How to Grow Onions at Home

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Onions are ubiquitous in our household being used at almost every meal. While onions are fairly inexpensive at the store, we figured we'd give it a go with growing them at home to save even more money on groceries as well as to use the companion planting benefits of this veggie. So whether you love onions or just want to keep some pests away from your other plants, let get growing!

Planting


Plant seeds or onion sets as soon as soil is workable in the spring in Northern climates or late fall to very early spring in warmer areas. Best temperatures for bulb and root formation are 55-75 degrees F or  13-24 C. Ideal soil will be easy draining and have a pH of 6.0-7.0. If your soil is not high in organic matter, spreading compost or apply fertilizer around plants after roots are established. Onions are a full sun plant.




Planting from Seeds

Choose a variety that is recommended for your growing zone. Most seed retailers will list recommended zone for each plant on the seed packet. If you don't know your grow zone check the photo below or visit USDA to check by zip code.

Direct sow seeds as soon as soil is workable in the spring or in late fall if no frost occurs. Seeds should be planting 1/4" deep in rows spaced at 12-18". Thin to 3-4" spacing.

If you have a short growing season, consider starting seeds indoors and transplanting outdoors after last frost or planting with onion sets.

Photo Credit: https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/
Follow link for interactive grow zone by zipcode
Transplanting

 Trim roots to 1/2-1" long and green tops to 4" tall. Plant 2" deep in rows 12-18" apart. Ensure 3-4" between each plant.

Planting from Sets 

Plant small bulbs (sets) as soon as soil is workable in spring or late fall in warm climates. Onion sets should be planted 3-4" apart in rows spaced 12-18" apart. Plant ~1" deep and cover with loose soil.

Growing

Onions is a full sun plant. This means 8+ hours of sunlight a day.  As onions are shallow rooted plants, they will need watering regularly. Ensure a minimum of 1" of water per week either through rain or watering. If you have sandy soil, water more frequently and anytime the soil is dry 6-10" below surface. In clay soils, water weekly or when soil is dry 6" below surface. Stop watering when the tops begin to fall or when the bulbs are full sized. 

Mulching will help keep weeds to a minimum. Use a hose to remove weeds, but use caution to avoid disturbing onion roots. 


Onions are best paired with cabbage and tomatoes, but also grows well with beets, strawberries, lettuce and chamomile. AVOID planting near beans or peas as onions will stunt their growth.  Onions can be used as a pest control for other plants by deterring fruit borers as well as rabbits around the garden.



Pests

There are few pests with onions, though onion maggots can be a problems. The onion maggot can bore into plant stems causing the onion to wilt. To minimize effects, practice crop rotation and destroy affected plants each year. Planting in irregular patterns can also slow the spread. As onions are a great companion to many plants, consider spreading throughout the garden rather than planting in a row. Just be sure each onion is 3-4" from the nearest plant and isn't getting shaded by other plants.

Practice crop rotation to minimize rot (Fusarium basal rot, Botrytis neck rot, and bacterial soft rot). Keep weeds to a minimum. 

Harvest

Pick onions when the top greens begin to dry and fall over. Do this by undercutting, or over digging the soil around the bulb, and lift out gently. Onions must be cured for successful storage.

Curing

Lay onions in well ventilated area with temps at 75-90 F or 24-32 C for 2-4 weeks or until outside scales are dry. Either cut off tops or braid together for storage. Onions can be cured outdoors or left on ground for many days if weather will be warm and dry. 

Storing

Store in a cool, dark, and dry area. Temperatures should be above freezing, but below 40 F or 4 C to avoid decay or sprouting. Storage times will vary on variety grow and curing process, but should last 10-12 months in proper conditions. More options for storage are chopping and freezing onions, canning onions, dehydrating to onion flakes or drying and grinding into onion powder. 

For great recipe ideas view Thrifty Cooking posts.


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