Growing onions is a rewarding task for an amateur gardener. A few onion sets are planted in the ground in autumn or spring and the fully grown bulbs are harvested six months later, giving many dishes an unmistakable flavor.

Do you need a special location for the bulbs?

Bulb plants are quite undemanding in terms of location and soil. However, to avoid certain diseases and pests, you should follow a few tips. In particular, the infestation of downy mildew and the spread of onion fly can be prevented by choosing the right location. In principle, it is advisable - especially in regions with high humidity - to grow the onions in a sunny, not wind-protected place.

Adding fresh organic manure to the preparation of beds is not recommended. This should be worked in a few weeks before plugging. For sowing in spring, the soil can be dug up with compost in autumn so that it can still settle. Mixed culture with carrots or beetroot has a beneficial effect. On the other hand, different types of onions do not get along well together.

When is the best planting time?

  • Winter onion sets: August to October
  • Summer onion sets: end of March-beginning of April
  • Onion seeds: end of March-beginning of April

How are the onions planted?

It is sown or planted in weed-free and well-loosened soil. When planting the bulbs, it is important not to put them completely into the ground, the tip should remain visible on the surface. Depending on the variety, the information on row spacing and sowing depth can vary greatly, please note the information on the seed bag. The guide values for sowing/sticking the onions are:

  • Depth about 2 cm
  • Row spacing approx. 20-30 cm
  • Distance between plants 5-10 cm

To reduce the risk of bolting, small onion sets (approx. 15 mm in diameter) should preferably be used that have been stored at temperatures between 25 - 35° for about a month before being set. Please also note the relevant information on the packaging.

When are the onions harvested?

Harvest time for onions sown in March-April begins in August. When the leaves have turned more than half their color and fallen over, it's time to harvest. In the case of onion sets that ripen faster, this can be the case as early as July. In between, the fresh leek of the still ripening onion plants can be cut as needed. It is only important to ensure that the individual plants are not trimmed bare, otherwise they will not continue to grow.

It is advisable to harvest the onions on dry days. A few weeks before harvesting, the soil should no longer be watered heavily so that the tuber will be easier to dry later. The overwintered onions can be harvested from the end of May in small quantities for daily use. These bulbs are not suitable for storage. Some types of onions, such as B. the winter hedge, are used exclusively for cutting the fresh green leeks.

Can you grow the onions yourself?

In view of the large selection of onion seeds and onion sets on offer at very reasonable prices, the effort involved in propagating onions does not seem worthwhile. Unless you have discovered a particularly good-tasting and high-yield onion and want to grow it again and again. Then you should try to get the seed for next year's sowing.

To do this, a couple of plants are allowed to flower, which is actually undesirable when growing onions and should be avoided. If the plant forms an inflorescence with seeds, harvest them together with the other bulbs and hang them to dry. Once the seed pod has dried, you have enough seeds for the coming gardening season. Onion sets can be grown from these seeds and used the following year.

Which plants are suitable for the home garden?

First you should decide whether you want to grow onions from seed or onion sets. The latter is more common and less expensive. So if you are new to growing vegetables in the garden, you should choose this path and use the well-established onion sets, such as B. Stuttgart Giants. Growing onions from seed can be more of a challenge for a seasoned gardener.

A large selection of winter and spring onion varieties is available in specialist shops. For the spring harvest, the winter onion sets are planted in the months of August to October; for the summer harvest from July choose the summer onion sets. If you want to have the onions for storage, you prefer the seeded onions, because they are easier to store.

tips and tricks

If your onion sets have not reached the desired size, they will probably dry up over the winter. For this reason, the onions that are too small should be used as winter onion sets. Planted a little deeper into the prepared soil, they are suitable as a substitute for chives in spring.

Category:

Vegetable garden