Onions are a culinary and pantry staple! They are widely used in cooking and they store very well with a long shelf life. Onions are an essential vegetable in a pantry stocking garden.
Start onions from seed:
- Start onions from seed anywhere between February and the end of March. They are long-season vegetable and needs about 100 to 120 days from seed to harvest. Onions need to be started about 8-10 weeks before the last frost date in your hardiness zone.
- Fill the container you intend to sow the onion seeds in with a seed starting mix or a potting mix.
- Make holes using fingers or a pencil about ½ inch deep.
- Drop in the holes about 5 to 7 onion seeds. Cover them with soil and water thoroughly.
- Make sure the container has holes for the water to drain.
- Always label your containers with newly sowed seeds.
- Keep the container with sowed seeds in a warm place. It can be kept in the dark until the seeds germinate.
- Once the seeds germinate, place the container with the germinated seeds under the grow light or where they can get plenty of sunlight to grow properly.
- Water twice a day and do not let the soil dry out completely. If the soil is left to dry out the tender seedlings can get stressed. Do not overwater them either which will turn the leaves yellow.
Visit my readers’ favorite article about What hardiness zones mean and how to determine yours.
How long does it take to grow onions from seed?
Onions are a cold-hardy, long-season bulbing vegetable that requires about 100-120 days from seed to harvest.
Can onions be grown in clumps?
Onions can be grown individually with space in between each plant or grow in clumps of onions. I grow them in clumps of 5-7 per clump to save space and to be able to grow more.
How to plant onion seedlings in the garden
You can plant onion seedlings directly in the garden 4 to 6 weeks before the last frost in your area. Onions can be planted in clumps or individually. If you decide to plant the onions individually, gently divide the clump to minimize harming the roots. If you plant in clumps without any division, make a hole about as deep as the seed plug and place the seedling clump in. If you divide the seedlings then dig a hole about 1 inch deep and place the seedling in. Water well. Recommended spacing between individual onions is about 6 inches. If you plant clumps, space them about 12 inches spacing between clumps. Water well after you planted the seedlings in the ground. If needed, you can cover them with the garden fleece cover for extra protection from wind and frost.
How to harvest onions
Harvest when the bulbs are of a usable size. If growing onions in clumps and desire a continuous harvest the largest onion first while letting the smaller ones grow. Harvest from a clump by twisting and pulling the bulb while leaving the rest of the onions intact.
The whole onion plant, bulbs, and leaves can be eaten. Onions can be eaten raw or cooked.
What is the difference between long-day onions and short-day onions?
Onions are defined by the hours of sunlight they require to grow properly sized-bulbs. They are known as long-day onions, intermediate onions, and short-day onions. The long days onions begin to develop bulbs with at least 14-16 hours of sunlight. Intermediate onions start to bulb with at least 12-14 hours, while short-day onions form bulbs with at least 10-12 hours of sun. To choose the right onion variety for your garden, you need to know if your garden is located in a long-day, intermediate, or short-day part of the globe.
To find out what onion would work best for you, I would like to invite you to visit an onion map, at hosstools.com. Find your location and choose from the one most suitable for your area.
What onion is best
The best and most popular onions are yellow and red onions. Yellow onions are the best choice for cooking. Yellow onions are great caramelized, roasted, sauteed, or in soups. Red onions are great to eat row on sandwiches, burgers, and salads. They are delicious when grilled and pickled. Want to experiment with onions? Along with regular onions, you can plant shallots, and green onions also called scallions.
What are shallots?
Shallots are related to onions but are milder in flavor compared to regular onions. Shallots can be used in vinaigrette, and raw in a salad, they can be roasted, and pickled.
What are green onions?
Green onions or scallions are young onions slander in shape and mild in flavor. The whole plant of the green onion is usually used with the white part being the most intense and the green part is more of a very mild grassy flavor. Green onions are often used as a garnish, they are added to baked goods, and grilled, and are very popular in Asian cuisine.
If you grow onions in your home garden, please share with us what onion variety produces best for you.
What do hardiness zones mean and how to determine yours
When and how to plant a seedling
Vegetables that need very little space
