ABC Wednesday - A is for...


Autumn planted onion sets
This is my first effort for a project starting today. I came across it on Mrs Nesbitt's place.
It's the first time I've planted this type of onion set. Usually my spring planted sets are enough for us, plus I choose types that store well like Setton and Red Baron. However, last year's crop was well down on its usual bounty. I was also concerned they might not store so well as it was very dificult to get the crop dried out. So I decided to grow some Electric, planted in November and which should be ready in June. You can see from the photo that the recent rain has 'capped' my clay soil. I'll be going around with a hoe to let some air in as soon as the plot's dried out a little.
I'm pleased I'm trying these as there are reports of a possible onion shortage later this year, for the same reasons that led me to try my Autumn planted sets in the first place.
See you next week at B...

Comments

  1. mrsnesbitt23 January 2008 at 10:09

    Welcome to ABC Wednesday, it is a great fun thing! Hope you enjoy it a smuch as we all do.

    Dx

    ReplyDelete
  2. VP23 January 2008 at 10:28

    Thanks Denise - it's a great idea and fun to do!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Gerald (Ackworth born)23 January 2008 at 10:55

    welcome to abc

    ReplyDelete
  4. Sharon23 January 2008 at 11:55

    Good luck with the Autumn plantings! That is fun and hopefully yummy too. This was my first ABC also.

    ReplyDelete
  5. hpy23 January 2008 at 12:24

    I have never tried to plant onions in autumn, only garlic but maybe I should some day.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Rune Eide23 January 2008 at 12:28

    Welcome to the club!

    I see that you don't have any more snow than we have - must be good for the onions,

    ReplyDelete
  7. dot23 January 2008 at 13:12

    Welcome to ABC Wednesday! My onion patch hasn't done well this year.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Daryl23 January 2008 at 13:30

    Makes me feel as if spring isnt so far off

    ReplyDelete
  9. Jean M Fogle23 January 2008 at 14:43

    Just think later you will be able to photograph the onions for the O post! YOu will enjoy this bunch of bloggers and hope you enjoy your onions
    Jean

    ReplyDelete
  10. Dragonstar23 January 2008 at 14:45

    Poor wet onions! Clay soil can be very difficult.
    This is my first week too.

    I was over on Siani's site and saw you had relatives in Waunarlwydd - snap! so did I. My family lived in Llanelli and I think it was my father's uncle, but I can't remember at this late date!

    ReplyDelete
  11. VP23 January 2008 at 14:49

    Thanks everyone for your comments - I'm enjoying looking at everyone's ideas. They're all very different, even when the same subject's been tackled.

    Dragonstar - it's a small world isn't it? My Uncle and Aunt's house bordered on the common land there and so did my cousin's until he moved to Llanelli, where he worked at Ford. I can remember getting up at 4am to go mushrooming with my uncle and when the cows from the common land crashed through the hedge and started eating all the flowers in the garden! Happy days...

    ReplyDelete
  12. Digital Flower Pictures23 January 2008 at 15:05

    Hello and welcome to ABC. I only grow the ornamental types of Onions (Alliums) but wish you a bountiful harvest! I hope we don't have an Onion shortage here, that would stink ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  13. kml23 January 2008 at 15:14

    Looks like you will have quite a crop!

    Welcome to ABC - I have added you to my list.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Nessa23 January 2008 at 15:27

    Very interesting.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Threadspider23 January 2008 at 15:33

    The ABC Wednesday looks interesting Michelle. I shall check it out regularly. It's astonishing how quickly the soil on the allotments has capped-I shall be interested to see how different the soil is under the area that I have left the manure on the surface compared to the are where I dug it in.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Paulie23 January 2008 at 16:14

    You are ambitious ! Hope your autumn onions are absolutely wonderful.

    ReplyDelete
  17. GAWO23 January 2008 at 16:56

    See you at B :-)

    ReplyDelete
  18. FO - 223 January 2008 at 17:00

    Hello. It`s great fun to plant onions. Tasty! :) I planted some garlic myself at autumn.
    Good luck!
    I hope you get a good crop out of the onions. :)
    See you next week. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  19. photowannabe23 January 2008 at 18:10

    Hi and welcome to ABC WEdnesday part 2. Very interesting post for the letter A.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Max-e23 January 2008 at 19:21

    Hi thanks for popping in to my site. I gave up trying to grow veges a long time ago. Between insects and me forgetting to water them it was a disaster.

    I see that Zulu was one of your favourite films. I have featured the grave of James Langley Dalton one of the defenders of Rorkes Drift and a recipient of the victoria Cross in two posts. If you are interested, you can follow the RORKES DRIFT label on my site.

    He also featured in the movie

    ReplyDelete
  21. Andrea23 January 2008 at 22:23

    Welcome to ABC Wednesday. Nice onion patch. Looks like Dot might have some onions trying to grow too. Might have to go visit Dot. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  22. Neva23 January 2008 at 23:01

    Welcome to the club! I will add you to my side bar....good "A"!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Lilli & Nevada24 January 2008 at 04:28

    hey great shot that is neat

    ReplyDelete
  24. AVCr8teur24 January 2008 at 06:18

    Welcome to ABC Wednesday. You're off to a good start. I tried to grow onions once and it didn't turn out very well. I guess I don't have a green thumb.

    ReplyDelete
  25. VP24 January 2008 at 09:51

    Thanks everyone who commented overnight - it's great to hear from you and I look forward to seeing your ideas for B next week.

    The looming onion shortage was mentioned on the BBC news this morning and even featured the company I linked to in yesterday's post. It seems I'm ahead of the national news for once!

    I grow all kinds of alliums, both tasty and ornamental, so expect to see them featured regularly over the coming months...

    ReplyDelete
  26. Pete M24 January 2008 at 15:04

    Glad or hope you know your onions

    ReplyDelete
  27. Leslie:24 January 2008 at 16:53

    Hi, I'm new too and this IS fun to see all the ideas. Have't seen the same one yet.

    ReplyDelete
  28. bonnie24 January 2008 at 23:06

    I'll bet those are going to taste great! I love onions

    ReplyDelete
  29. Flassie's Fil'a24 January 2008 at 23:09

    I love onions. One of my
    dbrs eats onion sandwhiches.
    My son mentioned using onions
    like a chip to dip in hummus.

    Look's like you going to have
    a nice crop.

    Have a Blessed Happy
    Creative Fun Year!!!

    ReplyDelete
  30. Katney25 January 2008 at 02:17

    My onions did not do too well last year, either. I will try again this spring, but autumn---hmm.

    Since the Latin name for onions is allium, you've another A there.

    Thanks for stopping to see my A flowers, for which I bear no responsibility other than learning their names and trying to share that knowledge with National Park visitors who are interested--and helping to keep said visitors from crushing them by straying from the trails.

    ReplyDelete
  31. VP25 January 2008 at 11:21

    Hi the most recent commenters - thanks for stopping by!

    I'm glad you're all onion fans too - though Katney's right, I should have called them Alliums to accentuate on the letter A. I also took the picture on my Allotment!

    ReplyDelete

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