Growing onions from seed

Why?

This is the question I get asked most. Why not grow from sets? Part of it for me is that I like the challenge of growing from seed and it gives you something to plant in January. However the main reason for growing from seed is that you can buy varieties that you cannot find available as sets. And if you're a frugal gardener, they also have the added advantage that they are cheaper.

How?

I sow the onion seed into seed trays filled with seed compost at the end of January and place in an electric propagator. Within a week or two they should have germinated. At this point you will want to ensure that they get plenty of light otherwise they can go a bit "leggy".
By March, the seedlings can go into an unheated greenhouse or cold frame and be hardened off ready to be planted out in April.

This year I am experimenting with "multi-sown" onions - basically a nice term for being lazy and sowing in modules with 3-5 seeds in each module. They are then planted in "clumps" without any need for thinning out.