Sowing onion seeds or rising your individual from onion units is comparatively simple and extremely satisfying. Right here, we’ve introduced collectively the very best onion-growing content material from the web, together with articles, movies and instagram posts that will help you plant, take care of and harvest onions at residence. Whether or not you wish to domesticate brown, crimson, salad, pickling or exhibition-sized onions, listed here are some skilled suggestions to make sure you succeed. 

This text was reviewed by the Suttons horticultural workforce and up to date on 30 August 2024.

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Greatest recommendation on rising onions from units

Novice gardeners can be taught an excellent deal about rising onions from units from the very informative article Know your onions! – Newbie’s Veg by the ever smart and witty sisters also referred to as The three Growbags. They are saying onion units don’t like a fuss and like soil with out manure. You must plant them with their “little papery noses” simply protruding of the soil, and initially throw a internet over them to discourage pecking birds searching for nest materials.

In line with Emma at The Unconventional Gardener, onion units are really easy to develop, retailer and use that they make the right undertaking for newbies. In her entertaining weblog publish The Onion Membership, she recommends choosing a light overwintering selection corresponding to ‘Electrical’, which will be planted within the autumn and harvested in early summer time.

Within the north of England, Dan from Allotment Diary is a person who actually is aware of his onions – he’s grown a 10lb-er for exhibition earlier than. In his brief, however candy video Rising Onions: Methods to get an early begin with units, he exhibits how he begins off his onion units in 24-cell trays. Due to the cooler local weather the place he lives, he grows them on within the greenhouse or polytunnel in order that they have good robust roots and the soil exterior has time to heat up earlier than he vegetation them out.

A lot of the laborious work has been achieved for you if you develop onions from units and it’s simple to get a unbelievable crop, in accordance with Simon at Backyard of Eaden. In his detailed article on rising onions he explains easy methods to set up a everlasting onion mattress – on a sunny web site with good drainage – that you simply preserve effectively to construct up soil fertility and remove ailments.

Should you’re overwhelmed by the sheer number of onions on supply, why not take a look at the Suttons horticultural workforce’s full information to rising this versatile veg. In addition to discovering  the very best varieties to develop from units, you’ll profit from our skilled recommendations on planting, harvesting and storing them.

Most individuals plant their onion units in early spring for late summer time harvesting, however in her informative article: Onions: seed or set? Mandy at MandyCanUDigIt reminds us that you could additionally plant them in autumn they usually can keep within the floor by way of the winter for an earlier crop round June or July.

Greatest recommendation on rising onions from seeds

For alternative, satisfaction and most yield, Steve at Steve’s Seaside Life at all times begins off his onion crop by sowing a variety of seed varieties, as he explains in his nice video introducing his onion seedlings. Whereas admitting his outcomes aren’t at all times pretty much as good as he’d like, utilizing seed means he can over-sow, then choose the very best seedlings to develop on for a mixture of onion sizes – some massive, plenty of medium for storing and sufficient small ones for pickling. And any spindly spare seedlings will be usefully grown on as salad onions.

Muddybootz, aka Nigel Jewkes, is one other fan of rising onions from seed, for ease, financial system and selection. He additionally says they’re much less prone to bolt than these grown from units. As a part of his ‘Rising Made Straightforward’ collection, he gives a superb step-by-step information to rising onions, from sowing in quarter seed trays of worm compost and warming them in a propagator, to potting on, planting out and harvesting.

Though seeds will be tough to deal with, gardening bloggers Eli and Kate level out that you simply’ll have  a greater variety of onion sorts to select from should you go for seeds reasonably than units. Of their wonderful information to rising onions from seed, they clarify that sowing your seeds indoors through the late winter or early spring offers them a head begin on the rising season. Simply you should definitely transplant them exterior when the climate warms up.

Greatest recommendation on planting out onions

Neat straight rows of onions look actually enticing within the veg mattress, particularly should you alternate white and crimson varieties if you plant them out, in accordance with Carol, aka The Sunday Gardener. In her pleasant step-by-step information to rising onions with complementary video she additionally factors out that onions make nice companion vegetation, deterring carrot fly and slugs from different veg crops planted close by.

Claire, from Claire’s Allotment, began her onion units off in cardboard rest room roll tubes within the greenhouse. she leaves the units within the tubes once they go within the floor in her concise and easy-to observe video: Planting out my onions. She vegetation them about 4in aside in a raised mattress, explaining that the cardboard will biodegrade, giving the onion bulbs loads of room to swell up. And she or he reminds us to weed and water them frequently.

In her informative and fascinating video planting autumn onions, Liz Zorab at Byther Farm recommends planting onion units in rows and protecting them in two inches of soil. In addition to sharing her high suggestions for planting onions the suitable method up, she demonstrates easy methods to scale back  weeds by inserting cardboard strips in between every row. Should you stay in a very windy space, protecting the cardboard with woodchips or weighing it down with bricks will present an additional layer of safety.

Rising onions in containers is an effective way to get pleasure from them when you’ve got restricted house. In line with Sarah from Lets Develop Cook dinner, all you want is nice fertiliser, wholesome compost, water and daylight. Should you don’t have a spare pot handy, Sarah suggests utilizing a plastic trug, tub or perhaps a bucket. She additionally recommends drilling holes within the backside of the container, in order that the onions can drain correctly.

Rising onions alongside different greens is one other good solution to benefit from the house you might have. When Jenny from @jenny.roozel realised that her onions must “share a mattress with the brassicas”, she was impressed to create a “soup plot” by planting onions, garlic, leeks, potatoes, parsnips and swedes. What an excellent concept!

A critical allotment grower, Cliff at Citadel Hill Backyard shares his onion planting strategies on this backyard replace video from his plot in Nottinghamshire. He grows from seed and vegetation his onions out – chopping uniform holes with a bulb planter – in a double dug mattress that has a deep manure base for the roots to feed on.

Greatest recommendation on onion issues, pests and ailments

Whereas onions are normally trouble-free vegetation, John of Allotment and Gardens – who shares loads of wonderful onion rising suggestions – flags up a number of hazards to be careful for in his eye-opening article: Onion Pests, Illnesses & Issues. He explains easy methods to recognise onion fly, white rot, leaf miner, rust, mould and mildew; gives recommendation on what to do in case your plant begins to bolt; and shares sensible suggestions for laying aside pesky pigeons. 

Should you’ve had issues with onion or shallot bulbs rotting in moist soil, like Hayley at @hayleys_lottie_haven, you can strive her trick of beginning units off in small particular person pots of multipurpose compost within the greenhouse. She vegetation hers out after they’ve developed a very wholesome root system.

Erica over at Erica’s Little Welsh Backyard additionally gives loads of suggestions that will help you develop wholesome onions. In her video on planting onion units, she explains easy methods to determine rust, which is brought on by an extra of nitrogen within the soil. To keep away from this drawback, Erica suggests solely including a small quantity of nitrogen-rich manure if you plant your onions.

Greatest recommendation on harvesting and storing onions

Understanding when and easy methods to harvest and dry your onions is basically vital if you would like them to retailer effectively by way of winter. Tony of Simplify Gardening charts the method completely in his video information. He says to decide on a vibrant day with out rain to raise your onions after their necks have flopped over, being very cautious to not pull and harm them. Then take away the soil from the roots earlier than letting them dry out within the solar.

Should you’re harvesting your onions in July and August, Marie from Plews Backyard Design recommends checking whether or not the onion leaves have turned dry and yellow and the tops have bent over naturally, as that is one other certain signal that the crop is prepared. If she’s lifting her onions on a dry day, Marie merely leaves them on the earth to dry. If it’s raining, she has to dry them beneath cowl.

The place you place your onions to dry depends upon house and climate. When Debbie over at @mrsbeesgarden created a makeshift picket drying rack for her onions, she managed to maintain the rain off by including some detachable greenhouse staging produced from pipe and polythene. Check out how she dries her spectacular haul. 

If it’s very moist exterior and you’ve got a storage, you can additionally take inspiration from Helen over at @helenlikesplants. She created a powerful set of onion drying racks with some chains and a few noticeboards. Go to her Insta to see how she did it.

As soon as your onions are dry, you’ll most likely wish to retailer some. Braiding your onions or shallots for winter storage will be massively satisfying, as illustrated by Katrina of @homegrown.backyard in an image that contrasts her plaited shallot string along with her personal hair braid. She was notably happy along with her crop – as they don’t typically thrive in her soil for some motive.

Braiding onions into an onion string can be an efficient storage resolution as a result of it retains the air circulating. Since he started utilizing this system, Dan of Allotment Diary has discovered that his crop of onions retains for longer. Fancy attempting this your self? Take a look at his step-by-step video information Methods to String Onions for Higher Storage.

If braiding sounds an excessive amount of like laborious work, Mothin Ali from My Household Backyard has an alternate suggestion. In his video on harvesting and storing onions, Mothin recommends storing your onions in mild stackable grocery trays that enable the air to flow into and forestall rotting. His high suggestions? Brush off any dust and trim the stems earlier than storing the onions, however don’t take away any flaky outer pores and skin, as this gives further safety.

So, now you realize your onions a bit higher, put a few of this nice recommendation from the consultants into motion and you can be harvesting your individual crop this summer time, with loads of onions to maintain you going by way of the remainder of the yr.

Lead picture: Onion Seeds – F1 Santero from Suttons