Onions (Allium cepa) have been used since prehistory as a food and flavoring. Their wild ancestor has its roots in Central Asia, particularly in current-day Iran.
They’re an easy plant to raise.
A cool-season crop, they can be planted as seeds, as sets (one-year bulbs), or as transplants.
Planting Onion Seeds
Seeds should be planted from mid October to late December in warmer zones (where the ground does not freeze), and mid-August to late September in cooler areas.Onion seeds should be sown directly into the garden and covered with about one-quarter inch of soil. Plant them thickly. Sprouting should occur within seven to 10 days. Thin on a regular basis by pulling plants as soon as the green tops are long enough to harvest. Continue thinning until there are three to four inches between each plant. Use the pulled plants in salads, as tasty additions to dishes, or eat them raw.
The spacing allows the onion bulbs to develop fully.
Onion Sets
Sets are marble-sized, one-year-old bulbs. These should be planted three to four inches apart at about three-quarters of an inch deep, with the pointy part of the bulb pointing upward. To have some green onions tops to harvest until the onion bulbs mature, plant the sets closer to each other. As the tops develop, pull them until the remaining plants are about four inches apart.
Onion Plant Bolting
Low temperatures of 40 -45F can cause onions to “bolt,” or go to seed too quickly once the tops have developed. If onions go to seed before the bulbs develop to harvesting size, then the plant will put all its energy into developing seed instead of expanding bulb growth. Therefore, it’s important to plant sets as late as possible in the season. For warmer areas (zones 8 and 9), plant in January or February. In other areas, plant sets as soon as the soil can be worked.
Harvesting Onions
Harvest onions when the top half of the onion plant has fallen over and the bulbs have developed a paper-like skin. Do not pull them up yet. If there are onion plants which have not fallen over yet surrounding the ripe ones, gently push those remaining bulbs into the ground. Let the ripened onions remain in the ground for a few more days then pull them and place them in a dry, warm place with good airflow. If onions are properly dried, the skin of the bulb will be dry and paper-like and the neck of the stalk will be slightly shrunken. When the plants are thoroughly dry, braid the tops together and hang them from pegs or rafters of a shed, garage, barn or other structure, or hang them in the kitchen. Mesh bags or old nylons can also be used to store dried onions.
For more information on growing onions, please see the following articles:
Easy Gardening Onions, Texas Agrilife Extension Service
Growing Onions, University of New Mexico Extension Service
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