How To Grow Onions and Green Onions

  • Some of the links on this forum allow SMF, at no cost to you, to earn a small commission when you click through and make a purchase. Let me know if you have any questions about this.
SMF is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

erie

Newbie
Original poster
Nov 4, 2012
17
10
Each year I plant onion sets and Green Onions without any luck. The onion sets never get big nor does the green onions very grow they die.


What am I  doing Wong?


Just how do you grow BIG ONIONS?


Just how do you grow GREEN ONIONS?


What do you use for fertilizer?


What kind of fertilizer grows the biggest onions?


It is very up setting every year, you set out onion sets and green onions and end up getting nothing.


Can someone help me in growing these? 
 
Where do you live?
Bulb onions are day-length sensitive, if you don't have an appropriate cultivar, they'll fail.
It's best to grow bulb onions either from seeds or seedlings, starting very early, onion sets are not as hardy, don't usually grow as big and don't keep as well.


~Martin
 
Each year I plant onion sets and Green Onions without any luck. The onion sets never get big nor does the green onions very grow they die.


What am I  doing Wong?


Just how do you grow BIG ONIONS?


Just how do you grow GREEN ONIONS?


What do you use for fertilizer?


What kind of fertilizer grows the biggest onions?


It is very up setting every year, you set out onion sets and green onions and end up getting nothing.


Can someone help me in growing these? 
You may want to check with your local collage, mine will do a soil test to see just what I need to make sure it your plants have everything they need......Then they will tell you what if anything you need to grow what you want.....ShoneyBoy
 
What kind of soil do you have? You also need to select onions that will grow in your area with the amount of light hours you get. If you grow from seeds, start them very early as they can take a while to get going. I grow mine in WELL LOOSENED soil that I have worked with a plow or disc & harrow. I cover my whole garden in a thick layer of hay to stop weeds. It also helps hold moisture. Here is a pic of part of my garden from the summer.


You can see a few rows of onions on the left.

Here are a few red onions that I pulled early because I needed them lol. I had too much sun when I took the pic but you can still see them...


Any questions feel free to ask...
 
I live in Northwest Ohio.

My soil is clay.

This past weekend I put about 4 inches compost on the garden and was going to work it in than we got rain today and I don't see it getting done now, looks as if it will be Spring before it will get worked in.

I can get a soil test.

That is what I want more than any thing onions like that.

I do love green onions, but when I plant them they always die.

I don't know how to get them to grow.
 
Last edited:
Erie, evening.... Plant the onions very, very early in the spring and water the heck out of them until they get big.... stop watering so they dry out and hang in the shade where there is a breeze......   Dave
 
What kind of soil do you have? You also need to select onions that will grow in your area with the amount of light hours you get. If you grow from seeds, start them very early as they can take a while to get going. I grow mine in WELL LOOSENED soil that I have worked with a plow or disc & harrow. I cover my whole garden in a thick layer of hay to stop weeds. It also helps hold moisture. Here is a pic of part of my garden from the summer.


You can see a few rows of onions on the left.

Here are a few red onions that I pulled early because I needed them lol. I had too much sun when I took the pic but you can still see them...


Any questions feel free to ask...
dang, thats some nice purple onions
 
Speaking of onions, I found one in the bin a couple of weeks ago that had sprouted, and I had some old garlic bulbs. I pulled the onion into 3 parts and planted it in a flower pot that sits next to my pots of peppers. I broke the garlic bulb into cloves and planted them in a pot where a tomato plant had been. Both the garlic and the onion sprouted and they seem to be growing fine.

We buy sweet onions and I think that usually means Texas 1015s. I think it was about 1020 when I planted them. Shoots are nice and long and dark green. It's going to be interesting to see what happens. I won't get enough of either to supply the kitchen but I like to tinker with things.
 
I started most of my onion planting like that.  Found ones sprouting left in the bin. Took them out side and planted them got tons of scallions and then eventually let them grow out and had some good small onions to mix into things.  I did get a pack of scallion seeds and grew them in a pot on the deck work pretty good too.
 
Just finished building a greenhouse and one thing to try is green  onions during the winter. The greenhouse is built from 1 1/2" pvc pipe and fittings with Farm Tex hot house plastic.
 
dang, thats some nice purple onions
Thanks Hoity Toit!
I live in Northwest Ohio.

My soil is clay.

This past weekend I put about 4 inches compost on the garden and was going to work it in than we got rain today and I don't see it getting done now, looks as if it will be Spring before it will get worked in.

I can get a soil test.

That is what I want more than any thing onions like that.

I do love green onions, but when I plant them they always die.

I don't know how to get them to grow.
Are onions the only thing you have trouble growing??
 
Pictures........You want pics........Wa La;


Size is 6' x 9'


Built an a concrete pad of 16" x 16' pavers and fastened down

with plumbers tape and concrete screws


2 vents that open and close automatically


Green onions, 10 days old, from sets


Drip and mister system, lime and Kiffer lime


90% of fittings from Home Depot and 10% from address to follow


My hard working girls


The girl's house

Parts and plans from:

http://www.snapclamp.com/greenhouse.htm

http://www.pvcplans.com/pvc-greenhouse.htm

Covering:

https://www.farmtek.com/farm/suppli...fPartNumber=109093&langId=-1&division=FarmTek

Hope you enjoyed a partial tour of my mini-farm     Paul
 
Last edited:
Nice setup!
thumb1.gif
  Do you have your vents tied into thermometers?
 
I live in Northwest Ohio.

My soil is clay.

This past weekend I put about 4 inches compost on the garden and was going to work it in than we got rain today and I don't see it getting done now, looks as if it will be Spring before it will get worked in.

I can get a soil test.

That is what I want more than any thing onions like that.

I do love green onions, but when I plant them they always die.

I don't know how to get them to grow.
So are the onions the only thing you have trouble growing Erie?
 
Erie, google Dixondale Farms.   Everything you could possibly want to know about onions is located here.     
 
I found Dixondale and ordered 4 Northern varieties... didn't know there was such a thing.....   275 ish onions planted last Friday....  

They have a lot of good information...     Dave

 
SmokingMeatForums.com is reader supported and as an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases.

Hot Threads

Clicky