Onion Growing Course
Ready to Grow Something Great?
This course takes you through the full growing cycle of show-quality onions, guided by one of the UK’s most respected growers, John Soulsby. From seed-saving and pip selection to lighting setups and planting out, you’ll learn the techniques John has refined over decades of growing, showing, and mentoring.
Whether you’re new to the bench or returning to sharpen your results, you’re in the right place.
What You’ll Learn:
Seed, Pip & Bulb Prep:
Learn how to collect, clean, and store seed and pip onions — and how to choose the right one for your growing style.
Setting & Rooting Techniques:
Follow John’s methods for rooting onions in shallow trays, prepping compost, and using light to encourage strong growth from day one.
Seedling Care & Potting Up:
Understand how to support young plants with the right compost, spacing, and support methods — plus how to avoid common early mistakes.
Planting Out & Final Prep:
Learn how to move your onions into the ground or final pots, manage outdoor conditions, and set yourself up for a consistent, quality crop.
Meet Your Instructor
– John Soulsby
With over 50 years of hands-on growing experience and a long history of success on the show bench, John Soulsby is a trusted name in the world of exhibition vegetables. His down-to-earth approach and sharp eye for quality have helped hundreds of growers produce stronger crops and more consistent results. Through this course, he shares everything he’s learned, so you can grow onions with clarity and confidence.
What You’ll Need:
Shallow trays or 3-litre pots
Fine seed compost & potting compost
Grow lights (optional but helpful for winter seedlings)
Labels for tracking pips, bulbs, and seed lines
A gentle bleach solution (for bulb cleaning)
A small watering can with fine rose
Let’s Get Started
Pop the kettle on and settle in, you’re about to learn everything you need to grow healthy, uniform onions, from the ground up.
Click play to begin the course and follow along with John’s simple, time-tested growing routine.
FAQs
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This course focuses on exhibition onions, particularly long-day varieties like Kelsae that are grown for show or high-performance garden yields. The techniques can be adapted for other large onion varieties, but are especially suited to those that are propagated from pips or saved seed for consistent results.
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Not at all. While the course is ideal for growers who already have some experience with onions, it’s designed to be practical and straightforward, even if you’ve never saved seed or grown from pips before. Everything is explained step by step.
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Yes, especially if you want to start building your own consistent exhibition stock. Whether you’re preparing for competitions or aiming for more predictable harvests, these methods will help you preserve high-quality genetics year after year.