onion/garlic advice needed

[seneca]

hello folks,
just joined this forum after finally getting my plot 2 weeks ago. Been clearing it out and digging over part of it. Firstly, I must mention that the allotments of which I have become a member seem pretty inactive at the moment. I've only come across 3 people so far and one of them was the chairman! so advice and opinions are thin on the ground. Anyway, I've been looking at various books and have found that I can actually plant something at this time of the year (bit surprised, but I'm new to this game.) Apparently, I can plant onions and garlic.

here's my questions-
- what's the best way to plant these- in a row at ground level or should i make a raised bed?
- do they need to be covered to stop pests? (one book mentions onion fly, so I assume netting will be needed. If so, do I need to make a cloche with the netting over it?
- onion sets come in packs of 50 - do I need to put all 50 in the ground or can I save some for next year?
- do I plant them in a long single row, or can I plant them in a square?
- anyone have any links or pictures of how they have done it in the past

thanks for your help

[RWeb]

Onions planted an inch or two apart (at ground level) provide delicious green onions for salads or stir-fry. Thinning the row to use when young and leaving some to grow to maturity is a great way to save space in a garden.

Adult onion maggots resemble brown, hairy humpbacked flies which in turn are similar to the seed corn maggot. Adults generally remain hidden. The eggs are laid at the base of a plant. The maggots are 1/3-1/4" long and legless. They are found near the plant bulb or neck. They are whitish in color and don't have stripes. Maggots overwinter as pupae in soil. Usually 3 generations a year appear. They prefer cool, wet conditions.
Best control is avoid close spacing of plants, don't plant in rows to confuse the maggots, and practice fall cleanup

Plant as many as your garden can allow, any leftover seeds, store in a cool place for the following year.

Hope these tips help with your vegetable garden.

[Shetty]

Hi Seneca
I have just planted winter onions, garlic and broad beans.
Have done so for a couple of years with reasonable success.
You can make a raised bed or plant them straight in the ground, providing it won't be waterlogged through the winter.
I never had any problems with onionfly through the winter, I reckon they hibernate or something. I sow in rows about 40 cm apart and then sow a row of carrots between the onions. Onions deterr carrotfly and carrots onionfly (so they say - well fingers crossed, it seems to work so far)
To my knowledge, winter onions should be all set now, don't worry if it seems a lot, you probably will loose some thanks to birds or other friendly creatures, also check the sets before you plant them, some seem dried out, soft or mouldy, I never use those and usually have about 20% waste of onionset packages.
As far as I know broadbeans can only be sown at this time of year, in areas where there is not too hard a winter. I live right by the sea and we rarely get more then a couple degrees below freezing. I also set shallots in December, but again that probably varies with the area you are in.
Keep us posted how you get on