#ONION SEED STARTING HOW TO#

Using your finger, make a 1/4″ deep spot for the seeds to go. Just be sure to drill some good drainage holes. This will provide enough root growth room later that you won’t have to repot before bringing outside to transplant. Clamshell containers are great for growing onions from seed. Onion seedlings like a bit deeper of a container. This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. You can thin them out later if needed.Īlso, make sure you plant more than enough onions, as they are typically good keepers and the more you plant, the less you need to go to the grocery store! Make sure to over seed when you sow seeds to guarantee some onions. Not only do onions take a long time to grow, but any seeds older than the past year and the germination rate will be quite low. Onion seeds are a bit more temperamental than other seeds you might plant. This map from Johnny Seed’s shows you exactly which type of onion to plant based on your location so that you order the right onion type for your zone.

#ONION SEED STARTING HOW TO#

Which type of onions should you grow? Well, if you are looking to learn how to start onion seeds, I’m guessing that you have a shorter growing season and will need long day onions. So, make sure you order your seed packets in December or January! Types Of Onions Start growing onions (allium cepa) from seed at 10-12 weeks before your last frost date.

To know when to start onion seeds, knowing your last frost date is important. For northern gardeners, starting onion from seed is a necessity since the growing season is so short. Spray a dilution of fish emulsion on the foliage every two weeks according to package directions to protect and feed your onions.Ĭheck with your local Grangetto’s to find seeds suitable for our area.Growing onions from seed is easy and guarantees you get the variety of onion plants that you want. This method will deliver water to the roots and bulbs, leaving the foliage dry. Water the onions daily for about 5 minutes. Use drip irrigation or a soaker hose after they germinate.You would do this around January or as soon as plants are large enough, allowing them enough space to grow. Be sure to plant the rows about 9 inches apart and bulbs between 4-5 inches apart. Another method, instead of thinning by removing plants, is to transplant the bulbs to another row.

After a couple of weeks, these can be further thinned out to every 4-5 inches. Once the seedlings have begun to push through the soil, they can be thinned between 1 and 2 inches apart. Spread seeds in your prepared garden bed and cover & pat lightly with soil. You can also sow seeds directly into the garden.Follow the steps above for transplanting onions sets. If starting from seed, plant ¼ inch deep in pre-filled trays for later transplant after seeds have germinated. Cover them with the newly amended soil and water until the top 3 to 4 inches of soil is moist. Dig holes 1 inch deep and place the soaked bulbs in with the roots down. Onions grow best in fertile, well-draining soil. If planting onion sets or bulbs, till a garden bed with at least 2 inches of compost or planting mix.Your seeds or bulbs are now hydrated so you can plant them now. Drain the water from the onions sets or seeds.Place the onion sets or seeds into the compost tea and let them remain there for up to 24 hours. Fill a large bowl halfway with compost tea.

Soaking the sets in compost tea will give them added nutrition and protection from disease. You can also soak onion seed before planting to encourage germination. You can plant onion sets without soaking them, but soaked onions will sprout more quickly. A set is an actual bulb and will produce onions quickly. The starts are just baby plants with stems and a bit of root. Onions can be planted from starts or sets. This results in a swelling of the seed parts and a quickening of vital activities. The moisture provided by you is absorbed through the seed coat. Like any living thing, a seed requires moisture, heat and oxygen. Treating seeds by soaking in water seems to stir up the life process.

Onion seed starting