# Onions
The second wave of onions I sowed is almost ready to be transplanted outdoors. Unfortunately, not many sprouted in the cell tray because half of the seeds were old. Onion seeds don’t have a long lifespan, so I should consider harvesting my own onion seeds from this season.
Onions are biennial plants, meaning that if I grow onions from seeds, they form a bulb but are unlikely to flower and set seeds.
When I plant bulb onions that have overwintered, they will grow a flower stem and produce flowers.
Onion flowers, garlic flowers, and allium flowers all look similar, as they all belong to the same genus. This led me to contemplate whether I could grow ornamental allium and edible garlic from seeds. Perhaps I could collect the seeds this year and experiment with them next year.
# Seed Plug
The plugs made with Bootstrap Farmer’s sturdy material turned out much smoother, without any broken pieces. This is because the cell tray material was much harder, allowing me to pack in the soil more tightly. I also waited for the roots to develop a bit longer.
The manufacturer describes the material as follows:
Made from FDA Prime Grade Extra Strength Polypropylene (#5 BPA free) plastic
As a result, I was able to remove the plug with much ease. I used my own compost, a mix of coffee grounds, plant material, and coco coir from cat litter. There are interesting differences in how onion roots and lettuce roots grow.
Onion roots seem much thicker and grow downward, while lettuce roots wrap around the plug and are much thinner.
# Paper Pot
Paper pots are also quite effective since their design does not harm the root at all, provided they aren’t left in for too long. I can see roots penetrating and growing out of the paper pot. These pots cost 24 cents each for the small ones and 38 cents for the large ones.
A single 6-cell plug from Bootstrap Farmer only costs 80 cents and will last for many years, so clearly, reusable cell trays are much more economical. Although I was a bit disappointed with my initial experiences with sweet peas and onions, I am learning how to use them in a more effective manner.
I love this cell tray, i have another one i am going to be testing;
