My trick for pricking out and potting on my onions 

I've just discovered your channel and am currently building my first ever greenhouse. I cannot adequately describe my excitement or enthusiasm for getting started. Am enjoying gaining insight from your accessible wisdom which has helped me control the overwhelming urge to rush out and buy loads of stuff. Have already got some bargain seeds and those nifty bottle top sprinklers tho. Looking forward to saying goodbye to the rest of the world and burying myself up to the elbows in compost

Fab tip!! My onions are ready to prick out. Felt a bit daunting, but after seeing this, feel motivated to use your method. I might even Video it, in my own amateurish way 😄 wish me luck! x

My onion seeds didn't sprout, just a few like 4 to 5. I was really sad, but now, that I saw all the work you had with the little onions and all the extra space you needed, I am not so sad any more. 🤣🤣🤣 You did a great job with this tiny little onions! ❤

You must have the patience of a saint potting on all those onions! 😋

Just Started a small veg garden his past couple of week. Ace video. Liked and subscribed. X

Great teapot!

Nice trick...I may have to try that for my seedlings? I say "SO" and "uuuhhh" in my videos...takes FOREVER to edit it all out 🤣

New drinking game….every time Eli says “so” you take a shot. 😂

Hi Eli THK you for the info on how you grow your onions. Thks john.

Really? A terra cotta Tea cup? Love it and I love You!

Love the new haircut Eli! Speaking of, I always give my onion seedlings a little snip too. Really helps with the legginess!

I love the humor in this channel, and how tidy that greenhouse space is. Sadly, my onion seedlings got decimated by fungus gnats.

Thanks for sharing this trick!

Wow I wish I'd seen this before, I was all afternoon yesterday pricking mine out until I was nearly demented!! 😂😂 What a brilliant idea. Thanks Eli

I’ve seen others sow them in a 4” pot thickly. They grow into a nice chunk of sod and pull apart quite easily although I’ve seen the water method used. It’s amazing how tough they are once they gain some thickness. The ones I purchased were picked, cut and rubber banded and shipped. It’s amazing how they spring to life.

The water trick is brilliant! Thanks so much.

Enjoyed the video thanks for the information will be planting my onions this week BA94Antrim n Ireland

LOL 20 Billion to go! I feel your pain. Great video, thanks for sharing

Ur enthusiasm and sunny nature just always make me smile, Eli! 😊 I’m in Tx, zone 8a, and I planted my onion seeds directly outside today as our last frost date is fast approaching. I also direct sowed my pea seeds today as well. As for the rest of my seedlings that I started inside at the end of January, I spent yesterday moving my tomatoes, peppers, salvia, gomphrena, hollyhocks, geraniums, scabiosa, Tx bluebonnets, phlox, and evening primroses into their next pot up before they go into the garden. Exciting times around here! The rest of my garden will be direct sown after our last frost date since we have such a long growing season here. Best of luck with ur seedlings! I think ur going to have a fabulous garden! 💞🌸

Back for a review after watching the harvest video. All the work with the Red Baron in spite of all the set backs paid off! I think I am inspired to try onion seeds again for this fall. I have gotten seedlings to this stage, but must be my laziness - I don't make it to potting up fast enough and they kinda melt away. And, I clearly am not showing them enough love - have to pet them and sweet talk them every chance I get. You should try chop sticks to plant the little babies; if you can't be bothered to learn, there are toddler/learner chopsticks that you can diy with rubber band and a bit of cushion between to work like giant tweezers. Very precise positioning, and I can also use the tips to create the divot, and to scratch the potting mix back around the seedling. Never pot up without chopsticks!

Fantastic tip I’ll definitely try that xx

A lot of work. I started several varieties including the 2 you have. I sowed 2/6 in cell packs. Boxing Day 12/26 and wish I could post pictures as mine are much bigger and think heat has a lot to do with it. I sprinkled them fairly thick and on most cells averaged about 5 per cell. I’ve given them at least 3 haircuts to 3” tall. I have a fan on them during the day and they are starting to get thicker. I used potting soil and did sprinkle a small amount of natural granular fertilizer on top because I didn’t have any liquid food fertilizer except fish and, yeah, not advisable inside. Finally got liquid fertilizer and chose Espoma Organic and doesn’t smell. I have had a slight bit of yellowing prior to fertilizing and some first leaves drying which I think is normal. Mine are inside and about 70*F/21*C. Yours look like it could be related to light and heat, but it seems the transplant helped. Just keep them sort of dry as onions will flop if too wet. It is difficult to tell if too much or not enough water as when actively growing they do like water to a point. I think when too dry they look more dull. The red onions seem to be about as picky as leeks and shallots to get germinated. Honestly I don’t know what I was thinking when I bought seed, but I bought 2 of a couple varieties. The Blush variety has a bit of red and those too act a bit finicky, but grow well in the garden. Noticed red last year were smaller than yellow or white also. It is so satisfying to harvest onions and potatoes and know where they came from. It’s my last garden excitement before the dreaded winter. We are just finishing fresh onions up and have some frozen and dried so I’m pretty close to knowing how many we need. Drying onions for first time in dehydrator last year out on patio and the smell was so wonderful it made us hungry for a McDonald’s hamburger 😂. I like my own homemade as well, but it was something about that aroma😅 Thanks for sharing as that’s how we all learn.

Wow! Great growth in 3 days! Those are going to be amazing! Most excellent!

Eli. A tip for getting the roots into the holes, I saw on Jessie Plot 37,is to use one of those pencils that has an eraser on the top. I find it works amazingly well.

I always give mine a haircut. It makes them stronger and promote growth

Hi Eli. I sowed my ailsa Craig's on 28th Dec and have pricked them out, this morning. If just hope mine grow like yours x.

That is a brilliant trick. I love your greenhouse. Thanks for sharing!

Oh no, that’s a lot of work! I planted my onions in small cells 4-6 seeds in a cell, gave them a hair cut when they were 5 inches tall then potted up 3 weeks later. They’ll grow as bunching onions and I’m fine if they’re smaller sized when harvested.

Hi Eli & Kate, great video with lots of useful information. Thanks for sharing and take care 🙂

Thank you!

Brilliant tip thank u 👍😊

Hi Eli & Kate, onions are fiddly to repot but, they look so much better. Can I reccommend Karmen for a red onion, they are good. Thanks for sharing and take care 🙂

thank you for the tutorial. My onions go in the ground soon.

Those are trays I’m using for my onions. I actually start seeds 4-5 per cell and thin to best one per cell. Go 12 weeks, then transplant to garden bed for spring. Trust me, those cells can go a full 12 weeks. I also use for seed soil. 3 parts compost 3 parts promix 1 part perlite I use 20-20-20 twice a week for food once second leaf forms. I go 8 hours a day light only, staying under bulbing daylight for onion type. Hope this helps. Awesome trays.

I've not killed my red baron yet so hopefully still on track to send spares in your direction! 😂

Ugh!!! I fell asleep and missed this coming out! Watching now. :).

Thank you for this wonderful information!

Genius ❤

Thank you for the video Eli. Great tips.

What a great tip!!!

Really helpful video growing onions for the first time 👌

Thanks Eli, never seen the water method, great tip. Thanks for sharing.

Inspired. I need to get out to repotting mine.

I hope this works for leeks seedlings too. Because I am just doing it...replanting my piddly seedlings into a deeper container. Fingers crossed

I potted mine on about 4 weeks ago and they sulked for a while but just looked at them and like yours they now have new leaves. Wish I had known about the water method though!!!🙃

Very nice pricking tips! I can see where this would improve the opportunity for success. Looking at how much you have going on in your greenhouse is inspiring - I have a greenhouse, hopefully at least 8'x10', on the list for next year. This year is four new 4'x12' raised beds at home, in addition to my community garden plot/allotment.

Mine look just like yours. 👍

So! you have a lot of onions this year, mine are also growing well

Well, how did ya know to post this today? I was looking at my wee onion seedlings and decided to take them outdoors for diluted liquid fertilizer. Oops. I left the flat in a rather precarious position and a curious hen knocked the flat to the ground. Silly hen! 🐓 I will be potting up these 1 month old seedlings - but I’m going to keep them in small bunches for now. Thanks for a helpful video once again! ❤

Although my goal is to no have to pot them on, considering we’re getting January’s weather now in Northern California, I think I may have to. It has the makings of a good “keep you hands busy and your mind at ease” task at least. Thanks for the guidance, I appreciate it!

Oh good gravy, what work, you did a nice job with these weee things. I direct sown in fall in my raised bed.. and couple weeks ago I sown some winterhedge onion and those need to be tranceplanted next week as well as my indoor tomato and some peppers. And for the rest I am going to get some starts for red onion at the feedstore 5 min from my house. Ja I know.. but there are so many other things to do 😁

I use the tray method for starting onions. It works well. I cant up pot them as space under lights in my seed starting room is limited. I start them in sifted potting mix, not seed starter. That way there is a little more nutrients o the seedlings can stay in the tray until they go outside. Thanks for the water bowl method for separating them. I havent had much trouble and my hands are big, size 16 ring. Anything that makes separating easier is a good thing, I have used a spray bottle in the past.

Thanks for your help the other day Eli and good to see the successful Potting on for your onions , mine on the other hand mmmm I think I put them in pots that were to big and there not really changed so I think I will give them a few more days to see if they can progress then if not I think I will plant some new ones 👍 xx

Onion seedlings "poodling" never heard that expression before, so that will help me remember when potting up is needed IF I can get the fiddly little guys to germinate successfully. Thank you.

Thank you Eli! Now I’m not feeling as stressed 😁 hair doo rocks btw!

So sow! Lots of sowing and growing 😂💚 I did my onions a few days ago. They are twice the size in the same size pot. I hacked the tops off to a couple inches, and did the same to the roots and shoved them into 1.5in trays with a handful of potting mix. I was not delicate, and they're fine. Tough little things

Great tips! I haven't done onion from seed yet. I did give my red onion sets a head start inside 11 days ago and was hoping to be putting them outside in a pot but with the winter weather due later in the week, I need to hold off but I will have to 'pot them on' tomorrow. I have a feeling I won't be able to do the same with onion sets? so, I plan on giving the trays a good water first and then gently separate them :)

Thanks for the update on the yellow leaves - that's useful to know. Mine are only just coming up, as I only started them a week ago. So I've a little while to go before I need to pot them on. Which is just as well, becuse I don't have any cell trays the right size. Or even close. 🤦‍♀

You looked like a proud momma when you were bending over those onion babies! I feel the same way about all my little seedlings!

H Eli when you sow you onions seed on boxing day , do you keep them in your house, or greenhouse, for protection heated or not, until you prick out then pot on, also if and when you plant out in your raised bed. When the weather is right . Another great video with info so simple but good. Thks john.

Thank you so much. I have an issue with “so” myself. So, I feel for ya. 😅

Great Tip Eli, thank you. That will be useful for me as this is my first time growing onions. I was wondering, when is it safe to just put the seedlings out in their final bed? I have seen people saying they can take a bit of a frost so I'm not sure if I should pot up or just plant them.

We did ours today, never planted onions before 🤞

Seed, on, germinated, 2-3ins.

Hiya Could you advise where you purchased the compost container please? Pink & green lids Thank you

I didn't know there was any other way to do it. I thought everyone washed to compost off LOL

Great video! Do you think this would be a good method for leeks as well?

Great tip. Those eilsa craig's can get quite large. What size do they end up being for you? I would think they like the cooler weather alright. 🤔

Mine tangle up no matter the trim, air movement etc. raises my blood pressure

How warm are cold should the water be Lukewarm or cold?

I didn't plant mine until early February, so I'm a bit behind yours. I know you must have taken hours and hours out there potting those up. How many cups of tea did you go through?? I didn't show as many as you, either, because I'm also getting some onion sets that should be arriving in a couple of weeks. I hope they all get big enough to tie up this year! Yours looks amazing and they do take ages and ages, don't they?

Sowed my onion serfdom boxing day.they terminated really well and have grown 2-3one but have flopped over not standing upright. What have done wrong?

I don't seem to be able to grow spring onions every time they come up they flop over

Can this apply to leeks ?

Sadly, I did not even purchase my onions until a few weeks ago, and they are just now poking their little cotyledons up. I'm one of those conservatives who plant one red onion to a cell. I think I'll change this year and put all the bunching onions in one though.

Thank you!