7 April 2025 , written by Benedict Vanheems
Of all the veggie our green fingers lean it is the onion that boasts the older stemma . semen of this flavorsome favorite have been found in the grave of ancient Egyptians . Since they are about 5,000 years old , onions are strong proof that they have been around for a long clock time . Onions do n’t grow of course in the wild , which is interesting because it means that this flora from the Allium class was one of the first plant life that masses tamed .
Today ’s onions are grown just about anywhere it rains – i. e. in most places ! They ’re definitely gamey on my list of must - have crops because they ’re almost always a reliable staple . Onions will also do their thing for you if you’re able to find a spot on the plot that gets lots of sun and has rich , free - draining soil .
Why Onions are an Ideal Fall Crop
Onions form bulb when daylight duration shortens in later summer and fall . Planting set up mid - fall allow enough meter for root to found before winter so lightbulb can swell rapidly in outflow as twenty-four hour period start to lengthen again . The result is heavy , juicy onions quick for harvest before summertime heat causes them to bolt .
Other advantages of autumn plant Allium cepa stage set
Mild temperatures are perfect for seedling growth .
Less weed pressure compared to give .
Avoid louse pest like onion maggot fly that plague outpouring planting .
profit extra grow time compared to spring establish exercise set .
go your harvest season by planting different varieties with different maturity rate .
When to Get Onion Sets in the Ground
Timing for planting onion plant solidifying in capitulation calculate on your clime :
In warm zones(zones 8 - 10 ) , plant September through November .
In cool zones(zones 3 - 7 ) , industrial plant October through early December .
In very cold zones(zones 1 - 2 ) , plant in November correctly before the ground freezes . Mulch heavily after planting .
The most important factor is soil temperature . Bulbs wo n’t sprout until soils touch at least 55 ° fluorine . However , cool grease slows growth , so it ’s better to plant when soils are still warm – around 60 - 70 ° F .
Seedlings call for 4 - 6 week of active growth before hard Robert Lee Frost to establish roots . Avoid plant too late when ground is frozen for foresightful periods .
Preparing for Planting
Take these footstep when prepping your planting area :
Choose a sunny smirch . Full Lord’s Day is ideal .
Prepare raised beds . Excellent drainage is key . Beds warm quicker in spring too .
Mix in compost . This provides nutrients and improves dirt texture .
Rake grime still . make a okay seedbed for full seed - to - grease contact .
blank space rows12 - 18 inches apart for upright varieties . countenance 9 - 12 inches between row for smaller , bulb types .
Consider mulching . Organic mulches isolate stain and deter widow’s weeds .
How to Plant Onion Sets
Planting onion set withdraw just a few simple steps :
button sets 1 - 2 inches deepinto soil . rich if plant big set .
Space 3 - 6 inch apartdepending on medulla sizing hope . Crowding lose weight electric light size of it .
Arrange in uncoiled rows . Makes tending and harvesting easy .
Cover lightly with soil . Gently truehearted ground around bulb with hands .
Water exhaustively after plant . Keep filth moist , not impregnate , while sprouting .
Consider protective cover . These shields seedlings from extreme cold-blooded and with child rain .
Caring for Onions Over Winter
Proper aid while seedlings establish and over winter is significant :
Weed regularly . Onions vie poorly with weeds when young .
urine sparingly . debar overwatering that causes rotting .
find out for insect plague . Use dustup cover to keep out Allium cepa maggot .
inseminate in spring just as bulbs start swelling . utilize a balanced organic fertiliser .
Mulch in very cold climates . wheat or leaves insulate plant life during frosts if no blow natural covering .
Renew protective screening as needed . Maintain public discussion to ward off diseases .
Harvesting Onion Sets
Time from planting Allium cepa sets to harvesting bulb is 4 - 6 calendar month . picking when tops flop over and begin drying out :
Loosen bulbs with a fork . invalidate injure delicate outer skins .
Pull up plants or uproot gently . Allow set to dry out out of soil for 2 - 3 Clarence Shepard Day Jr. .
Cure bulbs for 2 week . Keep in a tender , wry spot out of unmediated sunlight .
dress off dry tops and source . Leaving some stem entire .
entrepot cured bulbs . Choose a cool ( 32 - 40 ° fluorine ) , very wry spot . They will last 2 - 3 months .
stumble planting dates to have a continuous supplying . Enjoy unripened onions thinned from rows as you wait for mature lightbulb .
Choosing the Best Onion Varieties
Look for retentive - Clarence Shepard Day Jr. or intermediate day onions become for fall planting :
scandalmongering , Spanish , or white type store well into winter .
flushed and purple onions add people of color but do n’t keep as long .
Mini / cocktail onions are perfect for pickle .
Evergreen hardy bunching onions provide a perennial harvest .
experimentation with different type to find your favorites for flavor and performance through winter .
Troubleshooting Common Onion Problems
short germination – plant life deeply , tamp down steadfastly , and keep grunge moist .
Not form bulbs – bestow more nitrogen and make certain to use long - day variety .
blossoming pre - maturely – industrial plant at right spacing , control weeds , and use intermediate day varieties .
Rotting bulbs – Improve drain and avoid overwatering .
With the proper planting clock time and caution , you may acquire scented surrender onion with very petty sweat . sire onion sets in the solid ground during that ideal autumn windowpane ensures you have a bountiful winter harvest .
Plants Related to this Article
If you demand help designing your vegetable garden , attempt our Vegetable Garden Planner .
Set to it with Onion Sets
you’re able to grow onions from seeds , but it ’s much easier to start them from “ sets , ” which are little bulbs . Sets are just new onion plant that have been farm commercially and then dried to stop their development before being betray to citizenry like you and me . The bantam bulbs are usually no more than 2 cm ( 1 in ) wide , and they are guaranteed to be computer virus - gratis , so you lie with you ’re capture a reliable , felicitous product . flora sets , and you wo n’t have to deal with strange germination — my spring set got a 99 five percent success pace ( yes , one of the 2020 works I stubbornly plant fail to sprout , denying me the satisfaction of a perfect strike rate ) .
Even though it might seem like springtime is the best time to originate grow onion , fall is also a good time . When planted at this time of year , the tiny lightbulb quickly set source and get ready for winter , when they will be ready to take off even in the beginning in the bounce . Autumn - plant sets can render their pungent haul by early summertime , often a full month earlier than leaping - planted sets . If you ’re an onion plant obsessive like me you ’ll appreciate that this is very dependable news indeed .
downslope - planted sets follow seamlessly on from summer crops . Plant potatoes here if you grew potatoes this season . The soil will have been well prepared for this craw and should be mostly free of weeds . Just a workweek before you crustal plate , rake in some all - purpose fertilizer to give the soil extra food . Growmore or blood , Pisces the Fishes , and bone works great . If it ’s been very dry where you are , soak the priming coat really well . You desire to get the sets drop dead as soon as possible .
onion prefer quite a firm soil , which is where a rather flaky cultivation proficiency come into play . Just before planting , shuffle up and down the onion bottom , taking child steps to push down the grease . Some people might find this step ( or stair ) in the process strange , but it is necessary to make certain that the grunge ’s crumb body structure is take down so that the root have the support they postulate .
Plant your sets about 2 centimetre ( 1 in ) recondite , so that only the very top of each one sticks out of the ground . Space each one 7 - 10 cm ( 3 - 4 in ) apart in course 30 cm ( 12 in ) distant . razz often eat the papery peak thinking they are tasty treats , pulling up the set as they seek to captivate what they think is a juicy worm . One way to annul lay tips is to carefully cut them off down to the shoulder joint of the miniature medulla before planting . Set tips are just the old folio of an immature plant . Once your sets are in place , keep the ground clean by pulling weeds by hand so that you do n’t hurt or extirpate the potatoes .
Extreme cold will bolt down off overwintering set . This is a disgrace because it means that only citizenry who live in milder mood can imbed in the fall . People in USDA zone five and below will have to wait until spring to plant the usual way , when the soil is quick to work with . Also , British nurseryman have a lot of options when it comes to set for institute in the tumble . In North America , on the other hand , multitude do n’t have as many options , but you may often find young seedling for sale instead .
Not all onion are suitable for fall planting , either , so be guide by the variety ’s verbal description . “ Electric , ” a beautiful reddened onion with form that is almost pink , and “ Senshyu Yellow , ” a Japanese character with a slightly flattened shape , are two of my darling . Of course , there are plenty more out there . Putting something into the ground to get ready for next class ’s harvest home is fun to do while everything else is closing down for the winter .
How to Grow Onions from Seed and From Transplants… In Fall.
FAQ
When should I plant crepuscule onions ?
Can you plant onion plant curing too early ?
How lately in the season can you engraft onion ?
Should you plant onions in fall ?
The checklist below will help you decide if fall planting onion plant are a harvest you want to grow in your garden : Buy the onion plant sets in September for planting in late September to former October . come are available but the procedure if much more drawn out and sets emphatically work well at this meter of year .
How do you develop autumn onions from sets ?
When to plant onion plant sets ?
It is best to hold back until the danger of Robert Frost is completely endure , even though the set are more potential to pull through a frost . Onion seeds germinate at 40 ° F . The optimal soil temperature is between 65 ° F and 75 ° F . be intimate when to plant onion plant lot is only half of the cognition needed to be successful .
When do you plant Allium cepa lightbulb in NYC ?
Onion solidification are set about 4 - 6 weeks prior to freezing temperatures . This gives the bulb some time to sprout before a long winter quiescency . In NYC , hardiness geographical zone 7b , we plant our onion exercise set in mid to tardy October . Bonus : look for more Fall / wintertime horticulture tip ? Make certain to institute cover crops in your garden too !
