Onions - how many per square?

GreenBlueberry 4/7/2011, 10:36 pm

I got some white onion sets and planted them (first thing ever!). I followed the book, which said to plant 16. They all took off! Well, now I'm reading in different places that you plant 16 IF you want green onions (I don't Sad

).
Do I pull extras out? How many should I leave on each square for regular onions?
Can I plant the ones I pull out in another square?

middlemamma 4/7/2011, 11:00 pm

I would do 4 or 5...you can do alternating to use the space the best. Do 5 like on s die, and then in the next square do 4 like a + and then keep alternating back and forth like that in the squares.

I like bigger onions so I give a little more room, some folks may do more per square and that is ok too. Smile

BackyardBirdGardner 4/7/2011, 11:42 pm

Personally, I found to do 9 per square. So, that's what I did. However, I read that if you plant 16, and want some bigger onions, just pull every other one and use as a green onion/scallion. That kind of thins you down to the space you need for bigger ones....and you don't waste any plants that way, either.

4-5 or 9 or 16 may also depend on the variety. Make sure you research the exact variety you have. You may want to space things out more like Middlemamma does.

kerriejo1961 4/8/2011, 12:13 am

So you could plant the 16 and then pull out every other one for use as a green onion and leave a few to grow larger, right? I just planted onions today. There were a lot in the bundle I had and they took up 3 squares at 16 per. I sure would like some big ones out of the bunch.

herblover 4/9/2011, 2:35 pm

I planted onions last year; 16 per square and left them go until the tops dried. They were varying sizes but mostly good storage size and lasted very well.

clfraser 4/9/2011, 2:51 pm

How deep do you plant your onions? I planted mine 12 to a square and so many of them are turning brown and drying up and nothing happened.

GreenBlueberry 4/9/2011, 2:59 pm

The packet for my onions sets said to plant them leaving a little bit of the top visible, so that is what I did, so not deep at all. They sprouted really fast.

clfraser 4/9/2011, 3:17 pm

A little of the green part or root part? that may be quite dumb to ask, but like I've said before totally new at this.

**camprn** 4/9/2011, 4:31 pm

you followed the book guidelines, good for you!! If the onions are really going gangbusters and you think they are going to need more room, go ahead and harvest a few and use them for supper. the other ones will continue to get bigger . Wink

GreenBlueberry 4/9/2011, 4:45 pm

clfaser, I planted mine a little bit deeper than this, with not so much of the bulb showing, but it's my first time so I can't tell you how they will grow if less deep.

http://www.howtoplant.net/how-to-plant-onion-sets.html

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Onions - how many per square?

Onions - how many per square?

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