Grub, how about I send you a small sample of the ones that I am growing so you can do a trial? (Hunter River Brown and Gladalan Brown should do alright in Sydney - I don't grow them down here but I know they're available )

You need onion sets, try New Gippsland seeds. Everything else is doomed to failure :-(

Hunter River Brown and Gladalan Brown... hmmm, sound good. The Hunter's only 100km away.

I'll see if I can find out more about onion sets. I'm imagining you get seds, soil, a special box with a lid, labels and an onion apron or tee-shirt. I'll check it out.

Thanks.

Is your soil to clayey or acidic at all
Peter

Hi Peter,
I'll run a PH on the soil but it's nice and loamy/tad sandy, enhanced with some of my own compost inc. some aged chook poo; the carrots and mescalun in the same bed are doing really well.

I think I will germinate the onion seeds in seed-raising mix and separate cells and transplant themin future.

Cheers, Grub.

I grew Garlic to perfection in Sydney, but the onions conked out. Then I found Garden lime, and the second crop sang all night. Never looked back. Organic mixture is usually acidic, so a good dollop of lime, and we'll be 'round for Onion Flan!!!

Thanks Adam. Will try that next time. You do have a way with Allium life forms :) Now I just need to find out how to grow the pie base.

you're very quick. So quick, you could hear a pun drop.
Tee Hee

Gday all
Please go back to Onions from 4May 2005 to 18 May 2005 as this was my question?
I found the answer to be right type right month BUT a firm surface to place seeds and a firm plant down when sown.
This year they are like hairs on a cats back, if I can stop the Galahs from pulling them out.
Is there anyway we can sort all info into a quick reference. As time goes we ask the same questions that maybe have an answer yonks before
I will leave that to the gurus of times

I'm looking forward to hearing about your travails, Adam. With pics, of course :)

Thanks for the pointers, Wattle. I am guilty of not doing searches, however, I flash by here a fair bit and the onion tips must have escaped me. Tampering down the soil could well be it coz I kept it friable for the carrotsw alongside.

Hi Wattle,
I did once set up a FAQ area but got no willing information suppliers. I dropped the idea in the end as it's too much bother for just one person.

I have a tip not necessarily related to onions. If you run into a short, balding Italian called Carlo, don't believe him when he says a wheelbarrowful of cow manure is enough to turn a quarter acre of clay into a vegie garden.

My gawd! You're still alive.I thought Carlo had turned you into compost. You must be a diplomat.

I discovered yesterday that he told someone he likes me. Must be my attempts to talk to him in Italian. The other day I discovered he'd dug over one of the beds I'd been improving. The starting point was solid clay, I'd carted loads and loads of composted horse manure to create a raised bed. He thought he'd help by digging it over for me. Except he dug down a deep shovel depth and brought the clay back to the surface. Then we had torrential rain and he wondered why the bed was a lake of grey/brown water.

Ha. At least you have some willing labour that's sure to come in handy. You going to try onions or some other Allium life form like, say, leeks over winter? You might be pleased to know I caught up with an old mate with supplies most of Sydney with game. Shame you're not here by the stove. Quail, spatchcock, venison, buffalo backstraps, you name it. How's the protein there? Cheers, Grub.