Hi Sandy,

For years I used sets, pretty successfully. The harvest is usually pretty good, but the selection is real small. The last couple years I have been buying plants, and that is working out real well. I think that I will try to grow some of my own sets this coming summer. I found what is supposed to be the open pollinated version of Copra and I think I will try to grow sets from that, and maybe save some of my own seed (if I am lucky for into the future). I also use potato onions pretty heavily, and have both yellow and green; those are sets of course. They cook real nice. I use tree (Egyptian) onions for green onions and they are hardy perennials; I don't have to worry about them or seeds for or from them at all.

I grow a few specialty ones (an Italian red salad onion, red cipollini, and Shimonita Negi) from seed in the house--transplanting each into a plug for sizing up a bit before planting in the garden. For the main crop I order plants from Dixondale Onions.

Thanks for the responses. I think I'll order a few of the varieties/or similar varieties you both mention and start some seed indoors in my grow room. Will give me something to plant while I wait to start more peppers and the tomatoes later.

Happy Gardening,

Sandy

I would highly recommend Ailsa Craig onions too! We grew them here last summer and many of them got to be softball sized.

FWIW The local Ace hardware stores have out their stocks of yellow and white Ebenezer and red onion sets, already. This is one year when very early sets might very well get a jump on plants and one's own started seedlings.

I am a produce farmer and onions are my best crop. Plants should be purchased. the thing with sets is they know they are 2 years old and want to bolt and will never produce the nice onions plants will. You can start your own from seed but it takes forever so I choose to purchase from Dixondale. I plant into beds with horse manure and several drip tapes and black plastic mulch. Onions kept weeded and watered well will produce huge bulbs. None under 12 ounces. Make sure you get only Northern/ Long Day onion varieties. If you buy locally they are ok but are much more productive if sent direct to you and planted right away- as early in spring as possible.

A little confused here.

What is the difference between Sets and Purchased Plants?

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Was my original post. Now that I watched the video at the site, I am now enlightened. So much so, I placed an order for 4 bunches of onions.

I never realized that the number of leaves is directly related to the number of rings inside the onion and hence the size.

Thanks for the post.

Thanks everyone for all the comments and info.

Emero, Minnie and Carol - what varieties are you each going to be growing?

Thanks,

Sandy

I always grow Walla Walla, copra, red marble, yellow cipollini, and red torpedo. Also whatever red storage onion is available. I don't grow Seminis varieties. Another decent one is sweet Spanish.

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Check out the video at Dixondale.