Plant onion sets

Plant onion sets now for fresh onions next June, a few weeks ahead of a spring-sown crop. When planting sets, don’t force them into the soil as this damages the base plate where the roots emerge.

1 Onions like to grow in firm ground, so weed and fork through the surface, then tread down to consolidate the soil.

2 Make a drill that is deep enough to sit the onion sets, with just the papery tops above the surface.

3 Cover the onions with raked soil and firm gently, leaving only the tips showing above the ground.