It’s been a long dull, cold wet autumn and winter in 2023, now 2024 we are into June but as I write this blog post this morning, the temperature is only 8c with cold northerly winds. My onions have been grown without any top heat since I planted them in mid February but they have bottom heat via heating cables set in sand at 15c. Read here how to grow big onions

I am please with the growth, they have very long necks this year but only just showing signs of forming a bulb. Compared to previous years, they are well behind. I am always reminded of Mel Ednie when he broke the world record way back in 1995 that his best bulb was measuring 26 inches in circumference by the end of June, if your chasing the record, thats about where you need to be about now.

I am sure the top growers Peter Glazebrook and Gareth Griffin will have their bulbs very large by now. You can check out Peter Glazebrooks onions here

It’s important now you keep them well watered but not soaked, big onions appreciate being on the dry side a few days before watering. I don’t supplement feed them at all now, there is plenty in the soil from the slow release feed I applied in Mid February. The enemy now for large onions is extreme heat, all your efforts should be to keep the area cool as possible, once the area gets to about 32c they will suffer. Apply shade and open up the tunnel, greenhouse as much as possible, contrary to popular belief, onions like some shade in the hottest part of the day, not blistering hot sun. I apply lime wash with a painters roller, it washes off as soon as it rains.

The cost to try and grow a world record onion, is very expensive now, particularly with the cost of living crisis, electric, gas, or whichever heating you use is expensive.

I was concerned when attending the Harrogate Autumn Show in 2023, how few entries there were in the heavy onion class. We really need many more growers to enter, but I guess the costs and the big growers may be putting off many entering their heavy onions at Harrogate . The entries in quality vegetables section too were quite poor in quality and numbers, Harrogate has always been the Olympics of show veg, but the 2023 vegetable show last autumn looked bad, I have seen better provincial local shows with better produce. The Harrogate vegetable show seems to have lost its popularity since it moved to the new venue at Newby Hall. It all looks crammed in that marque they use compared to the great exhibition halls on the Yorkshire Show Ground. May be it’s a sign of the times and show veg is no longer popular with the new generations. Buy Ailsae Onion Seed