Allium cepa

onion

Fruits and Vegetables

Onions may be sown in fall just before the first frost, and throughout winter, provided the winter is not too severe or wet. Or sow inside early in year, 3 months before last expected frost, or shallowly outside in spring, 1" apart. Well-drained, rich, light soil ideal, keep area free from weeds; rotate to another part of the garden every few years

Keep cool and in good light. Harden inside-started plants off gradually, and set 6" apart 4 weeks before last frost, 4" apart for smaller onions or if planted in rows. Set base just deep enough to anchor in soil. Plants often grow easier and better from seed; note that germination is poor above 80F/27C

Sets are young, heat-treated onions that are planted directly into moist soil, 6" apart, rows 12" apart, in early spring. These may be started inside: set on moist soil, allow initial inch of root growth before transplanting. To grow sets, sow well-storing onions some 3/4" apart, to limit their growth to that diameter, and do not fertilize; harvest end of growing season, and use the following year

Select onions appropriate to your area, starting these at the right time, as type of onion and length of daylight controls growth versus mature bulb formation

Summer cultivars can be sown where winters allow, from August on, for harvesting early next year. Timing here is essential: plants should not grow much beyond a 1/4" diameter prior to winter. Finally, if the soil is likely to freeze, protect with mulch, removing mulch early in spring