How to Grow Onions

Choose the type of onion to plant. Like most other fruits and vegetables, onions come in many varieties and each has its own appeal for different reasons. Generally, onions come in 3 colors: white, yellow, and red/purple, each with its own flavor. In addition, onions are also classified into two types, long-day and short-day. The reason it is called a long-day onion is because it begins to germinate during the 14-16 hours of daylight hours (around late spring/summer). Meanwhile, short-term onions begin to germinate during the 10-12 hours of daylight hours (around winter/early spring).

• Long-day onions generally grow well in the northern states of the United States, while short-day onions grow healthy in the southern states of the United States. ^[1]
• Yellow onions are golden yellow in color and have a mildly sweet taste. Meanwhile, white onions are more spicy and pungent than yellow onions. On the other hand, red onions are purple in color and are usually eaten raw instead of cooked.

Decide how to grow onions. In general, there are two common ways of growing onions: growing onions from bulbs or from seeds. Gardeners often prefer to grow from bulbs because onions are usually harder and more resistant to extreme weather than onion seeds. However, you can still grow onions from seeds yourself if you have the conditions and determination, then you can transfer the onions outside to plant. ^[2] You can grow onions in the ground during warm weather. ^[3]

• You can also grow onions using cuttings/grafts, but this method is often unsuccessful and more difficult to implement than growing from seeds or bulbs.
• Visit your local nursery to find out which onion bulbs and seeds can thrive where you live.

Know when to plant. Onions are quite difficult to grow if not planted at the right time. If onions are planted in cold weather, onions may die or flower more easily than they do in the spring. If you grow onion seeds, you should start sowing them indoors, at least about 6 weeks before planting them outside. Make sure to sow the onion seeds 6 weeks before the last day of winter, then move the onions outside to plant. ^[4]

Choose the ideal location. Although not too picky, onions also need some specific conditions. Choose an open space and plenty of sunlight. Onions will grow well if there is enough room to grow, so the more room you give the onion, the bigger it will swell. Avoid planting onions in a location that is obscured by other plants.

• Onions can grow well in raised gardens. So, if you don’t have enough space to grow onions in your garden, you can also build your own raised garden to grow onions.

Prepare the land. If you can prepare the soil a few months before planting, you’ll get a better onion harvest. If possible, you should start tilling and fertilizing in the fall. If the soil is rocky, sandy or clayey, mix in potting soil to balance the soil. In addition, you also need to test the pH of the soil and add the necessary compounds to create a soil with a pH of 6-7.5.

• Testing and changing the pH of the soil should be carried out at least 1 month before planting, so that the added substances have time to take effect and create a foundation for the growth of onions later.