Newbie Question #5 Onions

momvet 3/16/2015, 12:58 pm

So my onions are starting to sprout (started from seed). I planted Evergreen Bunching (which I think are green onions), a Yellow (came in a group of seeds - not sure variety), and Red Cipollini (sp?). I have been reading the forums and someone said the bulb onions will not mature the first year and I need to replant sets? Also if I want green onions, do I thin what is coming up. These questions sound stupid to me. Should have started with sets but I am enjoying putting seeds in the ground and seeing new babies push up. Embarassed

**sanderson** 3/16/2015, 1:49 pm

I'm going to be watching this Question. I've planted seeds and waited for over a year to see an onion. Even then, they were small. This early winter, I planted sets (?) from a pony pack. I had to tease them apart in a bowl of water and then plant them 9/sq. They are growing fine but I have no idea if I will ever produce a real Spanish onion. One pot that I seeded last March has flowers now! I'll leave them in case a bee wanders by.

Is there anyone in the warmer regions, like California and Nevada - Texas, who would describe their journey to produce large cooking onions like Spanish. Both from seeds and from sets. Thank you in advance.

**camprn** 3/16/2015, 2:06 pm

momvet wrote:So my onions are starting to sprout (started from seed). I planted Evergreen Bunching (which I think are green onions), a Yellow (came in a group of seeds - not sure variety), and Red Cipollini (sp?). I have been reading the forums and someone said the bulb onions will not mature the first year and I need to replant sets? Also if I want green onions, do I thin what is coming up. These questions sound stupid to me. Should have started with sets but I am enjoying putting seeds in the ground and seeing new babies push up.

Red Cipollini & Yellow bulbing onions, yes are typically biennial. For full size plants you need sets (choosing the smallest ones for planting). http://myfolia.com/plants/911-onion-allium-cepa-var-cepa/varieties/71012-cipollini-yellow
It's all about the light with bulbing onions.
Green onions are the same as bunching and are a short growing single season onion plant.

http://myfolia.com/plants/1152-bunching-onion-allium-fistulosum/varieties/110-green

http://myfolia.com/plants/911-onion-allium-cepa-var-cepa

momvet 3/19/2015, 12:59 pm

Thanks for the information. My onions are in and I love onions so I will leave them until next year (is it OK to harvest some of the tops or just leave be?) As for the bunching onions or scallions, I am still confused. I only planted several seeds per hole (16/SF) - should I have planted more? Or do they need to be thinned to one 16 per SF?

**camprn** 3/19/2015, 1:13 pm

momvet wrote:Thanks for the information. My onions are in and I love onions so I will leave them until next year (is it OK to harvest some of the tops or just leave be?) As for the bunching onions or scallions, I am still confused. I only planted several seeds per hole (16/SF) - should I have planted more? Or do they need to be thinned to one 16 per SF?

if you have multiple plants sprouting from the same hole, I would let them get big enough to handle, then I would lift from under the roots and transplant all the seedlings into different holes. They do not have to be exactly 16 per square foot. Just give them a few inches of space from the next onion over and replant it.

Sponsored content

Newbie Question #5 Onions

Newbie Question #5 Onions

Re: Newbie Question #5 Onions

Re: Newbie Question #5 Onions

Re:onions

Re: Newbie Question #5 Onions

Re: Newbie Question #5 Onions


	Hello Guest! Welcome to the official Square Foot Gardening Forum. There's lots to learn here by reading as a guest. However, if you become a member (it's free, ad free and spam-free) you'll have access to our large vermiculite databases, our seed exchange spreadsheets, Mel's Mix calculator, and many more members' pictures in the Gallery. Enjoy.