I'll try to make things somewhat easier: I should point out I live in Belgium, so my climate and dates could be different from yours;
I sow my onions late february in the greenhouse, plant them outside beginning to mid April, no fresh manure, and my onions ripen off (the stems become brown and dry) end June up to end of July or even later, epending on weather and variety. I let them dry for about a week(outside), and select the finest ,biggest ,healthiest bulbs for seed growing, for each variety 20-25 onions. I put these in seperate boxes and keep them in a relatively cool (no frost!) place, dark and not humid.Next spring I plant out these bulbs after another selection, they start sprouting fromMarch, if they start sprouting I move them to a lighter place. I plant them out from the moment the weater conditions allow some planting, isolate the varieties(they cross easily) and let them grow and flower (normally from half June), the seeds ripen off somewhere in August. I don't use the bulbs for eating anymore, they have lost their taste, become sometimes drier on the inside and there's a lot of cleaning work, so I just remove them.And from then on the cyclerecommences next February,
Frank
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