Can onions really be grown from the onion bulb itself? I have attempted this a number of times, but I failed. Can anyone give me suggestions/tips? Thanks!
Advice on how to grow onions
- Thread starter helagumamela
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There are 3 ways to grow onions. From seed, from young seedlings and from sets. An onion set is a small immature bulb. There are 3 classes of onions. Long day, short day and intermediate. In the Philippines you will grow short day variety. Personally I have not had much luck growing onions from sets. Here we either plant seeds in a flat or buy young seedlings that are sold in bunches of about 50. If you grow from seeds sow the seeds thickly in a flat with good drainage and a soil depth of about 1 1/2" - 2". I plant mine in a 50/50 washed sand and compost. When they are about the size of a pencil dump the whole flat into a large container like a wheelbarrow with 2 or 3 inches of water in it. If you have it mix in about 2 oz of liquid seaweed. Gently separate the plants and snip about 1/2 of the green leaves, leaving about 4 or 5 inches. Set out into your garden or large containers. Onions are heavy feeders and like rich fertile soil with a lot of organic matter and good drainage. Plant them about 2 inches apart and thin to 4-6 inches whenever you want some green onions for a salad or something. They are ready to harvest when the tops fall over. If you see one going to flower either pull it then or wait until it goes to seed and save the seed. Onions that flower will not keep near as long as the others so it is best to pull and eat it
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Onions are pretty much spend by the time they have developed into a mature bulb. You will see things on Facebook or wherever claiming you can regrow plants but most of them just don't do well. It's often just not worth the effort. Start with sets, seeds or seedlings you will be much happier with the result.
Thanks! I always thought that you can grow an onion from the bulb because they sometimes grow leaves after quite some time. Thanks for informing me. 
zigs
Cactus Grower, Kent.
I've had spring onions from bulbs that got left in, they tend to split into 3 separate plants, but like Chuck said, once they're into their second season they're on a mission to bolt and produce seed.
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You are most welcome.Thanks! I always thought that you can grow an onion from the bulb because they sometimes grow leaves after quite some time. Thanks for informing me.
I'm experimenting with growing over-wintered/short-day onions in my polytunnel.
Senshyu Japanese onions from sets, and Ailsa Craig brown onions from seeds sown in mid-August, the resulting seedlings transplanted in there 1st week in October.
Any suggestions?
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I only grow short day. When did these short days go into the ground? As seeds or transplants?
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Ailsa Craig: I sowed the seed in a 10" pot on 25th August and transplanted the seedlings into the polytunnel bed on 3rd Oct.
Senshyu (the short-day onions): I planted the sets in the polytunnel bed on 3rd Oct.
Ailsa Craig are not short-day onions, but they are over-winterable here in NW England.
This is the first time I've tried short-day onions, I usually only grow day-long onions.
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We sow seeds Oct 15 and set out around Jan 15. Harvest is about mid June.. I have no idea what they will do over there and planted that early. Be a good experiment
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Here, the earliest date for seed sowing is the 18th August. so they don't get too far ahead, and are planted out mid-Oct so that they have the opportunity to bed in before winter.
Crops early-mid June.
I'm hoping that the better conditions in my tunnel will see them crop 2-3 weeks earlier, as I'll want to restock the tunnel with summer produce mid-May.
At worst, I hope I'll have a bumper crop of spring onions.