Boxed in

I've not shown my leeks and onions for a while on here. I collected my Pendle Improved leeks from Dave Metcalfe in December which is a lot sooner than I would ideally like to have them. Usually I don't get my leeks until February so it's been a case of keeping the plants ticking along under a grolamp until I can get them into the greenhouse during the day for some natural light. If the daytime temperatures are ok this is what I'll be doing from now on, getting them from under the light before I go to work, putting them on a greenhouse shelf, before getting them back under the light in the evening.



Looking at other growers' blogs and photos these are not the biggest by a long shot but I'm hoping they'll grow well from now on. I shall only be growing these for local shows anyway.

I'm a lot happier with these 'exhibition' onions believe it or not. The third and fourth leaves are showing and I'm pleased to have got these through the last few cold weeks. Sown on a kitchen windowsill, pricked out into a 24 cell tray, I shall keep 20 for growing on in the hope of getting a reasonable set of bulbs between 2 and 3 lbs. I got this seed from Ian Stocks in Scotland and grew a few plants last season up the allotment where I was very pleased with the shape they made. They didn't get very big as they were a last-minute late-sowing so I decided to grow these as my main onions this season rather than buying plants in. I shall ensure regular potting on and bring them from under the overnight lamps into the greenhouse like my leeks during the day.

There is a class at the Malvern Show for a collection of onions and shallots so it's with this in mind that I shall be endeavouring to get a reasonable set, as I've noticed in the past that you don't have to have large onions to compete in this class. I think the large onion growers don't bother with 8oz onions and shallots so regular growers like myself definitely have a chance.

And once again it's been a dead loss weatherwise so I've had to content myself with other tasks in the garage. With transportation to the shows in mind i've made these stout boxes from 1/2" ply for my 250g onions and shallots. I shall fill them with vermiculite and carefully nestle the bulbs into that, making them safe and secure on long journeys to Malvern, Llangollen and Westminster. In the past i've had a variety of containers but from now on I need to make sure my veg is kept in tip top condition during travelling and that there is no chance of any damage occurring. I already have a box for my tomatoes, and I plan to make others for cucumbers, peas and long roots. I shall attach some strong catches to make sure the lids cannot come open, and then they can all be stacked on top of each other.

This is a luxury i've been promising myself for several years but i've made do whilst i've been exhibiting at local level. For better quality competition I've had to make sure i'm giving myself the best chance of competing. My boxes won't win awards for carpentry but they're functional and will more than do the job. Once the veg has been staged the boxes are merely pushed under the benches ready for use at the end of the show, when you can repack your veg ready for another show.