Multi-planting

yopper · October 31, 2011

I was wondering what the harvest was for those folks that planted 3-4 onion plants in a clump? YOPPER

salix · October 31, 2011

Only did a few, they were smaller than expected, but we had the worst growing season for onions in over a decade. None were very good/large/sound so not a good year for that particular experiment. Will try again next season - hope springs eternal.

fortyonenorth · October 31, 2011

Yopper -

I had two plots of onions - all multi-planted. The bed with lower fertility and farther from the house (e.g. beyond easy watering distance) produced a below average crop. The bed right outside the back door, with high fertility and plenty of water, did amazingly well. This leads me to believe that multi-planting will work on fertile soil, but will not produce nearly as well on lesser soils. It also seems variety dependent. Copra did reasonable well - even in the "poor" plot. Others which were planted side-by-side with Copra did horribly. My best crop was of the Tropea Long onions which, planted in clumps of five, produced the largest onions of this type that I've grown.

I'm going to try it again next year on a more limited scale. I'm also thinking about: 1) buying transplants from Dixondale; and, 2) starting my seeds earlier. I generally start February 1, but they aren't as large as I'd like by April 1 plant-out.

Jeannine Anne · October 31, 2011

I have always started my seeds very eary, like between Christmas and New Year, then pot them on . I get good results from multi planted seeds but only do three to a clump.I always grow onions in very fertile soil. If I want truly big onions or of I am saving for seeds I pot them singly but for most uses I find multi works just fine.

XX Jeannine

b54red · November 1, 2011

I grew a forty foot row of onions planted in groups of 3 to 5. The onions were basically 30% to 50% smaller than the single planted ones in the next bed. I would not go with more than 3 in a clump. Most of the ones that I planted with more than three had one or two that never really developed. The groups of three usually had three medium to small onions develop. I tried about a half dozen varieties and the Bermudas did the best in the clumps, developing closer to full size than any of the others.

kath · November 1, 2011

I grew about a half dozen different varieties of onions this year to trial them on a very small scale and planted some in clumps of 3-5, some in rows. The trial wasn't all that fair as many of the onion plants wound up being a bit shaded as other nearby plants grew too close. Anyway, at first it seemed that the onions in the row were a bit larger, but by harvest time there was not a lot of difference in size. I thought it would be easier to weed the clumps but found that it was easier to weed the rows, and since I don't think it saved much space, I don't think I'll plant them that way again. Copra and Ailsa Craig produced the biggest onions.

yopper · November 3, 2011

THANKS FOLKS This was an interesting trial. YOPPER

tjg911 · November 6, 2011

i'm still not so sure this clump planting is a good idea but that's me.

one thing for sure if you want good sized onions you need:

full sun all day
water, onions need an inch per week but you need good drainage
weed them, onions do not compete well with weeds
soil rich in organic matter

tom

blokesmom · January 30, 2012

I tried multiplanting my Copra onions last year planting in groups of four or five in fertile soil. Yield was excellent, and it certainly was a lot easier to plant them this way as opposed to doing one at a time. I plan to multiplant again this year.

October 31, 2011	#1
yopper Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: U.P. Michigan Posts: 91	Multi-planting I was wondering what the harvest was for those folks that planted 3-4 onion plants in a clump? YOPPER

November 6, 2011	#8
tjg911 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: zone 5b northwest connecticut Posts: 2,570	i'm still not so sure this clump planting is a good idea but that's me. one thing for sure if you want good sized onions you need: full sun all day water, onions need an inch per week but you need good drainage weed them, onions do not compete well with weeds soil rich in organic matter tom __________________ I need a hero I’m holding out for a hero ‘til the end of the night He’s gotta be strong And he’s gotta be fast And he’s gotta be fresh from the fight I need a hero I’m holding out for a hero ‘til the morning light He’s gotta be sure And it’s gotta be soon And he’s gotta be larger than life

October 31, 2011	#2
salix Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: north central B.C. Posts: 2,310	Only did a few, they were smaller than expected, but we had the worst growing season for onions in over a decade. None were very good/large/sound so not a good year for that particular experiment. Will try again next season - hope springs eternal.

October 31, 2011	#3
fortyonenorth Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: NW Indiana Posts: 1,150	Yopper - I had two plots of onions - all multi-planted. The bed with lower fertility and farther from the house (e.g. beyond easy watering distance) produced a below average crop. The bed right outside the back door, with high fertility and plenty of water, did amazingly well. This leads me to believe that multi-planting will work on fertile soil, but will not produce nearly as well on lesser soils. It also seems variety dependent. Copra did reasonable well - even in the "poor" plot. Others which were planted side-by-side with Copra did horribly. My best crop was of the Tropea Long onions which, planted in clumps of five, produced the largest onions of this type that I've grown. I'm going to try it again next year on a more limited scale. I'm also thinking about: 1) buying transplants from Dixondale; and, 2) starting my seeds earlier. I generally start February 1, but they aren't as large as I'd like by April 1 plant-out.

October 31, 2011	#4
Jeannine Anne Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Canada Posts: 1,553	I have always started my seeds very eary, like between Christmas and New Year, then pot them on . I get good results from multi planted seeds but only do three to a clump.I always grow onions in very fertile soil. If I want truly big onions or of I am saving for seeds I pot them singly but for most uses I find multi works just fine. XX Jeannine

November 1, 2011	#5
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	I grew a forty foot row of onions planted in groups of 3 to 5. The onions were basically 30% to 50% smaller than the single planted ones in the next bed. I would not go with more than 3 in a clump. Most of the ones that I planted with more than three had one or two that never really developed. The groups of three usually had three medium to small onions develop. I tried about a half dozen varieties and the Bermudas did the best in the clumps, developing closer to full size than any of the others.

November 1, 2011	#6
kath Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: zone 6b, PA Posts: 5,664	I grew about a half dozen different varieties of onions this year to trial them on a very small scale and planted some in clumps of 3-5, some in rows. The trial wasn't all that fair as many of the onion plants wound up being a bit shaded as other nearby plants grew too close. Anyway, at first it seemed that the onions in the row were a bit larger, but by harvest time there was not a lot of difference in size. I thought it would be easier to weed the clumps but found that it was easier to weed the rows, and since I don't think it saved much space, I don't think I'll plant them that way again. Copra and Ailsa Craig produced the biggest onions.

November 3, 2011	#7
yopper Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: U.P. Michigan Posts: 91	THANKS FOLKS This was an interesting trial. YOPPER

January 30, 2012	#9
blokesmom Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: WMass zone 6a Posts: 26	I tried multiplanting my Copra onions last year planting in groups of four or five in fertile soil. Yield was excellent, and it certainly was a lot easier to plant them this way as opposed to doing one at a time. I plan to multiplant again this year.