Growing onions is a rewarding task for a hobby gardener. You plant a few onion sets in the ground in autumn or spring and harvest the full-grown tubers six months later, which add a distinctive flavor to many dishes.
How do I plant onions correctly?
To plant onions, choose a sunny spot that is not protected from the wind and prepare the soil with compost. Sow or plant bulbs 2cm deep, 20-30cm row spacing and 5-10cm plant spacing. Plant winter onion sets from August to October, summer onion sets and onion seeds from the end of March to the beginning of April.
Do you need a special location for the onions?
Onion plants are quite undemanding when it comes to location and soil. However, there are a few tips you should follow to avoid certain diseases and pests. In particular, the infestation of downy mildew and the spread of onion fly can be prevented by choosing the right location. Basically, it is advisable - especially in regions with high humidity - to grow the onions in a sunny place that is not protected from the wind.
Adding fresh organic fertilizer to prepare the beds is not recommended. This should be incorporated a few weeks before planting. For sowing in spring, the soil can be dug up with compost in autumn so that it can still settle. Mixed culture with carrots or beetroot has a beneficial effect. On the other hand, different types of onions do not get along well next to each other.
When is the best time to plant?
- Winter onion sets: August to October
- Summer onion sets: end of March - beginning of April
- Onion seeds: end of March-beginning of April
How are the bulbs planted?
It is sown or planted in weed-free and well-loosened soil. When planting the bulbs, it is important not to push them completely into the soil; the tip should remain visible on the surface. Depending on the variety, the information on row spacing and sowing depth can vary greatly; please note the instructions on the seed bag. The following guidelines apply for sowing/planting onions:
- Depth approx. 2 cm
- Row spacing approx. 20-30 cm
- Distance between plants 5-10 cm
To reduce the risk of bolting, it is best to use small onion sets (approx. 15 mm in diameter) that have been stored at temperatures between 25 - 35° for about a month before setting. Please also note the relevant information on the packaging.
When are the onions harvested?
The harvest time for onions sown in March-April begins in August. If more than half of the leaves have changed color and fallen over, it is time to harvest. For onion sets that ripen more quickly, this can be the case as early as July. In between, the fresh leeks from the onion plants that are still ripening can be cut as needed. Just make sure that the individual plants are not trimmed bare, otherwise they will not continue to grow.
It is recommended to harvest the onions on dry days. A few weeks before harvesting, you should stop watering the soil so that it is easier to dry the tuber later. The overwintered onions can be harvested in small quantities for daily use from the end of May. These onions are not suitable for storage. Some types of onions, such as B. the winter hedge, are used exclusively for cutting fresh leeks.
Can you propagate the onions yourself?
In view of the large selection of onion seeds and onion sets available at fairly reasonable prices, the effort involved in propagating onions does not seem worth it. Unless you have discovered a particularly good-tasting and high-yielding onion and want to grow it again and again. Then you should try to get the seeds from it for sowing next year.
To do this, you allow a few plants to bloom, which is actually not desirable when growing onions and should be avoided. If the plant forms an inflorescence with seeds, these are harvested together with the other bulbs and are best dried hanging. Once the seed capsule has dried, you have enough seeds for the coming gardening season. You can grow onion sets from these seeds and use them the following year.
Which plants are suitable for the home garden?
First you should decide whether you want to grow onions from seeds or from onion sets. The latter is common and less complicated. So if you're new to growing vegetables in the garden, you should choose this route and use the tried and tested varieties of onion sets, such as: B. Stuttgart giants. For an experienced gardener, growing onions from seeds can be a challenge.
A large selection of winter and summer onion varieties is available from specialist retailers. For the spring harvest, winter onion sets are planted in the months of August to October; Summer onion sets are chosen for the summer harvest from July onwards. If you want to have the onions for storage, you prefer the sown onions because they store better.
Tips & Tricks
If your onion sets have not reached the desired size, they will probably dry out over the winter. For this reason, you should use the onions that are too small as winter onion sets. When stuck a little deeper into the prepared soil, they are suitable as a replacement for chives in spring.
