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When to Sow Onion Seeds?

Because onions complement and enhance a variety of recipes, growing them provides a ready source of this popular root vegetable. Starting onions from seed is an economical method of producing this Vitamin C-rich mainstay. Mild, sweet onions, such as white and yellow Spanish, work well in most recipes and thrive when grown from seed.

  1. Soil Considerations

    • Like most root vegetables, onions require a loose, well-drained soil. If the soil is heavy clay, work in organic matter to create a growing medium that is easily worked and crumbly in texture. Since onions will not grow well in highly acidic soils, amend the onion plot to a pH level between 6.2 and 6.8. If not sure of the garden's chemical makeup, contact the local county extension office to arrange a soil test.

    Planting the Seed

    • Sow onion seed ½ inch deep as soon as the soil can be worked in the spring. Maintain 1½ -inch spacing when planting the seed if plans are to harvest a green onion crop, or 3-inch spacing if no harvest of green onions is planned. Space rows 18 inches apart if employing the traditional row method of gardening. If the garden features raised beds or a wide-row planting technique is utilized, plant seeds on 3-inch centers.

    Care

    • Planted onion seeds withstand cool spring temperatures and tolerate frost but do not do well if competing with weeds. Keep the onion bed weed free with shallow tilling, or in the case of raised or wide rows, hand weed the tender plants. After the seeds have established, mulch well to conserve moisture and suppress weed growth. Onions are susceptible to onion maggots, downy mildew, neck rot and thrips. Keep onion plants disease and insect free using current control methods recommended by the local cooperative extension service agent.

    Harvest

    • Pull young plants for use as green onions, and chop for salads or for use as a mild addition to any number of dishes. For fully developed bulb harvest, wait until the leafy tops have dried and fallen over before pulling or digging the onion. If harvest day dawns breezy and sunny, pull the bulbs and leave them in the garden for a couple days.

    Curing and Storage

    • Cure the onions if planning to store them for future use. Place the onions in a well-ventilated, warm location until the neck of the plants dry out thoroughly. With good air circulation and low humidity levels, curing finishes in two weeks. Store the onions in a cool, moderately dry area using ventilated containers.

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Garden Seeds
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