Onions from Seed

[Mr_Yan]

So, looking for suggestions or tricks for onion seedlings.

For the last 3 or 4 years I have started onions from seed and the resulting crop has been great. The planting out process is a tedious annoyance. For me the multi seed bunch grouping works rather than one plant one hole. For onions I grow 3 or 4 plants together and space the groups 10 to 12 inches apart.

The first year I followed the "traditional" soil filled low tray with seeds spread over that then you pick the mat apart to plant out. That sucked. It resulted in numb muddy hands and a sore back planting them out in mid-April.

The second year I did soil blocks which mostly worked. Grab a soil block with seedlings and plop it in the hole, move to the next.

The third year I did soil blocks again but they worked together and matted into a low tray of soil with seedlings that need to be ripped apart again. And it was an annoying tedious task again.

I hate to go back to it but would this be a good application of the plastic seedling 6 packs or those stupid compressed disks with the mesh around them?

What if I grew them in trays and seperated out the seedlings for planting inside where it's nice and warm and comfortable then plant them out - much like you buy bunches of onion starts.

I don't want to buy bunches or sets. The bunches have gotten really expensive around here and the sets don't grow and store as nicely for me.

 

[Meadowlark]

...What if I grew them in trays and seperated out the seedlings for planting inside where it's nice and warm and comfortable then plant them out - much like you buy bunches of onion starts.
...

That makes a lot of sense to me. Sets just don't cut it.

The onion plants in bunches have been my traditional method but the quality of those plants has gone down significantly and the price up. I've found in side-by-side comparison, directly seeded onions perform superior to the transplanted plants.

Regarding spacing, if you want large bulbs, as I do, to harvest for use and storage, adequate spacing is absolutely required. I use a minimum of 4 inch spacing between plants which enables 6 inch diameter bulbs and the occasional "monster" bulb. If bulb size isn't important to you, then growing them close together might be your preference.

Also, bulbs need to have the dirt pulled away as the bulb expands in order to grow to large sizes 4-6 inches + that I prefer. This is difficult or impossible to do with tightly planted onions. They will not expand if they touch something.

Why large bulbs...1) they store much better and 2) they have a superior flavor IMO.

 

[big rockpile]

Bought two bunches of Green Onions.

Cut the tops off for cooking and put the bottoms in water.

They have rerooted and I'm going to plant them around plants to keep Bugs away.

Seeds should work they are just very contrary to sprout.

big rockpile

 

[Mr_Yan]

Well it will be a trial year. I started a small tray of seeds with a very sandy starting mix which I will pick apart and plant out. I will also start a tray of multi-sown 6 packs.

I'll have to think more on the large bulb and single spacing idea you listed. In the past few years multi-sowing these has, I think, worked well for my needs.

These pics are from my garden where I put 4 seeds in the hole and spaced each transplant about 12 inches apart. I don't remember when these shots were taken.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

I have a couple of large trays that are sectioned into squares about an inch each way that push out from the bottom. I fill loosely, then scrape off flush, tip a few onion seeds in the palm of one hand and take a pinch. Going along the row I roll my fingers and drop one seed in most compartments, occasionally two, and sometimes miss one, I have got better at it over the years. Then I go along with a short length of !" sq. wood and press them all down. Light dust over again using the sieve and scrape off level again, water with the fine rose.
When I plant out I push up from underneath one cell at a time, and nip out the weaker looking one if there are a pair of seedlings.
The cells are eight by thirteen cells, so I get most of a hundred out of each allowing for failures.

 

[Hdan]

I have a couple of large trays that are sectioned into squares about an inch each way that push out from the bottom. I fill loosely, then scrape off flush, tip a few onion seeds in the palm of one hand and take a pinch. Going along the row I roll my fingers and drop one seed in most compartments, occasionally two, and sometimes miss one, I have got better at it over the years. Then I go along with a short length of !" sq. wood and press them all down. Light dust over again using the sieve and scrape off level again, water with the fine rose.
When I plant out I push up from underneath one cell at a time, and nip out the weaker looking one if there are a pair of seedlings.
The cells are eight by thirteen cells, so I get most of a hundred out of each allowing for failures.

So, looking for suggestions or tricks for onion seedlings.

For the last 3 or 4 years I have started onions from seed and the resulting crop has been great. The planting out process is a tedious annoyance. For me the multi seed bunch grouping works rather than one plant one hole. For onions I grow 3 or 4 plants together and space the groups 10 to 12 inches apart.

The first year I followed the "traditional" soil filled low tray with seeds spread over that then you pick the mat apart to plant out. That sucked. It resulted in numb muddy hands and a sore back planting them out in mid-April.

The second year I did soil blocks which mostly worked. Grab a soil block with seedlings and plop it in the hole, move to the next.

The third year I did soil blocks again but they worked together and matted into a low tray of soil with seedlings that need to be ripped apart again. And it was an annoying tedious task again.

I hate to go back to it but would this be a good application of the plastic seedling 6 packs or those stupid compressed disks with the mesh around them?

What if I grew them in trays and seperated out the seedlings for planting inside where it's nice and warm and comfortable then plant them out - much like you buy bunches of onion starts.

I don't want to buy bunches or sets. The bunches have gotten really expensive around here and the sets don't grow and store as nicely for me.

These are onions & garlic I planted in fall 2nd week Oct. 2022 and harvested garlic end of May, 2023. Harvested onions in Jun. 2023.
They both were planted from sets. I fertilized the containers before I planted & again in spring. That was all I did.
Had a fairly good harvest. Had maybe 1/2 dozen that bolted, cut some of them up and used right away and froze the rest for soups and roast in crock pot. Hung all onions up that didn't bolt for long storage along with garlic. Have recently used all my onions up, but still have some garlic left.
The onion sets was patterson.
Would like to try planting onion seed but not sure when to start seed cause I like to leave mine in over winter as I get bigger onions.
Also not sure how to fertilize.

 

[Hdan]

So, looking for suggestions or tricks for onion seedlings.

For the last 3 or 4 years I have started onions from seed and the resulting crop has been great. The planting out process is a tedious annoyance. For me the multi seed bunch grouping works rather than one plant one hole. For onions I grow 3 or 4 plants together and space the groups 10 to 12 inches apart.

The first year I followed the "traditional" soil filled low tray with seeds spread over that then you pick the mat apart to plant out. That sucked. It resulted in numb muddy hands and a sore back planting them out in mid-April.

The second year I did soil blocks which mostly worked. Grab a soil block with seedlings and plop it in the hole, move to the next.

The third year I did soil blocks again but they worked together and matted into a low tray of soil with seedlings that need to be ripped apart again. And it was an annoying tedious task again.

I hate to go back to it but would this be a good application of the plastic seedling 6 packs or those stupid compressed disks with the mesh around them?

What if I grew them in trays and seperated out the seedlings for planting inside where it's nice and warm and comfortable then plant them out - much like you buy bunches of onion starts.

I don't want to buy bunches or sets. The bunches have gotten really expensive around here and the sets don't grow and store as nicely for me.

Do you plant spring or winter onions. Can onions from seed be over wintered, if so when should they be planted in zone 7a.

 

[Mr_Yan]

I'm north of the 42nd parallel and do long day onions in the summer. I start seeds for them about now and harvest sometime around August. I don't know about over wintering onions but there are still piles of snow and this is a failed winter. We may get snow again in the next few days.

I did garlic over the winter back before I moved out of Illinois. That was planted in October and harvested around July.

 

[Hdan]

Do you plant spring or winter onions. Can onions from seed be over wintered, if so when should they be planted in zone 7a.

I'm north of the 42nd parallel and do long day onions in the summer. I start seeds for them about now and harvest sometime around August. I don't know about over wintering onions but there are still piles of snow and this is a failed winter. We may get snow again in the next few days.

I did garlic over the winter back before I moved out of Illinois. That was planted in October and harvested around July.

I have onions growing now I planted 2nd wk. Oct. 23 last year from sets. They will be ready for harvest around Jun.
It's the struttgarter onion.

 

[Hdan]

I have onions growing now I planted 2nd wk. Oct. 23 last year from sets. They will be ready for harvest around Jun.
It's the struttgarter onion. I'm in zone 7a.

I have onions growing now I planted 2nd wk. Oct. 23 last year from sets. They will be ready for harvest around Jun.
It's the struttgarter onion.

 

[Meadowlark]

I have onions growing now I planted 2nd wk. Oct. 23 last year from sets. They will be ready for harvest around Jun.
It's the struttgarter onion.

I believe that onion is a long-day onion. Correct? I would think you might be better served with a short-day onion. My only question would be if they can survive your wintertime lows. For my short-day onions, 11 degrees F is the point where I begin to get significant onion loss. Lows above that are no problem.

 

[Hdan]

I believe that onion is a long-day onion. Correct? I would think you might be better served with a short-day onion. My only question would be if they can survive your wintertime lows. For my short-day onions, 11 degrees F is the point where I begin to get significant onion loss. Lows above that are no problem.

You are correct. It's a long day onion but it's also long storage onion. I winter my onion in a little green house but we had some really cold days & nights recently unlike last winter. But their still living.

 

[Hdan]

You are correct. It's a long day onion but it's also long storage onion. I winter my onion in a little green house but we had some really cold days & nights recently unlike last winter. But their still living.

That makes a lot of sense to me. Sets just don't cut it.

The onion plants in bunches have been my traditional method but the quality of those plants has gone down significantly and the price up. I've found in side-by-side comparison, directly seeded onions perform superior to the transplanted plants.

Regarding spacing, if you want large bulbs, as I do, to harvest for use and storage, adequate spacing is absolutely required. I use a minimum of 4 inch spacing between plants which enables 6 inch diameter bulbs and the occasional "monster" bulb. If bulb size isn't important to you, then growing them close together might be your preference.

Also, bulbs need to have the dirt pulled away as the bulb expands in order to grow to large sizes 4-6 inches + that I prefer. This is difficult or impossible to do with tightly planted onions. They will not expand if they touch something.

Why large bulbs...1) they store much better and 2) they have a superior flavor IMO.

How many months are your onions in ground to get large onions? I thought you had to over winter onions to get large onions.

 

[Meadowlark]

How many months are your onions in ground to get large onions? I thought you had to over winter onions to get large onions.

Direct seed 10-15 and harvest about 5-15

 

[Hdan]

I'm north of the 42nd parallel and do long day onions in the summer. I start seeds for them about now and harvest sometime around August. I don't know about over wintering onions but there are still piles of snow and this is a failed winter. We may get snow again in the next few days.

I did garlic over the winter back before I moved out of Illinois. That was planted in October and harvested around July.

How long are your onions in ground? I thought you had to overwinter onions to get large onions cause summer season not long enough.