and I still don't always get it right. We learn by doing and when something works out that's what makes gardening fun. You can plant onions and carrots in a flower bed as they don't take up much room. I have been told by a friend from Britain that over there they plant vegetables in among their flowers, something that started during the World Wars, "Victory Gardens". Someone posted that they were already selling garden seed at Lowe's & Home Depot if you can find some there it wouldn't take any postage. Good luck!

Our local Tractor Supply Store also already has a seed rack out in the store with cool-season veggies on it, so anyone looking for seeds might want to try their local TSC.

I mix veggies, flowers and herbs in all my beds, and it is the only way I have gardened for about the last 20-25 years. I want to have a garden that is both pretty and productive, and mixing everything together gives me that.

If our weather pattern does not change it will be too wet to plant here until next fall. I may have to become a "Pot" grower coming year.