Is this OK or should I cover them with a polythene cloche/hoops? Today, I prepared the bed for next spring. Good luck! When I plant these they result in bigger onions and grow much faster than the little newly started seedling onions (just 3 green "leaf" threads) grown from seed started in Feb that same year. Great advice which I'll need as we are fighting high altitude, heavily alkaline soil, and huge day time/night time temperature differentials and very drying winds here. Food for thought? i was growing weary of having to trim them back every other day. 2) When should I transplant the seedlings from the flats into deeper containers - I plan on using paper cups. I have a couple of questions if you don't mind answering them for me. Is there something else I should be doing? When a lot of people plant onions, they don’t start their own seeds. They now all have two leaves, are growing upright and otherwise appear happy. Seedlings I gave to my friend are thriving. Please Help...", "Alecia, chives are enthusiastic growers once they are established, but that often takes a year. When possible, you can grow them for 8 weeks or so, until they are almost the thickness of a pencil, and set them out then. Typically first frost is in mid-November. Thanks so much for your in-depth, step-by-step article, and for all of your personalized advice. My worst problems have been with perennial onions. Bolting. I am a rookie. I intend to explore all the processes and make big production next year. This happens about when the third true leaf appears. The tops of my florescent plant lights are flat, and they give off just the right amount of bottom heat needed to help onion seeds germinate quickly. Leave the onion sitting up in shallow water to encourage root growth for a week or so first (I used a wide glass so the sides of the glass prevented it from falling over). Am I flogging a dead horse until I can get the seedlings under artificial light? The tops of my green onions are all falling over and week- help! Having said that I'm still snookered as I only have my allotment greenhouse to sow in (Birmingham, UK). Thanks again for the great information. Or, as long as you keep them weeded, you can harden off the seedlings and set them out in the garden. Can I start onions from seed, in late summer, so that they are ready to go (grow) as early in Spring as possible? Store them in a cool place,They will stay all winter! Why Seeds? Harvesting When the tops of the onions turn brown or yellow and fall over, it's time to harvest. Onions need lots of moisture as the bulb initiation process begins, but less when the bulbs are approaching full size. Where winters are mild such as the UK many onions will grow from fall seeding, but where the ground freezes you need special varieties of overwintering onions like 'Gatekeeper' or 'Desert Sunrise'. With either type you would start seeds in September or October for harvest in late spring. ", "Thank you, that gives me hope. Well the transplants started from seed of course :) Using a watering can with a rose, thoroughly water seedlings and sets directly after planting to settle … ", "I occasionally have a bulb onion plant fail due to onion maggots, which are the larvae of a small fly. Onion seeds are typically planted in the Fall. See if you can set up some supplemental light to keep your seedlings growing strong. ", "Wilfred, I favor letting the seedlings get bigger before setting them out. And how high do they have to be is there a box they go into. ", "Kelly, I often grow two, three or even four seedlings in a container. I may count a loss on this but some few seedlings have remained. How do you think about the answers? ", "Barbara, thank you for all the great advise. Leaf miners in general are difficult to treat with pesticides because they feed inside leaves. I snip it off and remove it to keep the containers tidy. Could it be the pH of the soil? ", "Hi Barbara, ", "I too would like to start fall onions from seed. A fall-planted crop of onions needs at least 4 to 6 weeks of warm temperatures to become established in the ground. ", "i have my onions covered with underheat ant present onions are starting to pop through .when should i take my cover off and put lights on", "Today! You can hand-pull the weeds or use a hoe around the plants. Though 13 leaves is ideal for an onion plant, don't fret if … After the seedlings have four leaves they seem to need less frequent trimming compared to when they have two. Making the little green loop and some have even pulled away with the husk still attached. Chives multiply primarily by division, secondarily by seeds. You might also choose an organic onion that has begun to sprout in your pantry. If any of the seedlings or bulbs should get dislodged fromunderground, just press them back into place. How do I collect seed for the following year? Thank you so much Barbara! I am interested in growing onions in Uganda. I only have two small sprouts to my chives its been almost two weeks should I toss them and start over? ", "Thanks for all this information, Barbara! I do have a question for you though I have chickens which I deep bed (don't change bedding but keep adding more bedding and a layer of barn lime) during the winter what's your thoughts of lining the bottom of the trench with this come spring. After transplanting over 500 seedlings this past weeked into paper cups from flats, i am looking to bypass the transplanting step next year for sure. If seed-saving is in your long-term future, work with open pollinated varieties. ", "Theresa, I would go ahead and plant the potatoes, because they will shrivel and rot if you don't. Regardless of the number of leaves, your onions are ready to harvest when the tops fall over naturally. So be sure you are using fresh seed. Onion germination is fastest as 68-77°F (20-25°C), with slight temperature drops at night. Your personal best. Other sources suggest to not trim the tops once the seedlings are in the ground because the leaves are their energy factory. I'm new to onions and a bit lost! 0 0. I had to run a heater to maintain the temps for germination, but now that I'm using lights only the temp ranges from between 64 degrees when the lights are off and 74 when they're on. The e-mail does not appear to be correct. 1. Be patient for a while yet, and they will thicken up in a few weeks. If they reach a certain critical stage of development before freeze, would this work (like growing garlic)? Pitch them and start over if your frost date is not until May, or work with purchased sets and seedlings this year...Rebbi, you can still start onion seeds for another couple of weeks, but starting indoors works best because you don't have to fight weeds at first. Dry the onions in the sun for two days. The clay soil may help the scallions to stand a little stiffer. The problem is that our seedlings don't sustain in open beds in such weather due to which I purchase seedlings at much higher rates from other parts of the country. Bolting is probably the most common problem to arise from overwintered onions. Keep your two tiny sprouts, but also ask around about local nurseries that sell herbs. Fill a flat ⅔ with potting soil. Once my onion seedlings are in the ground, the war with weeds gets into full swing. I enclose newly seeded containers in a plastic bag to maintain moisture, provide them with bottom heat, and the onion seeds germinate in about 8 days. ", "Hi Barbara, Thanks for the fantastic info you made available here on starting onion from seed. This also destroyed some well germinated onions. This is your first harvest! Answer + 4. :)", "Hi Barbara, The little plants start growing vigorously first thing in spring. You can just sit the onion on top of the soil with the bottom a bit buried. (We won't display this on the website or use it for marketing), (Please enter the code above to help prevent spam on this article), Which Seeds to Start First? I'm in USDA Hardiness Zone 6A -10F to -5F the average last frost occurs between April 11~20 2014. I stood them in bowls of water, but it became very hot while I was away for five days. The onions are different, in that they will push up toward the surface as they swell, often ending up sitting almost on top of the soil. There are some things I didn't do, like provide heat and artificial light. What is the best way to store your fully grown onions? Dig a trench in the soil one to two inches wide, and to a depth of two inches. The trimmings are delicious in dips, salads, sandwiches or as a garnish. My query is this, When the third leaf develops is the recommended time to transplant. And thank you for the info you've presented - a big help!! Much can go wrong, because onions are biennials that will bolt/bloom if the sets are too large, or if the newly planted sets are exposed to cold growing conditions. They started off great as seedlings, I planted them out in big potato sacks but they have done nothing (a bit like my teenage son). Right now the leafs are long but I'm not going to trim them back until I set them out in the garden. ", "Love this. Infected plants should be pulled up immediately, indoors or out in the garden, and composted. I'm hoping to do better this year. Germination rates fall as the seeds age, and though I have had three-year-old onion seeds that sprouted well, germination is always highest with fresh seeds. ", "TWO PART QUESTION I use about 3-4 onions a week. They were started almost a month ago and are 3-4 inches tall. Q: Is it necessary to remove the garden soil from around my onion bulbs in the spring to make large bulbs? "Someone is enjoying the shade today because a long time ago someone planted a tree." All of my onions have started sprouting and I gave them their first trimming today (thanks to your article). I've also sown some more Figaro from last year's seed but germination has been very erratic so this emphasises Barbara's point about fresh seed. I would keep them in a cool place until early spring, and plant them then. I have also interplanted pansies with lettuce, which was very pretty. long and is supposed to be mounded with soil around them, similar to leeks. Sorry for so many questions but i'm a novice at onions. Would a chick heat lamp work maybe? Do I continue to trim the tops or should I let them go wild? In the past year, both Ben Vanheems and I have written about the virtues of growing onions from seed. I have no idea where these came from since I started with seeds, used a sterile soil, and don't know of any onion gardeners around here. ", "I was wondering if it is necessary to "start" your onion seeds indoors or if direct sow was an option? Try letting them grow longer in their seedling containers, even if they are crowded. they are doing well about the size of a pencil now and coming into their 5th true leaf. If they appear to be established in your area, you could cover your bed with a rowcover tunnel until the plants start growing vigorously. The more light your seedlings get, the stronger they will grow. Onions are complex beasts seemingly, so all this precise advice is very helpful. Can you rig up a protected space outdoors for them? You might also use a light shade cover out in the greenhouse. Planting Fall onions will lead to an earlier harvest. ", "Hi Barbara. Growing Intermediate Day Ruby Ring (Red), Candy (Yellow) and Sierra Blanca (White) i moved my onion seedlings out into the cold frame yesterday. ", "Also I forgot to mention, I have 2 6500k fluorescents an inch or two above them about 15 hours a day. I also purchase a fresh bag of seed-starting mix each spring as a safety precaution against soil-borne diseases. Now, the first leaf is browning at the tip and yellowing a bit down its body and looking like it's going to die. Plz guide me how to grow seedlings in open beds ? As previously said we had a fantastic crop of large shallots so I am repeating the process this having sown seeds on 1st Jan. ", "I live in Nashville, TN. I wish to start my onion seeds off shortly. Lack of Water. ", "Hi you are saying about using lights to give heat as well as light. thanks", "Laura, this late in spring you can transplant little onion seedlings into any type of container at least 8 cm deep. The Bedfordshire should get plenty of sun but not be subject to chilling. If the Bedfordshires bulb this year i'll have about 200+ onions ! Get your answers by asking now. Answered. What do you suggest? ", "Onions may deter grazing pests like deer and rabbits, which would be a good reason to grow them around the outside edge of the garden. And I planted Spanish yellow onion seeds. Have you encountered this problem? They haven't grown, they haven't died, they just sit there as if to say, 'you're doing this ALL wrong'. Five Easy Answers. I will be growing them in 4 IN, square pots and i see you said 2 seeds per pot it is still a good 90 degrees here and will be doing this in my green house so basically i need to keep bottoms warm until germination correct? If in doubt how old the seed is, buy new. These were even smaller than the sets that I planted. As light intensity increases -- plus exposure to gentle wind -- you will see stiff new growth. I have a balcony with potted plants. ", "When the onion seedlings are ready to transplant outside, what is the procedure for getting them from the pot to the garden? My husband is the one who sowed them so I don't know how deep he went, from what I have read they only need to be surface sown. ", "Hi there just reading your great advice Im in south west Ireland and am making my very first attempt at growin onions from seeds mine will go into raised beds!I didnt realise you could start from seeds as Ive always seen sets!hope I can ,manage,your advice is great! Many gardeners in other parts of the world choose not to support Monsanto because of GMO and economic issues. Onion plants have shallow roots and require frequent irrigation throughout the growing season. )", "Ammendment to two part question In the garden onions use their contractile roots to settle at that level, so I think that's what they want. ", "Helen, with overwintering onions you will need to provide a row cover tunnel if you are north of Zone 7. ", "You can keep onion seedlings in random containers for quite a while, even if they are crowded. In your area, you can plant in late September, using mostly hardneck varieties from Northern Europe. I'll try to be patient! ", "Hi Anonymous. ", "Mark, you can grow scallions with no winter protection. Good luck! Please bear in mind that I am an onion maniac, and I have no explanation for my obsession with growing onions and shallots from seed to table year after year. Good luck! Again, thank you! I've never trimmed the onions before - do you believe it's better to trim them to 5" than let them grow to full vertical height? 0 0. I use a two-bulb florescent fixtures with new bulbs this year. After you cut them, the plants will naturally produce more tops. In a 4-inch diameter half-gallon milk carton bottom I would plant 4 seedlings, but only two in a 3-inch pot. I only did a few due to the fear of them all dying if I put them out Into the veg patch. ", "I find that having the onions planted one-half inch deep, so that the base of the white shank is covered with soil, helps the plants stay upright better than shallow planting. In fact, they order … Onion seedlings are very forgiving and willing to grow in crowded containers in late summer when there is plenty of available light. I am driven to do it, which explains the evolution of these ten guidelines for growing onions from seed. Skinny onions are notoriously poor competitors with weeds, so they require a certain level of tending. ", "Jason, both of your varieties will bulb this year if they have good conditions. ", "Hello Barbara 1 decade ago. 2. ", "I would not start feeding the onions until they show their third leaf, which is also the best time to transplant them to deeper containers. Apart from seeming to feed half of the snails in the country, I'm not doing too badly except for my onions. In Nashville you should be putting well grown seedlings in the ground now. I am writing from Kingston Jamaica West Indies,we don't have to contend with snow and frost.