Growing onions in your own garden is always worth it. With relatively little work and well-prepared soil, you can usually get a nice harvest. A good alternative to sowing onions is to plant the onions.
How to plant onions in the garden?
Putting onions is successful in spring (March-April) with spring onion sets and in autumn (September-October) with winter onion sets. Choose a sunny location, loosen and fertilize the soil, plant bulbs 10 cm apart in rows that are 20 cm apart, and ensure regular watering without waterlogging for successful cultivation.
Requirements for growing onion sets
Onion sets need a lot of sun to thrive, so you should always choose a sunny spot in the bed. The soil is ideally slightly sandy, well-drained and rich in nutrients. Care must be taken to ensure that the bed does not become waterlogged as this will cause the onions to rot. It is also an advantage if the wind can blow through well at the selected location. This prevents mildew infestation. Another requirement is regular watering. Although onion sets survive a dry period well, care should always be taken to ensure that the soil is constantly moist.
When and how are onions planted?
When growing onions using onion sets, sowing in spring and late autumn is possible. You differentiate
- Spring onion sets and
- Winter onion sets
Spring cultivation
The first onion sets can be sown in the bed between March and April. Onions should not have been grown here for two to three years so that there are enough nutrients for the new sowing. If you want to be on the safe side, work a dose of compost into the soil before sowing.
- First loosen the soil thoroughly.
- Remove the weeds.
- Keep a distance of 20 cm between rows.
- Put the bulbs into the soil in rows, 10 cm apart. The upper third of the onion still sticks out of the ground.
- So that the rows run straight, use a planting cord.
- Make sure that the onions get enough moisture, but avoid waterlogging.
Winter onion sets
Good and well-known varieties of winter onion sets include:
- Presto, yellow-skinned
- Radar, yellow-shelled
- Piroschka, red-skinned
- Romy, red-skinned
These are planted in well-loosened, crumbly soil in autumn, in the months of September or October. The soil should be fertilized in advance with a dose of compost. Nitrogen-containing fertilizer is not recommended as the onion sets sprout too quickly and can no longer withstand the winter cold. Also plant the winter onions in rows 10 cm apart in the ground. The top third of the onion is sticking out. Here too, the rows should be 20 cm apart.
Caring for onions in winter
The onions germinate well and are usually frost hardy. They develop additional roots during the winter months. A blanket of snow doesn't affect the young onion plants. However, in the event of cold frosts (hard frost without snow), the young plants should be protected. It is recommended to cover them with brushwood or pine green. As soon as the snow has thawed, the rows of onions can be warmed with a fleece covering. In March, a dose of complete fertilizer is not a bad idea, as it will provide further support to the growth of the onions. The harvest can then usually take place in mid-May.
Tips for using onion sets
When you buy your onion sets, make sure you only buy ones the size of a hazelnut. Small onions don't shoot as quickly. Bags containing 250 g of onion sets are usually available in stores. Until sowing, store the onions in a dark room with a room temperature of no more than 20 degrees to prevent germination. So that the onion sets grow well outdoors, they can be soaked in lukewarm water for one night before sowing. The onions soak up water and then develop roots more quickly in the bed.
When are onion sets ripe?
Spring onions are generally ready for harvest more quickly than sown onions. At the end of July/beginning of August the leaves begin to turn yellow and dry. Now is the right time to harvest the onions.
The winter onion sets can be harvested as early as May, depending on the variety. Here, too, you can tell when the leaves are ripe when they wilt. Spring and winter onions need to dry in a dry and airy place for some time after harvest. Then they can be stored.
