Best Time to Plant Onion Bulbs

People across the planet use onions in many different types of culinary cooking. This versatile acidic veggie is famous for making people cry when cut and can be used in stir fries, eaten raw, or added to other recipes. Plant onion bulbs during the optimal times in your garden to produce vigorous and beautiful onions you will enjoy.

Growing Conditions

Most onions grow well in the temperate climate of North America. Cool climates support the needs for onion growth well. Although there are various types of onion strands available, most fall into long and short day varieties. Short day varieties grow best in the southern latitudes, while long day varieties thrive in the northern latitudes.

Putting onion bulbs, or sets, in the ground during the right time is a critical practice to follow. Early spring is the best season to plant onions when you want them to grow large. Spreading the planting of onion sets throughout the spring season is the way to produce green or salad onions that are smaller.

Planting Instructions

Choose a sunny location for onion bulbs that you will allow to grow for the entire spring season, and till the ground in that area. Some shallow hoeing rids the area of grass and weed roots that onions don't compete with well. Onions have wide and shallow roots that can be easily choked by these plants. Dig a small hole and place the bulbs for dry onions inside, covering them with an inch of soil. Plant these bulbs four inches apart in rows that are 12 to 16 inches apart.

For salad onions, choose cooler or shaded areas to plant the bulbs. Plant these bulbs every two weeks throughout the spring season. Cover the bulbs with one inch of soil and allow them to touch each other if you wish, since you will harvest them before they are able to crowd each other.

References

• Magic Valley Growers
• University of Illinois Extension
• Oregon State University

Resources

• aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu: ONION PLANTING