How To Plant Onion Sets In Spring

When it comes to planting onions in the spring for a big summertime harvest, onion sets are the way to get. Non only will it help ensure an earlier harvest, but ane with larger, more flavorful onions too!

Onions can be planted and grown in a variety of methods. By seed, every bit transplants, or by planting sets.

Although all 3 methods tin certainly produce a tasty crop, planting with sets (bulbs) has several advantages. Particularly when it comes to planting onions in the spring.

Planting Onion Sets vs. Onion Seeds In The Bound

Growing from seed is certainly 1 of the about economical ways of all to abound onions. But it does have a few drawbacks. Especially for planting early in the growing season.

Unfortunately, in many growing zones, at that place simply isn't enough time to grow onions from seed to total size.

More than anything else, onions require loose, fertile soil that drains well. Soil that is too heavy or moist can stunt their growth and cause them to rot away before reaching maturity.

Onion seeds have a long time to develop and mature. In fact, many onion varieties tin take every bit long as 5 to vi months to develop large bulbs. In most climates, that means a frost or freeze is likely to occur before the onions reach full size.

The result is a harvest of smaller onions that haven't fully develop their entire flavor profile. And that is exactly where onion sets come up to the rescue!

The Ability Of Planting Onion Sets

Onion sets are basically small, immature onions that take been grown from seed. The growing process is then halted and the onions are harvested. Not to exist consumed, only to be planted again to grow to full size and flavor.

Because they accept already aged a scrap in the growing procedure, onion sets mature much more quickly than seeds.

In fact, instead of the 5 to 6 months it tin can have an onion seed to develop, onions sets can exist harvested in every bit little as 60 to lxxx days for mature onions. And fifty-fifty sooner for smaller jump onions.

But bulbs also have another big advantage over planting seeds – they are far easier to maintain! Onion seeds and sprouts are tiny. And they can quickly get lost and crowded out with weeds that sprout upwardly along with them.

Anyone who have e'er weeded tiny onions seed sprouts knows exactly how hard the task can be. But onion sets germinate fast with much larger sprouting stalks.

Not only are they easier to distinguish every bit onions, only they can compete against immature weeds seeds much more successfully.

Selecting The Best Variety – Planting Onions Sets

Nearly all onion sets are sold as either white, yellow or crimson onions. There are a lot of varieties within each color of bulb, but in full general, the flavors pan like this:

• White Onions – White onions tend to be a bit more crisp, with a stronger flavour than xanthous. They are one of the best choices for salsa and hold upwards to cooking well
• Yellow Onions – Yellowish onions are the workhorse of the iii and are the well-nigh common. They accept a practiced balance of flavour and hold up well in all kinds of dishes, or for fresh eating.
• Red Onions – The mere color profile of red onions makes them perfect for using in salads, salsas and more. The can be a bit stiff for some, especially if immune to historic period. They make an excellent young onion as well equally their season tends to exist crisp and nevertheless sweet.

Onion sets can unremarkably be found at local nurseries, greenhouses and big box stores. But, they ordinarily become pretty chop-chop, so get them early. Yous can besides detect them online.

We found the Stargazer Mix Array of Red, Yellow and White onions online, and accept had great success with them. It's nice to have all 3 varieties to grow for any need that arises for cooking or canning.

Every bit a side annotation, smaller bulbs are improve than large bulbs for planting. If onion set bulbs are overly large, they tin easily bolt before they mature.

How To Plant Onion Sets

Onions will grow best in fertile, loose and well draining soil. As a root crop, the more loose the soil is, the easier they volition grow and develop. Practiced drainage is important as it keeps the bulbs from rotting out in the soil.

Prior to planting, work in ample amounts of compost to the soil. We like to create a pocket-sized trench a few inches deep, and so fill up halfway with an inch of compost.

Next, we plant our onions down into the compost so that the bulbs are well-nigh 1.5″ deep. This gives the onions enough of good organic affair around their roots to power the bulbs. We and then water the bulbs and encompass with the remaining soil.

If you have exceptionally hard or clay-like soil, y'all can too ameliorate your soil with a bit of sand. Sand can aid amend drainage, and promote better bulb growth.

Spring Onions vs. Mature Onions – Planting Onion Sets

Equally for spacing the bulbs, it all depends how you will be harvesting your ingather. Onions can be harvested early as smaller spring onions, or left in the ground to mature to total size.

For our spring onions, we plant each bulb about 1″ apart. Since nosotros are always harvesting them before equally smaller produce, they don't require as much room to abound.

In fact, nosotros start harvesting our bound onions as little as 4 weeks after planting. Not but are they delicious, it's prissy to take a bit of fresh produce so early on in the growing season!

For onions we are letting abound to full maturity, nosotros allow 4″ inches betwixt bulbs at planting time. This gives them each enough of space to mature and grow into full size onions.

Mulching, Watering & Fertilizing – How To Plant Onion Sets

Onions will non require much in the style of additional nutrients beyond the compost in the soil. They are low feeders, and too many nutrients can actually crusade them to bolt early.

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Mulch plants with a thin layer of straw or shredded leaves after planting. This will not only aid conserve moisture, but assistance to continue weeds out.

Ane the bulbs accept sprouted through, mulch to a depth of 3 to four″ to help snuff out competing weeds. Onions will not require a lot of additional watering unless you lot experience long periods of drought.

Yous may want to water every few days the first few weeks if it does non rain to help the sprouting process. Afterward that, as long as they receive a bit of rain every week, they should exist fine.

Here is to planting and growing your own onion sets this year! Happy Gardening- Jim and Mary.

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