Things You'll Need:
- Onion sets
- Compost
- Garden plot or field row
- Flat-bladed hoe
- 1-inch dowel (optional)
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Step 1
Obtain healthy, fresh-looking onion sets from a garden supply. Inspect the sets to be sure they are not overly dried-out or appear to have been frozen. Select onion varieties suited to your day-length and growing conditions; consult your local agricultural extension office for recommended varieties which do well in your area.
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Step 2
Prepare your onion set planting bed. Ensure that the soil in the bed is not compacted and that it has good drainage. Raised beds are particularly well suited for onions for this reason. Turn well-aged compost into the top 6 inches of soil.
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Step 3
Use a flat hoe to create a narrow trench about 1 1/2 inches deep. Place these rows 12 to 18 inches apart to allow cultivation between rows. Alternatively, for the home garden, use a 1-inch dowel to create evenly-spaced planting holes 1 1/2 inches deep in a grid 4 inches apart across the garden bed.
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Step 4
Stand the onion sets, which are smaller than a dime, gently in each hole, or in the trench 3 to 4 inches apart, then pull soil around the set. Gently tamp the soil with your hands. Lightly water after planting is complete, and water on each of the subsequent four days to ensure that the onion roots get a good start. Keep your onion sets well weeded through the season and ensure that the soil surrounding them does not become compacted. After harvest, use your onions grown from sets promptly, as they do not store as well as seed-grown onions.
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Step 5
Plant your onion sets that were larger than a dime close together in another trench, near enough that they almost touch. Harvest these sets as green onions as soon as they reach desired size for eating, as large onion sets will not adequately mature into full-sized cooking onions.
