Cathy Isom gives you several different methods about growing onions in our own garden. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours.
Onions are grown as annuals. They never make it to the next year unless you plan to save seed. Both the size and shape of onions vary by type and growing season.
If you are buying transplants or sets, you will find types suitable to your area in any good nursery. Short-day onions begin forming bulbs when the day length is 10 to 12 hours. And long day onions begin forming bulbs when the day length is 14 to 16 hours. Choose a site with at least six hours of direct sunlight.
Onions can be started three ways: by sets (tiny bulbs), transplants and direct seeding. Though planting onion sets are the most popular way to grow them, you’ll have better results transplanting seedlings you start indoors ahead of time. Onion sets should be about the size of a marble and planted before the first frost, but planted after the soil has dried and warmed a bit. Transplants generally result in larger onions than sets. You can buy them or start your own from seed.
I’m Cathy Isom…