Planting Onions 3 Ways

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Learning to plant onions 3 ways offers us a diverse way to enjoy a long-lasting onion crop all year. Growing onions is made easy with this complete guide!

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After all, a day doesn’t pass that we don’t use at least one onion in our kitchen. With 3 options for growing onions, we certainly take advantage & plant lots in our garden each year.

If there is one crop that we plant every year & store for long-term use, it’s onions. We literally use at a minimum, one onion per day & often times more than that. Learning how to plant onions is not difficult & is something that anyone can grow, even in pots.

Why do we use so many onions you may ask? For the health benefits of course! These globes of goodness are packed with nutrients, low in calories, & high in vitamins & minerals. But that’s not all. They are filled with numerous hidden benefits as well.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF ONIONS

In addition to the above nutrition benefits, onions claim to hold anti-inflammatory properties, may benefit heart health, loaded with anti-oxidants, & even contain antibacterial properties all according to Healthline.

That not enough? Onions promote digestive health, & are easy to add to your diet in so many ways. Unfortunately, some have adverse reactions to these wonder globes.

Onion allergies may materialize for some in the form of gastric distress, red itchy eyes, & even nausea and vomiting. Fortunately, our family is able to ingest and utilize onions to their fullest here on the hill.

Before you go ahead & purchase onion seed, there are a few considerations to take note of. Location of where you will be growing your onions and determing the type of seed you will need is first and foremost.

3 “TYPES” OF ONION SEED

In order to avoid onion issues in the garden, you will need to determine which “type” of onion is best to grow in your area of the world. There are 3 types of onions, long-day, short-day, and intermediate-day. Which variety you choose to grow successfully, largely depends on your location.

SHORT-DAY ONIONS

Short-day onions are just as they sound. They are onion varieties that require at least 10-12 hours per day of daylight in order to form full sized bulbs. These varieties are wonderful for the very southern areas of the US, such as Florida & Louisiana. Should you attempt to grow short-day onions in the northern areas, you will be sadly dissappointed as the onions will develop very small bulbs and go to flower early as the daylight lengthens.

LONG-DAY ONIONS

Long-day onions require at least 14-16 hours of daylight. These varieties make wonderful options for those located in the northern tier of the USA & Canada. Should you attempt to grow long-day onions in the South, the same will hold true as the short-day onions in the north. Bulbs will not develop to their fullest, resulting in what’s referred to as “bunching” (onions grown with no bulb, green & white areas used) onions.

INTERMEDIATE-DAY ONIONS

Intermediate-day onions grow best when there is a great middle ground in daylight. Intermediate-day varieties require 12-14 hours of daylight. If you are located in the middle swath of the US, this variety would suit you well.

3 WAYS TO PLANT ONIONS

People have been planting onions for literally thousands of years and with good reason. Not only for their health benefits, but also for their unparalleled ability to store well & as an addition to any savory dish you may make.

Onions come in many sizes, shapes, & colors. By planting your own the world of these varieties really opens up. Just as there are choices in variety, so too, are there choices in how to go about planting them. Three choices to be exact.

PLANTING ONIONS FROM SEED

You can, of course, start at the very beginning, and grow your onions from seed. This method is probably the most difficult to master. Onions grown from seed will need to be planted at least 30 days PRIOR to your last frost date.

That being said, I like to plant mine MUCH earlier by winter sowing in milk jugs! I create a mini-greenhouse using milk jugs and allow Mother Nature to do the work for me! Be sure to tap the link & see my process.

In our garden zone 5b, that would mean being able to plant at the beginning of March here. As a warm weather gardener, meaning the cold is not my friend, this is just not a great option. The only successful time we planted onions from seed here on the hill was when we planted into a cold frame in the beginning of February. This process is referred to as “winter sowing”. They grew when the soil heated appropriately, did not have to be transplanted but once (aka bareroot transplants), and formed amazing bulbs to store. Now that I don’t have a cold-frame, milk jugs are used in the same way to winter sow onions from seed.

As most northern states, such as ours, does not support direct sowing of onion seeds directly into the garden, this is not an option for us. However, if you are more fortunate & able to direct sow, growing onions this way is certainly a step reducer!

To direct sow, prepare your garden bed, draw a line in the soil approximately 1/8 to 1/4 inch deep. Sow the onions about 3 inches apart to avoid crowding & give the bulb plenty of growth space. Lightly cover the seeds & dampen the soil. As a cold weather crop, onions have no fear of a light frost.

The beauty of direct sowing your onion seeds is saving time. You plant once & your done! No transplanting required. The negative of direct sowing is getting the timing right & putting a bit of effort in their safety. They will need to be planted early enough for the onions to reach their fullest maturity by fall, & be protected from harsh weather in the spring (snows/hail). Northern climates are not great locations for direct sowing into the garden.

PLANTING ONIONS FROM SEEDS IN TRAYS

For those climates that are not conducive to direct sowing into the garden, the option of starting your onions from seed in trays is doable. With a few simple supplies & equipment, starting your own onion plants indoors will give you the head start needed to successful onion plantings.

Your options for seed starting pots or trays are wide. You can utilize any container which will give a 3-4 inch depth with drainage. For some great ideas for seed starting pots on the cheap, check out “Alternatives for DIY Seed Planting Pots On The Cheap”.

Start your seeds 10-12 weeks before transplanting dates in your area (typically between 2-4 weeks prior to your last frost date). Feel free to refer to “Seed Starting 101” for some great advice on how to grow from seeds.

If you are using cells or pots, plan on planting 2 seeds per cell & covering with 1/8 inch of soil. Should you be using the tray method, scatter your seeds & cover with 1/8 inch soil. No matter your method, once planted, dampen well. Cover with a humidity dome or plastic wrap and place in a warm area (consistent 70 F to 75 F) or on a heat mat for germination.

Once you have germination, remove the cover(s) and remove the heat mat (source) and place the onions in a cooler area, approximately 60 F to 65 F. They should receive plenty (10-12 hrs) supplemental light each day.

Once the greens have reached about 5 inches, trim them back to about 2 inches tall. This will encourage bulb growth & create a thicker, sronger onion.

Approximately 6 weeks prior to your last frost date, begin to harden off the seedlings. Hardening off simply means to expose them to natural light, reduce moisture, and acclimating them to cooler temperatures slowly over a period of time. To begin, simply place your seedlings outside for an hour or two and slowly increase the exposure over the next four weeks. Even the tender onion seedlings are very cold hardy & will tolerate a light frost.

The seedlings should now be ready to transplant into your garden space, two weeks prior to your last expected frost date. To transplant, simply create a hole using a dibble or similar tool, create a 3-4 inch deep hole, gently loosen a seedling, and drop into the hole. Gently firm the soil around the seedling leaving a bit of the green showing through the soil.

No matter your method of starting onions from seed, make sure you are using only the freshest/newest seed. Onion seed germination rates greatly reduce after one year. So start yours off with the newest seed possible for success!

PLANTING ONIONS FROM ONION SETS

Onion sets are onions that are grown from seed and forced into dormancy at an early stage. In essence, they are very tiny onion bulbs 🙂 Planting onions from sets is probably one of the easiest ways to plant your onions.

When planting from sets, plan on planting 2-4 weeks prior to your last projected frost date, and in milder climates they may be planted in fall or winter months.

For your convenience, we created a short video earlier in the spring showing how to plant onions from sets. Take a peek below & see how easy it is.

For those who prefer written directions, to plant your onion from a set, dig a small furrow, about 1 to 1.5 inches deep. Place your onion bulb (pointy end up) into the furrow, spaced about 3 inches apart. Cover with soil & water well.

You can plant much closer together to have access to fresh green onions during the growing season by thinning in between, eventually they should be no closer together than 3-6 inches apart to allow for full bulb growth. With 3 1/2 months, the bulb will be fully developed, but as you can see from the above picture, within just over one month you can enjoy green onions.

One disadvantage of growing from onion sets is the lack of variety. Typically you will only have 3 choices, yellow, red, or white. We prefer to grow a variety named “Stuttgarter” as they are long lasting for storage purposes.

PLANTING ONIONS FROM TRANSPLANTS (BAREROOT)

Bareroot onion transplants are available to order or as stated above, you can grow your own. These transplants should be planted into the garden bed 2 weeks prior to your last projected frost date.

We have had great success planting onions from bareroot stock. It’s an easy process & reaps wonderful bulbs.

The only negative to utilizing this method is the cost if you are purchasing bundles. They can get a bit more pricey, typically about $12 to $15 per 50 plants vs. $3 to $5 for an organic seed packet to grow your own. We love to grow our summer onions, the above are a wonderful variety called “Walla Walla”, from transplants.

If your bareroot stock looks extremely dry, you can soak the bundles in a brown water mix of 1 Tbl liquid kelp to 1 gallon of water for a bit prior to planting.

To plant onions from bareroot stock, simply create a hole using a dibble or similar tool, create a 3-4 inch deep hole, gently loosen a seedling, and drop into the hole. Gently firm the soil around the seedling leaving a bit of the green showing through the soil. Water in thoroughly.

ONION GROWING TIPS

Onions grow best in loose, sandy loam that drains well. Prepare your garden well in advance by adding lots of well-aged compost & turning under at least 8 inches deep. Onions thrive in a soil pH of 6.0 to 7.5.

They are very easy to grow, but by following a few tips you can increase the size & quality of your harvest.

• Use Fresh Seed – As stated prior, use only the freshest seed you can as it will increase germination rates & reduce disease chances
• Prepare Your Garden Bed – As stated above prepare your garden bed well in advance with compost & if possible reaching a pH of 6.0 to 7.5
• Fertilize – Onions are heavy feaders and will love being fed a fish emulsion, we love to use liquid kelp, early in the season. An organic fertilizer (5-10-10) will work as well. Give a second dousing a month after the first feeding, & even side dress rows with a band of well-aged compost. When fertilizing, feed near the roots themselves as onions have very shallow root systems & will benefit from the direct feeding
• Water – Onions love water, about 1 inch per week. Letting them get dry during the early stages of growth can lead to splitting of the bulbs as they mature. Transplants may need more water than seeds or sets
• Weeding – Onions do not like to compete with weeds as their root systems are so shallow. Cultivate or gently turn the soil between the seedlings often. You may wish to consider mulching between the seedlings to reduce weed growth, making sure the mulch (& soil) stays off the top 2/3 of the onion bulb itself to encourage large bulb growth

With so many options for growing onions, & opening the world up to a wide variety of onion varieties, it’s easy to see why many grow their own. Do you already grow your own? What are your favorite varieties to grow?

Thank you for reading & as always, be sure to join our conversation(s) on all social media or by commenting below. Happy Growing!

Love, Light, & Laughter ~

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