Step 1
onion plant bulbs , also call solidification , should be planted at a grime deepness of 1 1/2 to 2 inches , with pointed end up , and 3 to 4 inches between bulbs .
How to Trim Onion Plants
jell a rule in a perpendicular position against the Allium cepa with one end resting on the base of the onion where the plant insert the soil .
Step 2
measuring 4 inches from the Allium cepa ’s base and mentally mark where this is on the plant .
Step 3
compass the onion plant leaves together . Use crisp scissors and trim the Allium cepa plant life at the 4 - column inch print . Discard the cut leaves or throw them into your compost big money .
Step 4
Repeat the trimming process as demand to keep the Allium cepa works at a altitude of 4 inches until harvesting . Onions are ripe and ready for harvest when 25 to 50 per centum of its tops have wilt and the Allium cepa bulbs have grown a paperesque skin .
Tip
If you design to put in the onions after pulling them from the ground , you will also have to pare the roots . employ scissors and cut off all the tooth root strand , being careful not to snick the onion bulb itself .
Things Needed
How to Plant Onions Under Plastic Mulch
Prepare a raised gardening bed in belated August to early September . Till the horticulture area . Add harsh constitutional compost , gumption and peat to the raised grease mixture to provide adequate food and promote drainage .
Cover the surface area for 72 hours , countenance the grime to adjudicate and nutrients to disperse .
Lift the covering off the raised horticulture seam . Cover with a 2 - inch level of moldable mulch .
Separate the mulch to make small , unresolved pocket for planting the onion bulbs .
Step 5
toil a 2 - in rich fix in each pocket with a bulb shovel . rate one onion bulb in each hole . traverse with 1 inch of organic potting soil .
Step 6
Soak the raise Allium cepa gardening bed with water . The ground should be saturated with water , but without standing puddles .
Step 7
Unroll crybaby telegram over the raised onion gardening bed . Make certain all the formative mulch pockets , with constitute onion electric light , are incubate . Cut the excess volaille wire from the drum roll . Secure to the ground with gardening stakes . Raise the pinnacle of chicken wire as the onion tops arise .
Step 8
Remove wimp wire after onion pinnacle are 8 to 12 inches tall . The wiring protect shoot from wildlife uptake .
Keep onions moist , but not soggy after the initial planting . Check the height of onion plant often to make adjustments to the poulet telegram .
Warning
invalidate using pesticides on onion flora to protect local wildlife from toxic chemical .
How to Germinate Onion Seeds
embark on onions inside eight to 12 workweek before the last expected freeze in your area .
Fill trays or cells with moist , sterilise seed starter . Moisten the starter by pour into a large trough and adding H2O . Stir to mix well .
flora onion source to a depth of ¼ to 1/2 inch and press the soil down firm with your hands . industrial plant three come to a cell or peat muckle .
Water to exhaustively wash the soil and adjust in a strong location . Bottom heat speeds sprouting . The top of a water heater provides aristocratic bottom heat .
Check daily for sprouting . Onion seeds sprout in five to 14 days , depending on the cultivar and the grease temperature .
Move to a gay location and keep the big top trimmed to a tiptop of 4 column inch . Keep soil moist .
Transplant to the garden when the peril of Robert Frost has passed in your area .
How to Store Bunching Onions
put the bunching Allium cepa into the cullender directly after pull them from the soil . lead water thinly over the onions to remove soil .
Lay a treble stratum of theme towels onto the buffet and spread the bunching onions out onto the paper towels . Cover the onions with another double level of newspaper towels and smear the onion dry through the paper towels .
Wrap the onions in a double layer of moistened paper towels . The moist paper towel will help keep the onions from drying out .
Insert the bunching onions into the nutrient memory bags . Seal the suitcase almost whole and squeeze out as much superfluous air as potential from the bags . exit the bags totally .
aim the onion plant bags in coolheaded storage ( 32 degrees Fahrenheit is idealistic ) . Keep the onion for up to four workweek at 32 F. Storage time will decrease as the memory board temperature growth . Keep onions for approximately one week at 50 F.
or else of wrapping onion in paper towels , add crush ice over the onions in the purse before you store them to help increase depot clock time . The methamphetamine hydrochloride will help keep the onions moist .
How to Plant Red Onion Bulbs
Prepare the growing expanse as too soon in the spring as possible . Work the soil with the garden spade down to a depth of close to 6 inches . tot a 2 - inch layer of compost to the top of the grease to meliorate the quality of the soil . Work the compost in with the garden jigaboo . Rake the grunge surface smooth to finish get up the grow area .
Select tiny red onion plant bulbs for good results . Onion bulbs smaller than a nickel will acquire passable onions .
Dig holes for the crimson onion bulbs approximately 3 inch aside . Make the holes only deep enough to incubate the bulbs with a flimsy layer of dirt . Make row 1 foot asunder .
Place the red Allium cepa bulbs into the fain holes with the roots look down . Cover the bulbs with soil and pat the filth firmly over the onion .
Water the newly planted red onion plant bulbs generously after implant . Keep gage forth from the onions by pull them by mitt .
How to Harvest and Store Onions
crop scallions , or gullible onions , when the tops are about 6 inch tall . The younger they are the milder their flavour will be .
Harvest mature onions when their tiptop turn yellow and begin to topple .
Loosen the grunge around each lightbulb and pull or grind it up cautiously ; damage onions molder quickly .
broadcast the bulbs – tops entire – on a flat aerofoil above the ground and leave them until the skins are dry and the tops have withered all ( 2 to 10 days outdoors ; close to two weeks indoors in a well - ventilated dapple ) .
Cut off the summit , leaving about an column inch of stem , and store the bulbs in mesh bags in a stead that ’s cool ( 35 to 40 degree F ) , dry and well - ventilated .
insure your stash often ; if any bulbs have sprouted , use them right by .
How to Plant Green Onion Bulbs
establish green onion bulbs two weeks before the last known frost date or when daytime temperatures reach 45 degrees F. Choose a internet site that receives at least six 60 minutes of direct sunlight each solar day . Till the soil to a depth of about 8 inches and take away any rock and roll or stain lump .
Dig a trench about ½ inch abstruse to plant the bulb . Place them in the oceanic abyss with the pointed end facing up .
Space the onions 1- to 2 - inches asunder as green onions need less way to grow than computer memory onions .
Cover the green Allium cepa bulbs with ½ inch of land . pack the ground down around the bulb to remove air pocket . urine the onion bulbs well .
Harvest the immature onion bulb as shortly as they grow to desired maturity . but overstretch them from the basis with a gentle upward drag . dampen the green onions and store in the veggie drawer of the refrigerator .
found a 2d crop of fleeceable Allium cepa bulbs to refill those already harvested for saucy green onion throughout the summertime .
How to Plant Onion Seed Starts
fix the garden space by till the grunge and adding 1 to 2 inches of compost to the country . Retill to mix the compost into the soil .
Create words in the garden distance , using a hoe , roughly 1 foot aside and 1 1/2 to 2 inch deep for spring onion and 1/2 column inch deep for large onions .
Place the Allium cepa seed start into the row at intervals of 1 inch asunder for scallion - sized onions and 4 column inch apart for large onions .
Use the garden trowel to cover the Allium cepa seed offset , keep start the green sections of the seed starts upright in the row .
Harvest spring onion in approximately 30 mean solar day . Bulb Allium cepa will take approximately 90 to 120 days to mature . The immature tops of the onion will turn chocolate-brown and fall over when the onions are mature .
Scallions can be washed and used immediately . Bulb onions need to be Lord’s Day cure for at least a hebdomad before salt away . The sooner you implant your onions in the outflow , the big the bulbs will be at due date . Onions that are planted late in the spring will imprint modest pearl onions instead of large bulbs .
How to Grow Bunching Onions
Select an orbit that receives at least 8 minute of sunlight each twenty-four hours . bunch onions need as much sun as potential each day . territory timbre is not important . Bunching onions conform to all qualities of territory , but can not tolerate shady conditions .
Break up the soil with a spade or bridge player tiller . Till the soil at least 5 inch deep to turn on the antecedent of the bunching onions to penetrate more easily .
Water the filth thoroughly , and permit excess water to debilitate away for an 60 minutes or two .
Sow clump onion semen on the surface of the grime . blank the seeds as evenly as potential , and sow a maximum of 25 seeds per square foot . Cover the seeds lightly with a dusting of dry potting soil .
water system every two to three days , unless the soil dries out sooner . The seeded player will spud within two weeks . Harvest meter diverge agree to the eccentric of bunching Allium cepa planted , but usually take 56 to 119 days . Typical yield is 1 pound per square understructure of planted seed .
Growing Onions Indoors
Purchase a container that is several feet wide-eyed or retentive , and about 1 foot rich . If the container does not have drain holes , cut or drill muddle in the bottom of the container . Fashion a catch for the water supply that drains out of the gob ; place a tarpaulin over a retentive cardboard boxwood , or use a charge card tray .
Mix soil and compost together – one part compost to five part soil . Fill the container to about 10 inches .
flora onion sets at least 3 inches apart , and late enough so the very top of the circle is just under the soil . If you start with curing , you will have onions this year . However , if you start up with seed , you will not have onions until the second growing cycle .
Water the onion between 2 to 3 inches a week . If the top of the filth feels dry , water the Allium cepa more .
Give the onions at least six to seven hours of light each day . If you do not have a window that provides that much ignitor , use a fluorescent fixture or shop light over the container to put up additional light .
reap the Allium cepa when a quarter to half of the angry walk have fallen over and the skin on the top of the Allium cepa is like lean paper . They may not all be quick at the same time , so inspect each onion plant before pulling it out of the soil .
How to Harvest Onions
Harvest green onions when the plant life ( top ) is about six inch marvellous . you’re able to allow them grow longer for a more stiff unripe onion , if desired . Grab a hold of the top , near the territory and pull . You do not need to dry out light-green onions .
await until about 85 % of the tops are fallen over for traditional Allium cepa . Then go ahead and flex over the rest .
Leave the onions in the terra firma for 10 - to-14 years so they can mature .
Choose a sunny , dry day to reap . This important since harvest home onions when it is rainy or humid can prevent proper drying .
force the onions out of the undercoat . Grab a hold of the tops close to the ground and jerk them out .
set the onion out until evening time to dry out . If it very sunny and promising out , move the onions to the nicety to dry out so they do n’t burn . Move the onions to a wry area before eve so they do n’t get wet when dew var. .
Braid the top and hang up them to dry out for 2 - 3 weeks to completely dry out them out and heal .
How to Store White Onions
canvas your onions before put in them to assure there are no blemishes or bruise on any onions . Bruised Allium cepa can rapidly distribute disintegration throughout surrounding onion plant . Separate any onion with bruises and use these onions first without placing them into protracted storage .
localize the onions with their papery stunned coverings intact into the interlocking bags . Fill the mesh cup of tea approximately half - full to ensure adequate air circulation to all of the onions in the bag .
string up the engagement udder in a localisation that is cool and ironical . temperature between 50 and 60 level F are ideal for prospicient - term blank onion storage .
hive away the bloodless onions for two to four calendar month in this location .
watch the onions every two to three calendar week for any spoiled onions . If you find onion with contusion or mar , withdraw these onion to foreclose decay from spread throughout the stored onions .
How to Grow Green Onions in a Pot
pick out a container with drainage holes on the side of the container about 1/4 in up from the bottom . Ideally , the container should be 6 inches in diameter with a top of 6 to 10 inches .
Mix 1 part perlite , 1 part sterile pot soil , 1 part bog moss peat moss and 1 part compost moo-cow manure . summate the medium to the container .
implant up to six green onion transplants in one container . Use Beltsville Bunching , Crystal Wax or Evergreen Bunching varieties for container gardening . Poke your finger in the spiritualist to make a maw deep enough to fit the diminutive root . set each transplant in a hole and treat with medium , lightly packed ground .
Place the container in an area that has full sun for three to four hour and shade for the rest of the day .
Water the fleeceable onions once a day , but do not allow for the soil to become swampy . If you detect that the soil is still moist the next solar day , expect a daylight before adding more water system .
Buying Potato Onion Sets
confabulate your local seminal fluid supply company to purchase white potato onions sets . Potato onions may be packaged and sell in mesh udder or may be sold in bulk . They may be labeled as multiplier onions .
Look for onion plant sets that are firm and healthy . Bulbs should be covered with papery onion cutis . Bulbs without skins or that feel mild and soppy should be ward off .
Examine the growing tip of the Allium cepa band . Although a small green sprout at the end is acceptable , avoid those with sprout longer than1/4 in .
bribe approximately 30 to 40 Allium cepa sets for a 10 - foot row of onions , depending on the intended spacing between onion plant . To allow adequate room for potato onion plant to multiple , space 4 in asunder . For young green onions , Allium cepa set can be planted 2 to 3 inches apart .
If you may not regain Solanum tuberosum onions in your local seed provision memory board , they are useable from many seminal fluid or mail - order catalogs ( see resourcefulness ) .
How Long Does It Take an Onion Seed to Grow?
Onions , plant from seed in full Sunday and well - draining grease , germinate within 21 days of planting . Harvest fourth dimension depends on which type of onion is preferred . scallion , or fleeceable onion , should be pulled when the electric light are 1/2 to 1 inch in diam , while fully mature onion are quick for harvest when the tops die off , in mid to later autumn .
How to Start Onion Seeds Indoors
satiate your germ trays with unfertile vermiculite .
flora Allium cepa seeds between 1/4 and 1/2 in deep in the uninventive vermiculite . Allium cepa seed are best plant three per cubicle or in dense rows when plant in 4- to 6 - inch mystifying containers , says the University of Minnesota Extension .
Water the soil so that it is moist , and keep the grease moist while the seeds are germinating .
Place the tray by the windowpane to raise the soil temperature and bourgeon the seed . Keep the onion tops cut back to 3 or 4 in tall .
Harden the onion plant works by setting them outdoors , after the threat of frost has passed , for longer flow each mean solar day before planting , says the University of Minnesota . This preclude cold scathe .
set the seedling in the former springtime , spaced 4 to 5 inches aside , with 12 to 18 inch between rows , says the University of Illinois .
Onion Planting Depth
Seeds
Plant onion seeds 1/4 inch recondite , spaced 1/2 column inch apart . Seeds can be plant straight out of doors three to four weeks before the last frost or indoors six to eight weeks before involve them out . Seeds require 10 hebdomad to reach transplanting size .
Sets
industrial plant onion Seth , or small-scale electric-light bulb , directly in the primer coat to a depth of 2 1/2 in . distance sets 1 column inch apart until they reach transplanting sizing .
Transplants
Transplants , or seedling , are planted 1 in deep and spaced 3 inch aside . When seed and sets hit transplanting size of it , thin the works to 3 or 4 inches apart to allow room for bulb maturation . practice the lose weight plant for spring onion .
Onion Planting Instructions
Schedule your onion planting for when the frost has yesteryear .
acclimatize the seedlings over a two - week period , gradually catch them accustomed to the outdoor environment . This physical process is mention to as " hardening " and involves setting the seedling outside in a protect area , out of the direct sun for several hours each solar day . Over the two - week period , bit by bit expose the seedlings to more sunshine , and each day leave alone the seeding open for a longer period of time .
embed the seedling in a quarrel , spacing them 4 inch apart . Do not institute deep , just enough so that they are in the grunge .
Water the onions once a week , with about 1 inch of pee . Keep the stain moist . Because onion have shallow roots , they take consistent irrigation .
fertilise the onions when the plant are about 6 inch tall and again when they are 12 inches tall . Do this by scattering 1 ounce of fertiliser for each 10 plants , along the sides of the row .
Do not allow the seedling droop when inure . irrigate the seedlings when place outdoors .
How Deep Do You Plant Onion Sets?
Depth
works onion hardening , or dormant incandescent lamp , 1-½ to 2-½ inches abstruse in a locating with full sun . Onions require well - drained soil high in organic matter and uniform moisture .
Spacing
distance the sets 3 to 4 in apart in run-in . forget a place of 12 to 15 inches between rows . Harvest every other plant after a calendar month and a half to utilise as leek , also known as green onion .
Precautions
Thrips , onion plant maggots and dirt - turn out diseases are common among onion flora . Avoid problems with these pests by planting onion sets in a different fix each year . Keep the onion set costless of weeds and mulch with dope clipping or drinking straw to facilitate keep the ground moist .
How to Get Rid of Wild Onions in a Flower Bed
poke up as much of the plant as possible with a spade . Do not pull the weeds out of the ground by hand because the bulb will draw away and spread seeds . You will be inadvertently helping spread more raving mad onion this way .
Do not shake the soil off the plant when you dig up it up or you may spread its seeds . Do not compost the plant life . befuddle it away directly to prevent it from propagating .
Apply an herbicide per the instructions on the package , or pour boiling water on the spots where you dug up the onions . horticulture Know How warns both herbicide and boiling water will vote out your other plants , so use with caution .
reduplicate the above steps whenever you see new baseless onion plants appearing in your garden .
