Want Onions Fast? Use Onion Sets And ItÕs Ready, Set, Grow!

You can start growing onions by sowing seed, by buying started plants or by planting onion sets. Even though the onion set method gives you less choice of onion varieties, these sets are a breeze to plant and the quickest to produce—you’ll get green onions in 2-4 weeks. And mature onions 3 or more weeks earlier than those grown from seed!

The key to growing onions successfully is to start sowing onion seeds early. The cold won’t hurt the onions, and they need as much time as possible to grow big, lush green tops. The more top growth your onion plant produces, the bigger the onion bulbs will be underneath.

Prior to seeding, the soil should be prepared the way onions like it. Easily crumbled, well-worked with a soil pH on the acidic side. Compost or manure along with a 5-10-10 fertilizer should be added and dug in during the Fall before planting time.

Sow two seeds per every inch. Onions seem to like growing in pairs. Cover with no more than an inch of top soil. When the seeds sprout, thin them out and start a new row with the transplanted seedlings.

If winter is not severe, plant seed sets in late August. Sprouting seeds at home, in colder areas, allows a long enough growing season of 100-120 days for the onions to mature. Give or take a week or two depending on the variety. Generally, whites are for slicing and reds for salads.

Here are some others that are in between:

• Walla Walla- crunchiest and sweetest, short keeper
• Texas Grand- sweet, oversized and long-lasting
• Bermuda- crisp, extra mild and holds together
• Sweet Slicer- extra crisp, mild and sweet
• Copra- keeps for a year with no taste loss

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