Hello, fellow gardeners! Welcome to my blog. If you're here, you're probably interested in growing big, beautiful onions right at home. Onions can be tricky to grow if you aren't aware of a few key secrets. Fear not, though—I've gathered expert tips directly from professional onion farmers to help you cultivate a huge onion harvest. Let's dive right in!
If you're looking for high-quality onion transplants or seeds, you can find them on my webiste.
Watch the video version of this guide on my YouTube channel:
Tip 1: Choose the Right Onion Variety
This first tip is the most important. Onions are classified into short-day, long-day, and intermediate-day varieties based on day length, and it's important to choose the right type for your region.
In cooler climates, plant onions in early spring to harvest in summer. If you're in the north, where summer days are long, go for long-day onions. In hotter southern regions with mild winters, plant them in the fall or winter to bulb up in spring. In the south, choose short-day onions. And for those in temperate areas, intermediate-day varieties work best.
Texas 1015 Yellow Sweet Onion Seeds
Early White Grano Sweet Onion Seeds
Texas Legend Yellow Onion Transplants
Southern Belle Red Onion Transplants
Tip 2: Give Your Onions a Head Start
Onions are a long-season crop, meaning they take time to mature. Start seeds 10 to 12 weeks before transplanting. If you're out of time or prefer an easier method, consider purchasing onion transplants. I offer several varieties on my website for your convenience.
Tip 3: Plant Onions Shallow and Provide Proper Spacing
Onions should be planted about one inch deep. Planting too deep can hinder bulb development. For spacing, allow at least 4-6 inches between each onion, and space rows about two feet apart. I love to plant onions along drip tape that has built in emmitters every 6 inches so they are perfectly spaced apart.
My Drip Irrigation Setup & Supplies
I use a RainPoint WiFi auotmatic water timer to automatically water my garden with my drip irrigation system.
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I purchased my drip irrigation supplies from Drip Depot.
💧Drip Depot Irrigation Kits: https://aff.dripdepot.com/aff/idevaffiliate.php?id=489
Tip 4: Fertilize Early and Often
Onions are heavy feeders, and early fertilization is key to larger bulbs. Use a nitrogen-rich fertilizer throughout the first two-thirds of their growing season. Ammonium sulfate is the most common fertilizer used by onion farmers because it contains about 21% nitrogen by weight. Just for comparison, the highest organic source of nitrogen I could find is blood meal which is about 13% nitrogen by weight.
FInd the same ammonium sulfate fertilizer that I use from Amazon HERE.
Tip 5: Ensure Consistent Moisture
Water regularly, aiming for about an inch per week without waterlogging the soil. Raised beds, containers, and GreenStalk garden towers are great options for growing onions in humird or rainy areas to keep the soil more on the dry side. Water early in the day to prevent foliage rot.
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Bonus Tip: Bend onion tops to grow larger bulbs
When you see onion tops bending over at a 90 degree angle, it's a sign they are ready for harvest. Some onion farmers will wait until about 50% of onion tops bend over naturally. Then they will go through and manually bend the rest of them. This should cause the onion plant to focus more energy on growing a larger bulb. This is a technique with mixed reviews, but it might be worth trying in your garden!
Growing onions at home can be rewarding—much more flavorful and intense than store-bought ones, in my opinion. I hope these tips from professionals help you achieve a successful harvest. Remember to visit my website for onion seeds and transplants.
Watch my YouTube video on how and when to harvest onions: