Quicker maturing than onions so better for small plots.
Sow: Plant sets 15cm (6") apart from March to April. Push into soil till tips just covered. Watch for birds pulling them out. If growing from seed, sow by mid-spring otherwise bulbs will remain very small.
Aspect: Reasonably well-drained and fertile soil; need sun to ripen.
Care: Cannot compete with vigorous weeds, so weed regularly.
Water: Only needed in very dry weather.
Harvest: As tops start to dry off in July, lift clumps of bulbs out of soil to expose them to the sun to ripen. Dry indoors in wet weather.
Don't grow by: Beans, peas and parsley.
