Onions can handle a light frost, but a hard freeze will kill them. Before transplanting however, make sure you harden the onions off. Transplant onions when the soil is workable and the night time temperatures are above freezing.
Generally 1-2 weeks before last frost date. If you are going to direct sow onion seeds, just wait until the soil temperature is 40 degrees F and keep watered. The growing season here does not provide a long enough season for the bulb formation to get large. While it is possible to directly sow onion seeds into the ground, I have never done this as I live in the upper mid-west.
Open the lid on warmer days, but make sure to close it before night!. When the seeds sprout, make sure to water them when necessary. The seeds will stay dormant until nature tells them it is time to sprout. Place the lid on top of the container and tape shut. Water seeds with a spray bottle so the soil is damp, not soaking. Using your finger to just push the soil down a tiny bit before placing the seed is usually enough. Sow the onion seeds, basically right on top of the soil, not any deeper than 1/2″. Fill the container with at least 3″ of soil. Make a few ventilation holes in the top of the container. Using a plastic container, such as a clamshell container, poke a few drainage holes in the bottom. If you don’t want to grow seeds under grow lights, you have the option of winter sowing. To learn more about transplanting and harvesting onions, check out this blog post here. Top your eggs or put into some homemade butter. Use the trimmings to eat just like you would green onions. When the onion tops get to about 6 inches tall, trim them with scissors, down to 4 inches. Also thin out the seedlings at this time. When there are 3 leaves on onions, transplant to larger container to encourage root development if needed. The seeds will need 12 hours of light per day. Once the seeds have germinated, remove the plastic covering and place under a grow light, with the light being about 1″ above seedlings. Do not let the soil dry out, especially during the germination phase. Keep the onion seeds there until they have germinated. A heat mat works great, but also on top of the fridge or in front of another heat source will work. Do NOT over water here, just want the soil to get a bit damp.Ĭover with plastic wrap or put the lid on if re-using a clamshell container. Do not go too deep or the onions will not germinate. Using your finger, make a 1/4″ deep spot for the seeds to go. Just be sure to drill some good drainage holes. This will provide enough root growth room later that you won’t have to repot before bringing outside to transplant. Clamshell containers are great for growing onions from seed. Onion seedlings like a bit deeper of a container. This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. You can thin them out later if needed.Īlso, make sure you plant more than enough onions, as they are typically good keepers and the more you plant, the less you need to go to the grocery store! Make sure to over seed when you sow seeds to guarantee some onions. Not only do onions take a long time to grow, but any seeds older than the past year and the germination rate will be quite low. Onion seeds are a bit more temperamental than other seeds you might plant. This map from Johnny Seed’s shows you exactly which type of onion to plant based on your location so that you order the right onion type for your zone. #Onion seed starting how to#
Which type of onions should you grow? Well, if you are looking to learn how to start onion seeds, I’m guessing that you have a shorter growing season and will need long day onions.
So, make sure you order your seed packets in December or January! Types Of Onions Start growing onions (allium cepa) from seed at 10-12 weeks before your last frost date. To know when to start onion seeds, knowing your last frost date is important. For northern gardeners, starting onion from seed is a necessity since the growing season is so short. Growing onions from seed is easy and guarantees you get the variety of onion plants that you want.
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