If you found this video helpful, please "Like" and share to help increase its reach! Thanks for watching 😊TIMESTAMPS for convenience: 0:00 The Biennial Life Cycle Of Onions 1:11 What Are Onion Sets? Onion Bulbs Explained 2:02 The Problem With Onion Sets 3:03 Why I Prefer Growing Onions From Seed 3:54 Direct Seeding VS Starting Onion Seed In Trays 5:23 Short Day VS Intermediate Day VS Long Day Onions 6:12 The Onion Varieties And Shallots I Am Growing 7:07 Scarlet Bandit Bunching Onions 7:20 Setting Up The Seed Trays For Planting 7:51 How To Plant Seed For Onion Transplants 9:59 Germinating Onion Tips 11:09 Thinning Onion Seedlings 12:56 When To Transplant Onion Plants 13:43 Adventures With Dale
Great video as always! I grow onions the same way (i live in socal, zone 10) and have great success every year. If I could suggest a tip though, next time you grow seedlings DON'T thin them out. Onions are very hardy, resilient plants and you can grow several of them in the same cell without an issue. They separate extremely easily, the roots basically never tangle, and it can save you a lot of time and money spent on seed and soil. I've grown up to 10 in the same cell and I just make sure they never grow past the thickness of a yellow pencil. Then I just wash off the soil once they're ready to transplant and separate the roots. They're also really easy to transplant to soil outside afterwards, just stick your finger in the soil 3-4 inches, put your seedling in the hole and cover with soil while leaving an inch still exposed to the sun.
Maybe I’ll leave them 2 in a tray and separate them. I know onions can take a beating, hence onion sets and the shipment of bunches of green onions. These cells are very small, but they should easily accommodate 2 onions. I’ll probably do that and skip thinning a second time.
@@colliecoform4854 yes, an no need to use and entire tray. I grow mine in cups with the seeds densely sown. They look like a patch of grass in the cup. Separate and I lay them on the soil and layer soil over the roots. The roots grow down into the soil and the onion stand up straight in about 2 weeks.
Great explanation of why sets and bulbs may not provide a big bulb for harvest. Starting from seed is easy and also gives more options for variety choice that sets don't.
Thank you! I messed around with onion sets for years, because I thought it was the *easy* way. Turns out it was just the more expensive way with less predictable results 😅 You can't beat the productivity of a $2 pack of onion seeds!
Great video as always! The only thing I do differently is when I sow my seeds, I sow them heavy and don’t thin them. I separate them at time of planting into the garden. They separate very well. Especially in seed starting mix.
I grow mine in clumps of 5 or 6; you can thin out salad onions as they grow or let them be and end up with medium sized onions. I haven't got a lot of space so works well for me. Got this tip initially from Charles Dowding who does the same.
I have had great success using the tray you show your potting mix in, the one on the right. I plant 1 seed in proper spacing, about a 2" grid, double what I need. No wasted seed! I HATE THINNING! The trays lid workes well to keep them moist and to ventilate when needed. Easy to move around as well. At planting time, with decent moisture in the tray, I just use a kitchen fork to get 'em out and plant. For Welsh bunching onions I take the seedling completely out of the soil, put them on a moist paper towel, and stick them into an index finger sized hole and move the soil back around them. They are TOUGH! They dont mind this at all, ... just sayin. Enjoying yout videos! Thanks!
I never knew there was a long day and short day onion! I almost set myself up for failure. Your channel for gardening is one of my top favorites. Thank you!
I've had great success not thinning the seedlings until my final transplant into the garden bed. The roots tend to come apart fairly easily at that point and I'm not essentially wasting any seeds. It just means that I need to have more available room in the garden bed
Because I used 72-cell trays, the onions have to be thinned since the cells can’t hold more than 2-3. That’s one of the downside to the cells. If you have a large, open tray where they can push each other around, you can thin less or possibly not at all. I enjoy popping them out of these trays, but it is not without downsides. That’s up to the individual to find their preference.
Well done. I've watched a ton of gardening videos over the years and I almost never leave a comment. This was well done. Thank you for the solid and well organized information.
Your problem is your 1 inch set. 1/2 inch is far better. Grandpa taught me to never take the big ones, pick the middle size ones instead. You get more per pound and far fewer going to seed. If a seed stalk starts cut it off immediately then the onion will still bulb, or use that one as a green onion.
Great video ! I’m going to try onions fir the first time this year . I now realize that I should probably may get the seeds started this week . Time to run to the garden center !
I make holes in bottom of an empty mushroom container and fill with potting soil. I put 50+ seeds on top of the soil and dust with soil. I don't thin at all. Onions separate easily from each other. Plant as usual in the garden with at least 3" spacing. They grow quickly cuz they are happy to have the room outside. Been doing this for years. Zone 8b
Thank you. Great video. I've planted my onions in the fall (I'm the same zone in GA), and have some starting from seeds. Will see which ones will do better. I'm very impressed that you can leave your shoes on the floor. My Molly would get them right away. Great catch Dale!
I have been really meticulous with Dale. I stay on him pretty well, and I reward him very well when he's good. I work from home, so I'm home every day, which keeps his anxiety at bay. Dale is half Pit Bull, and contrary to popular belief, Pit Bulls may be the loyalest dogs in existence. They want nothing more than to please their people. Dale is very "hound dominant," but his loyalty is extreme and he's *extremely* sensitive. It's unreal.
Incredible video - answered some questions for me! Over the last year or so we've planted both onion and shallot roots when using them in the kitchen. So now we have these huge green stalks with flowers drying up and I just shook hundreds of black seeds from them. I still have to figure out if they were stalks from shallots or onions. Now I have to plant the seeds and see what comes up! The biennial cycle is now explained.
Great video and thanks for all you do for the gardening community. Have you ever tried starting them in a high-intensity spacing manner? I've been overseeding just a few larger cells for the past several years with great success. There are virtually no issues with seedling competition and at the time of transplantation, the roots are so fibrous that you can gently tease each seedling away from another without any difficulty. This method is nice because it takes up much less space in your grow room and eliminates the need to spend time thinning your onion seedlings.
I may try that next season: basically take a lasagna tray or something and just dump in a whole packet of seed, let them germinate, thicken up, push each other apart, then manually separate them. I think that's how they're grown in commercial operations. Apparently, they separate pretty easily.
@@TheMillennialGardener Depends on how many you want to grow. A whole lasagna tray could easily make 100s. With a single 3 x 2 cell tray, I've been able to grow about 50 or so onion starts just with overseeding and separating them apart at transplantation.
@@RocketPipeTV 4-5 won't fit in these seed start trays. 2-3 may. They need to get to be around 1/4" in diameter before I transplant them, and that won't fly in these little 1" cells. Some thinning is necessary for the convenience of using multi-celled trays.
Not a great guide. Use a heat mat and get onions popping up in 3 days like I do every year, and not 1 or 2 weeks. Leave 2 plants in each tray, they grow fine with plenty of roots for transplants with no noticeable size difference as I found out, saving tray space. When 2nd leaf starts growing sprinkle a weak fertilizer on top like a 2-7-4 ratio. Seed starting mix has NO nutrients and all nutrients come from the seed so fertilize! Start 8 to 12 wks before planting date and trim a 1/3rd of tops off, you really want big roots for big and hardy onions.
Those fancy plant cell trays are great to use but they do cost money. In my area, they are selling for about $6 per tray, with tax included. Frankly, the onions will do just as well planted in the same seed mix in any type container you may have around the house. Some people like to use egg trays, for example. I sometimes just use left over food trays from the grocery, such as plastic salad trays or aluminum trays that contained cooked meats, etc. Just clean them out well and fill them with potting soil. When it is time to plant the onions, it is easy to just use a large spoon or a small spade to lift out a bunch of the onions. As others have said, you can simply wait to thin the onions into individual plants at the time of planting. Thinning earlier may however help the young onions have less competition from their peers for available nutrients and thus grow stronger and faster. Very nice video presentation! I enjoyed watching it.
I live in zone 5 and started my onions Jan 1st this year. Last year I started them early Feb and they were a bit scrawny when I planted them in March, although they did fine and had a pretty good harvest. I think for the heck of it I will plant my onions closer together and harvest every other one when they bulb to about 1" diameter for my own onion sets next year. I just use a plastic container and fill with about 4" of my home made potting mix and broadcast seed the whole tray and let em go. The plants pull apart very easily when I go to stick them in the ground. Enjoyed your video.
I can't prove this, but I think with onions, they like to be planted when it's still cold outside and the days are short. I think if you wait until it gets too warm and the days get too long, they'll try to grow greens too fast. Planting them during the short, cold days, I think, maybe makes them grow better roots. I'm not an expert with Zone 5, though. Our planting times are wildly different, so I guess it all comes down to trial and error.
@@TheMillennialGardener I put my onions out as soon as I can work the soil. In fact last year I had to cover them a couple times when we went down into the teens at night. If interested I posted a garden tour from last Aug, "Brian Seybert garden tour." Enjoy your videos!
Great explanation on the difference between sets and seeds and also the different day lengths. Red burgundy onion is a short day red onion. I got seeds for them at victory seeds.
yes you can. I broadcast my onion seeds into an open flat. After they're up and spreading roots, I break open the soil and "prick"; them out and transplant one in each single cell. they are very robust. Most of the seedlings fall out of the sprouting tray without a root ball attached. I just plunge them into a hole I've poked into the new pot. I honestly don't think I've lost a single seedling using that method.
I start my seeds in the tray you have. I sprinkle in 100 seeds then they grow,a hair cut to 3”,separate them and plant them. I get 3” onions every time. I live in Vermont and I have to get them in the ground in early may for them to grow before the solstice in June where the bulbs start. I never have a bad harvest from seeds
Great info, except it doesn't exactly apply to the bunching onions... Bunching onions sold at market are "bunched" together in a group of 6-8 onions with a rubber band holding the bunch together.... Those were not grown separately, then gathered together, and made into bunches... they were literally grown in those bunches, because THEY ("bunching" onions), prefer to grow in bunches... drop 10-12 seeds together and thin down to like 8, and they will grow together as a "bunch" until harvest, when they are harvested as a bunch, not individual onions.
I just started my onion seeds on the 30th, but my sets arrived today (feb 8th). Should I wait and plant everything out after my frost date has passed? Or plant the sets out ASAP and cover them? Zone 8a Charlotte NC. Thank you!
I have struggled for years to grow big onions. Never started seeds. Always sets and the small bulbs. Always a fail, and seem to go to seed. This year I started seeds. I know it will be the best harvest yet! Can’t wait. I have seen videos on cutting/trimming them as they grow. Do you plan on doing this?
As long as you are growing the appropriate day-length varieties for your latitude, I think growing from seed will fix your problems. Once the onions go in-ground, I will not touch them. Aside from handfuls of organic fertilizer every few weeks and watering as needed, they'll get no other attention til harvest.
Im in georgia, northish. I have a couple questions: - when should i start my onion seedling trays? - should i put them in the grow tent and how long should they stay there, or should they live outside over winter? Then when should i plant them outside? How much light should i give em in the tent, 18 hours okay?
I always have good results growing onion seed, but this year 2 out of 200 seed from botanical interest the yellow granex brand new seed packet for 2023 didn't germinate, so now gonna try my old seed from 2021 Texas early grano from baker creek.
I grow my onions from onion starts not seeds and definitely not sets. I'm in Mid-Eastern Ohio and bought my onion starts from dixindale farms in Texas. In 2023 my onions grew to the size of softballs if not bigger.
One thing :D I think onion seeds are at least 5 times bigger than poppy seeds :D But I dont know what kind of poppy seeds you have seen, of course :D So the spacing can be easy, not like carrots, carrots are vary hard to sow.
Very thorough information and well-delivered, thank you! Check the date on your seed packets as onion seed is very short-lived. After one year, seed viability drops to 50%, after that, they are hardly worth planting. Also for us long day growers in the north, it's hard to time when to start onions because you might be snow-free by early April but, conversely, could still have snow into May. In late snow years, keep checking root growth by lifting the inner tray. If you see more than a few strays, go shovel the snow aside and plant them. One year I left them in the trays too long and lost a lot of roots in transplanting. That shocked the plants and gave really poor results. Seeds are the way to go particularly in the north; by planting time, sets have been in warmth and light for a long time.
Hey, how deep of a container for onions and leeks? I have Alison Craig (the big one) as well as smaller red onions. I also have leeks, which I wish to place in containers as well. Both the onions and leeks are currently in small pots ready to be transplanted. I live on the west coast of Canada.
Incredibly helpful video for this amateur gardener. Thank you I have my onion seeds that have germinated and think I will need to start thinning them out now
I saved seeds from a couple onion plants that made it to year 2. I'm wondering if I can plant them going into this year if I will get a decent onion out of it? There's a risk of some cross-pollination as I also let some leeks go and the onions that flowered might've been from different varieties. Thanks for what you do as your content and presentation skills are spot on!
Did i watch one of your videos once and you said to trim the tops with sissors? before they go outside at the thinning out stage? if yes how much and often. Thx BC, vancouver canada
That’s a lot of waste of Onion seed, leaving all the possible 4 or 5 onions seeds in will still allow you to plant the seeded onions when planting they pull apart easier. Alternatively just use a smaller sized 256 seed tray and just use 1 seed in each hole to transplant.
Just about to start my onion seeds this week! I was wondering, I've heard that cutting the tops of the onions after a few weeks helps strengthen the onions. Have you tried this before?
Just watched another onion-growibig tutorial, where the guy stressed the importance of using a heat mat.. No need even trying without a heatmat was the message form that gardener..
This is my second year growing onions...I was so surprised to learn how tough they are. Last year I grew mine from sprouts I purchased from a well-known company here in TX. Most of my sprouts lived through that crazy ice storm we got last Feb. They just shook it off and I got decent sized bulbs that stored pretty well. Hopefully we aren't in for an ice storm repeat this year. Thanks for the info.🙂 Howdy to cute Dale. He's such a good boy.🙂
Pretty much everything in the genus Allium is tough: onions, garlic, shallots, leeks, etc. They also benefit heavily from the warmth of the soil itself, so even if the greens become damaged, they often come back. Last year, I planted all my onions in January, but we had a much milder winter. We're getting hammered this year with multiple nights in the teens and two winter storms, so I held back some. I'm so happy it's February - spring will be here, soon. Dale says hi!
Excellent video. So very clear. I just got my trays and heirloom seeds in the post, but I think our onion planting season has passed here in NZ, but I’ll get on with the summer crops. I hope the sowing process is similar to this. Thanks.
The first year they are palatable and can be harvested for food. If you do not eat them all the second year they become unpalatable and make seeds for you to save for planting another crop.
@@inharmonywithearth9982 Thank you very much for that information. We bought little sprouts, planted them, and they all grew great bulbs, but about 3 quarter flowered and produced seeds. We are very confused when it comes to onions. First year we grew them.
I have a video on this here: th-cam.com/video/hsxK-bFynO8/w-d-xo.html "How often" depends on how often they dry out. You can't let them completely dry out, so you need to keep an eye on them.
Loved your video…and all of them!! I live in Sacramento, CA…zone 9, and would like to try growing onions. Looks like I’m in the intermediate section. Should I start mine now? Thank you so much.
Thank you! Yes, absolutely, start them now. Don’t delay. Onions mature around the solstice, so the sooner your start them, the better. In your zone, you can plant them in December for an early crop since onions are hardy to Zone 9.
I have never grown onions from seed. And I thought to myself, why? I have grown TREEs from SEED! But then.. i did it this year! I think I’ll get less bulting and more of an overal larger bulb. I should have done this years ago
Great video. The other 3rd option not mentioned is using onion plants. Here in TX you can buy a bundle of about 50 onion plants for $3 to $4. I plant these as well as a package of seeds so I can harvest at 2 different times as the plants have a way head start.
I never heard of growing onions from sets. We usually plant them in a tray, all toghether, and transplant them, just putting the lump in water to losen the roots. Then you select the bigger ones for planting.
You’re not missing much by not using sets. They’re more expensive and have a higher failure rate. The way you’re doing it is better. I will probably leave 2-3 in each cell after the first thinning and just separate what makes it.
No mention of fertilization? Mine do poorly in trays. Spindly leggy wimps Nebraska zone 5B always buy long day going to try short day because garden area shaded by neighbors trees
There is enough nutrients within the seed, and usually in the potting mix, to get decent germination and growth. You can fertilize them if you want with a water soluble fertilizer if you're choosing to use inert seed starting mix.
Thank you for your very helpful videos. I'm in NC too... when did you take your trays outside? I'm growing my seeds inside the house. I have a little green house 3x6', can I use that to take my onions outside? I don't have much space inside and would like to grow other seeds. Thanks.
Sooooo how do you sustain the onions in the ground during winter so they are viable to flower the next year? How much do you water them during winter? How do you cover them? How do you harvest the seeds? Could you please film a Complete Guide To GROWING ONIONS?
You are likely either mis-timing the seeds or growing the wrong varieties. Seeds will be more reliable when set up properly. This video should help: th-cam.com/video/1f3lUsvIFn0/w-d-xo.html
In colder climates, you can start the seeds indoors (as you have done) in early January, then in mid/late February transfer them outside under a cold frame (depending on long-range temperature forecast), then transplant them into their final garden location in March/April/May. The total process is a pain, but it is good if you grow a lot of onions and want specialty varieties. If growing long-day seedlings, make sure not to have your grow lights on for more than 12 hours/day.
I'm glad I watched this as I'm on day 26 since planting and day 20 since germination started and didn't know if or when u should thin out. So tomorrow I'm going to start thinning them out and then leave them a week and do the same again then hopefully by the end on February they will be ready to plant out.
How long do you grow the seedlings before transplanting out to the garden? Is 6-8 weeks sufficient or do they need 12 weeks? I plan to start my seeds in Sept, transplant them in November and overwinter them here in zone 8b (east Texas). I tried that last year but made the mistake of trimming the tops right at transplanting time and should have done it a couple weeks before so I didn’t stress the plants out. Many of them died. Sad. I also moved them into too shady of a spot (technically into my GreenStalk planters) but in the planters are under the eaves of my covered deck. They don’t get enough sunlight I think. They never sized up. It’s July now and they didn’t get bigger than tiny bulbs. I am going to plant them out into full sunlight next time and I bet they’ll be happier. I’m still learning! I can grow green onions all day long, just not my short day onions apparently. 😏I am determined to get it right this next time! I got my garlic to grow (albeit they were smaller as well also due to shading). So both my garlic and onions will have their own plot out in the full sunlight this time!
I grew from sets last year and maybe 10-20% put up flower stems. I pulled the bud off and used the bulbs fresh rather than dry and store them, and still had plenty to store. This year it's all from seed, I did buy some shallot bulbs though.....
Why are you not replanting the ones you thinned out? That seems like a waste of good seeds to me. After all they did grow well, so why toss them out? Those are future onions bulbs you never gave a chance to grow!!! Think about it.
Hi MG, great video!! I have 2 long day onions in the 72 cell and after 3 days I can see germination already. They’re inside on the kitchen table which is near a window but there is a radiator below the window so it would be to hot to put under window.Would you put grow lights on when they start popping? My main grow station is in the garage and we’re coming up with a seriously cold spell this week here in Bryn Mawr, PA. Is it ok to transplant to bigger pot before planting outside in a raised bed. Thanks. gino
I'm in zone 6/7, I'd not thin them that soon, its a waste if seeds, roots don't get tangled, give them more time and then separate them to transplant,I like the white sweet onions, Walla, Walla are great, Candy Sweets grow well here and they are almost same in taste...we HAVE used onion sets but mostly for the spring onions that have tiny bulbs, but some DO get rather big!
If your ground doesn’t freeze, you can follow my schedule. If you are in Zone 7 and ground freezing is an issue, make sure you wait til it is thawed before transplanting. However, onion transplants can hang out in the cells another 2 weeks, so even if you start seeds right now and it winds up still being too cold March 1st for you, they can hang out in the cells til March 15. By then, you should be golden unless you’re up in the mountains.
Thanks for the video. I just started my onion, broccoli, and cauliflower seeds this morning, here in East TN, in my passive solar greenhouse, where I have our citrus trees. We go through a LOT of onions yearly, so I'm starting about 300 from seed this year. We have problems in our soil with Fusarium basal rot. It causes our onions to quickly rot, after pulling them from the soil. This year I'm trying a variety from Johnny Seed; Expression, an intermediate day onion. We are also "on the cusp" of growing long-day onions, so if the Expression doesn't do well this year, I'll shoot for a long-day that is resistant to Fusarium basal rot in next years garden. Last year I grew shallots that I started from seed. They were of a medium-size, which we used up fast. Bunching onions do very well in our smaller garden greenhouse. They even survived the sub-zero deep freeze we made it through this winter. I just cut them all down to about 1" after the deep freeze and you would never know they were effected by the very low temps. They are starting to divide and "bunch" now...awesome! Question...When don't you transplant your little onions that you thin out into other pots? I've done this before with great success. This years thinning will go into our small greenhouse, rather than the garden.
Are you starting them indoors? If so, yes. They will die without light. However, you could also move them outdoors. It's pretty mild during the day nearly everywhere.
I’m planting my onion seeds tomorrow. My question is I like growing peppers and tomatoes in grow bags. Can I still companion plant my onions with them in the bags?
So after germination, are you leaving them outside in the cells until time to transplant? I'm in upstate SC, 7b/8a depending on the map you're looking at. What would you recommend?
Great informative video! I am in South Carolina. Will the seedlings survive the frost we might get in March or April beginning, if transplanted outside by Feb end or early March? Kindly clarify.
This is my second year trying to grow onions from a seed. Both years I have lost so many from damping off despite having a fan going to try and avoid fungal growth. Do you have any suggestions to avoid damping off?
Came because it said complete guide, but it stops after the thinning stage. Mine struggle to gain any thickness past the size you showed at the end. Was hoping this would address that.
Tip:if u grow in sets and the oinion is forming seeds u just remove the top of the onion (the part where seeds are produced) and the onion will shift the energy to bulb formation
Thanks for the great video! Do you need to add any fertilizer/nutrients to the vermiculite mix to give the onion seedlings something to feed on before transplant?
Good afternoon from East Texas! You answered a LOT of question I had about growing from seed. I have higher hopes for my crop next year… 💁🏼♀️… Thanks!!
Hi, great video. I live in the UK - Manchester area and it is my first year trying to grow onions from seeds. What time you think I should start with the seeds indoors? Thanks
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If you found this video helpful, please "Like" and share to help increase its reach! Thanks for watching 😊TIMESTAMPS for convenience:
0:00 The Biennial Life Cycle Of Onions
1:11 What Are Onion Sets? Onion Bulbs Explained
2:02 The Problem With Onion Sets
3:03 Why I Prefer Growing Onions From Seed
3:54 Direct Seeding VS Starting Onion Seed In Trays
5:23 Short Day VS Intermediate Day VS Long Day Onions
6:12 The Onion Varieties And Shallots I Am Growing
7:07 Scarlet Bandit Bunching Onions
7:20 Setting Up The Seed Trays For Planting
7:51 How To Plant Seed For Onion Transplants
9:59 Germinating Onion Tips
11:09 Thinning Onion Seedlings
12:56 When To Transplant Onion Plants
13:43 Adventures With Dale
Can you let them all grow and separate them when transplanting?
Great video as always! I grow onions the same way (i live in socal, zone 10) and have great success every year. If I could suggest a tip though, next time you grow seedlings DON'T thin them out. Onions are very hardy, resilient plants and you can grow several of them in the same cell without an issue. They separate extremely easily, the roots basically never tangle, and it can save you a lot of time and money spent on seed and soil. I've grown up to 10 in the same cell and I just make sure they never grow past the thickness of a yellow pencil. Then I just wash off the soil once they're ready to transplant and separate the roots. They're also really easy to transplant to soil outside afterwards, just stick your finger in the soil 3-4 inches, put your seedling in the hole and cover with soil while leaving an inch still exposed to the sun.
Maybe I’ll leave them 2 in a tray and separate them. I know onions can take a beating, hence onion sets and the shipment of bunches of green onions. These cells are very small, but they should easily accommodate 2 onions. I’ll probably do that and skip thinning a second time.
I said the same thing. My eyes got so big when he was thinning. 😢😭
I said the same thing also. They are very easy to separate, no thinning needed.
@@colliecoform4854 yes, an no need to use and entire tray. I grow mine in cups with the seeds densely sown. They look like a patch of grass in the cup. Separate and I lay them on the soil and layer soil over the roots. The roots grow down into the soil and the onion stand up straight in about 2 weeks.
@Tyler Day, fellow Socal gardener here. I'm in zone 9b. When do you start your seeds Tyler?
Great explanation of why sets and bulbs may not provide a big bulb for harvest. Starting from seed is easy and also gives more options for variety choice that sets don't.
Thank you! I messed around with onion sets for years, because I thought it was the *easy* way. Turns out it was just the more expensive way with less predictable results 😅 You can't beat the productivity of a $2 pack of onion seeds!
That’s great that Gardener Scott watched and liked your Tutorial…..I subscribe to him also….he is so knowledgeable just like you……
Great video as always! The only thing I do differently is when I sow my seeds, I sow them heavy and don’t thin them. I separate them at time of planting into the garden. They separate very well. Especially in seed starting mix.
Next year, I may just sow them in a lasagna foil pan or something. Thanks for watching!
I do the same
I grow mine in clumps of 5 or 6; you can thin out salad onions as they grow or let them be and end up with medium sized onions. I haven't got a lot of space so works well for me. Got this tip initially from Charles Dowding who does the same.
Exactly. I never waste the onions. To easy to seperate
I have had great success using the tray you show your potting mix in, the one on the right. I plant 1 seed in proper spacing, about a 2" grid, double what I need. No wasted seed! I HATE THINNING! The trays lid workes well to keep them moist and to ventilate when needed. Easy to move around as well. At planting time, with decent moisture in the tray, I just use a kitchen fork to get 'em out and plant. For Welsh bunching onions I take the seedling completely out of the soil, put them on a moist paper towel, and stick them into an index finger sized hole and move the soil back around them. They are TOUGH! They dont mind this at all, ... just sayin. Enjoying yout videos! Thanks!
I never knew there was a long day and short day onion! I almost set myself up for failure. Your channel for gardening is one of my top favorites. Thank you!
I've had great success not thinning the seedlings until my final transplant into the garden bed. The roots tend to come apart fairly easily at that point and I'm not essentially wasting any seeds. It just means that I need to have more available room in the garden bed
Read my comments above and watch Charles dowding
Because I used 72-cell trays, the onions have to be thinned since the cells can’t hold more than 2-3. That’s one of the downside to the cells. If you have a large, open tray where they can push each other around, you can thin less or possibly not at all. I enjoy popping them out of these trays, but it is not without downsides. That’s up to the individual to find their preference.
Well done. I've watched a ton of gardening videos over the years and I almost never leave a comment. This was well done. Thank you for the solid and well organized information.
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed the format. I appreciate the feedback.
Yes, I agree. This video helped me to understand how & why to plant seeds, as opposed to sets, my question about heat mat, etc. Thank you so much!
Your problem is your 1 inch set. 1/2 inch is far better. Grandpa taught me to never take the big ones, pick the middle size ones instead. You get more per pound and far fewer going to seed. If a seed stalk starts cut it off immediately then the onion will still bulb, or use that one as a green onion.
Great video ! I’m going to try onions fir the first time this year . I now realize that I should probably may get the seeds started this week . Time to run to the garden center !
I make holes in bottom of an empty mushroom container and fill with potting soil. I put 50+ seeds on top of the soil and dust with soil. I don't thin at all. Onions separate easily from each other. Plant as usual in the garden with at least 3" spacing. They grow quickly cuz they are happy to have the room outside. Been doing this for years. Zone 8b
Thank you. Great video.
I've planted my onions in the fall (I'm the same zone in GA), and have some starting from seeds. Will see which ones will do better.
I'm very impressed that you can leave your shoes on the floor. My Molly would get them right away.
Great catch Dale!
I have been really meticulous with Dale. I stay on him pretty well, and I reward him very well when he's good. I work from home, so I'm home every day, which keeps his anxiety at bay. Dale is half Pit Bull, and contrary to popular belief, Pit Bulls may be the loyalest dogs in existence. They want nothing more than to please their people. Dale is very "hound dominant," but his loyalty is extreme and he's *extremely* sensitive. It's unreal.
Incredible video - answered some questions for me! Over the last year or so we've planted both onion and shallot roots when using them in the kitchen. So now we have these huge green stalks with flowers drying up and I just shook hundreds of black seeds from them. I still have to figure out if they were stalks from shallots or onions. Now I have to plant the seeds and see what comes up! The biennial cycle is now explained.
Can you transplant those onions you pulled out into another cell so you have more onions than just the ones you have in the original cells?
Great video and thanks for all you do for the gardening community.
Have you ever tried starting them in a high-intensity spacing manner? I've been overseeding just a few larger cells for the past several years with great success. There are virtually no issues with seedling competition and at the time of transplantation, the roots are so fibrous that you can gently tease each seedling away from another without any difficulty.
This method is nice because it takes up much less space in your grow room and eliminates the need to spend time thinning your onion seedlings.
I may try that next season: basically take a lasagna tray or something and just dump in a whole packet of seed, let them germinate, thicken up, push each other apart, then manually separate them. I think that's how they're grown in commercial operations. Apparently, they separate pretty easily.
@@TheMillennialGardener Depends on how many you want to grow. A whole lasagna tray could easily make 100s. With a single 3 x 2 cell tray, I've been able to grow about 50 or so onion starts just with overseeding and separating them apart at transplantation.
No need to separate. Plant 4-5 in a clump. You’ll be amazed
@@RocketPipeTV Do you run into any issues with bulbing if you plant them that close together?
@@RocketPipeTV 4-5 won't fit in these seed start trays. 2-3 may. They need to get to be around 1/4" in diameter before I transplant them, and that won't fly in these little 1" cells. Some thinning is necessary for the convenience of using multi-celled trays.
Not a great guide. Use a heat mat and get onions popping up in 3 days like I do every year, and not 1 or 2 weeks. Leave 2 plants in each tray, they grow fine with plenty of roots for transplants with no noticeable size difference as I found out, saving tray space. When 2nd leaf starts growing sprinkle a weak fertilizer on top like a 2-7-4 ratio. Seed starting mix has NO nutrients and all nutrients come from the seed so fertilize! Start 8 to 12 wks before planting date and trim a 1/3rd of tops off, you really want big roots for big and hardy onions.
Those fancy plant cell trays are great to use but they do cost money. In my area, they are selling for about $6 per tray, with tax included. Frankly, the onions will do just as well planted in the same seed mix in any type container you may have around the house. Some people like to use egg trays, for example. I sometimes just use left over food trays from the grocery, such as plastic salad trays or aluminum trays that contained cooked meats, etc. Just clean them out well and fill them with potting soil.
When it is time to plant the onions, it is easy to just use a large spoon or a small spade to lift out a bunch of the onions. As others have said, you can simply wait to thin the onions into individual plants at the time of planting. Thinning earlier may however help the young onions have less competition from their peers for available nutrients and thus grow stronger and faster.
Very nice video presentation! I enjoyed watching it.
I live in zone 5 and started my onions Jan 1st this year. Last year I started them early Feb and they were a bit scrawny when I planted them in March, although they did fine and had a pretty good harvest. I think for the heck of it I will plant my onions closer together and harvest every other one when they bulb to about 1" diameter for my own onion sets next year.
I just use a plastic container and fill with about 4" of my home made potting mix and broadcast seed the whole tray and let em go. The plants pull apart very easily when I go to stick them in the ground.
Enjoyed your video.
I can't prove this, but I think with onions, they like to be planted when it's still cold outside and the days are short. I think if you wait until it gets too warm and the days get too long, they'll try to grow greens too fast. Planting them during the short, cold days, I think, maybe makes them grow better roots. I'm not an expert with Zone 5, though. Our planting times are wildly different, so I guess it all comes down to trial and error.
@@TheMillennialGardener I put my onions out as soon as I can work the soil. In fact last year I had to cover them a couple times when we went down into the teens at night. If interested I posted a garden tour from last Aug, "Brian Seybert garden tour." Enjoy your videos!
Great explanation on the difference between sets and seeds and also the different day lengths. Red burgundy onion is a short day red onion. I got seeds for them at victory seeds.
Could you re-plant the seedings that get pulled out? In their own space?
yes you can. I broadcast my onion seeds into an open flat. After they're up and spreading roots, I break open the soil and "prick"; them out and transplant one in each single cell. they are very robust. Most of the seedlings fall out of the sprouting tray without a root ball attached. I just plunge them into a hole I've poked into the new pot. I honestly don't think I've lost a single seedling using that method.
I start my seeds in the tray you have. I sprinkle in 100 seeds then they grow,a hair cut to 3”,separate them and plant them. I get 3” onions every time. I live in Vermont and I have to get them in the ground in early may for them to grow before the solstice in June where the bulbs start. I never have a bad harvest from seeds
Great info, except it doesn't exactly apply to the bunching onions... Bunching onions sold at market are "bunched" together in a group of 6-8 onions with a rubber band holding the bunch together.... Those were not grown separately, then gathered together, and made into bunches... they were literally grown in those bunches, because THEY ("bunching" onions), prefer to grow in bunches... drop 10-12 seeds together and thin down to like 8, and they will grow together as a "bunch" until harvest, when they are harvested as a bunch, not individual onions.
I just started my onion seeds on the 30th, but my sets arrived today (feb 8th). Should I wait and plant everything out after my frost date has passed? Or plant the sets out ASAP and cover them? Zone 8a Charlotte NC. Thank you!
I have struggled for years to grow big onions. Never started seeds. Always sets and the small bulbs. Always a fail, and seem to go to seed. This year I started seeds. I know it will be the best harvest yet! Can’t wait. I have seen videos on cutting/trimming them as they grow. Do you plan on doing this?
As long as you are growing the appropriate day-length varieties for your latitude, I think growing from seed will fix your problems. Once the onions go in-ground, I will not touch them. Aside from handfuls of organic fertilizer every few weeks and watering as needed, they'll get no other attention til harvest.
Im in georgia, northish. I have a couple questions:
- when should i start my onion seedling trays?
- should i put them in the grow tent and how long should they stay there, or should they live outside over winter? Then when should i plant them outside? How much light should i give em in the tent, 18 hours okay?
I always have good results growing onion seed, but this year 2 out of 200 seed from botanical interest the yellow granex brand new seed packet for 2023 didn't germinate, so now gonna try my old seed from 2021 Texas early grano from baker creek.
I grow my onions from onion starts not seeds and definitely not sets. I'm in Mid-Eastern Ohio and bought my onion starts from dixindale farms in Texas. In 2023 my onions grew to the size of softballs if not bigger.
SHIT! I just sowed long day onions and I live in south Louisiana. Damn I had no clue
One thing :D I think onion seeds are at least 5 times bigger than poppy seeds :D But I dont know what kind of poppy seeds you have seen, of course :D So the spacing can be easy, not like carrots, carrots are vary hard to sow.
Very thorough information and well-delivered, thank you! Check the date on your seed packets as onion seed is very short-lived. After one year, seed viability drops to 50%, after that, they are hardly worth planting. Also for us long day growers in the north, it's hard to time when to start onions because you might be snow-free by early April but, conversely, could still have snow into May. In late snow years, keep checking root growth by lifting the inner tray. If you see more than a few strays, go shovel the snow aside and plant them. One year I left them in the trays too long and lost a lot of roots in transplanting. That shocked the plants and gave really poor results. Seeds are the way to go particularly in the north; by planting time, sets have been in warmth and light for a long time.
Hey, how deep of a container for onions and leeks? I have Alison Craig (the big one) as well as smaller red onions. I also have leeks, which I wish to place in containers as well. Both the onions and leeks are currently in small pots ready to be transplanted. I live on the west coast of Canada.
Incredibly helpful video for this amateur gardener. Thank you
I have my onion seeds that have germinated and think I will need to start thinning them out now
I saved seeds from a couple onion plants that made it to year 2. I'm wondering if I can plant them going into this year if I will get a decent onion out of it? There's a risk of some cross-pollination as I also let some leeks go and the onions that flowered might've been from different varieties. Thanks for what you do as your content and presentation skills are spot on!
Thanks for the clarification. I found the information I wanted to know. 😁
Did i watch one of your videos once and you said to trim the tops with sissors? before they go outside at the thinning out stage? if yes how much and often. Thx BC, vancouver canada
That’s a lot of waste of Onion seed, leaving all the possible 4 or 5 onions seeds in will still allow you to plant the seeded onions when planting they pull apart easier.
Alternatively just use a smaller sized 256 seed tray and just use 1 seed in each hole to transplant.
Just about to start my onion seeds this week! I was wondering, I've heard that cutting the tops of the onions after a few weeks helps strengthen the onions. Have you tried this before?
Fertilization regimen? Spooning Topping. Wish someone in 5b would do seeds to harvest
Don't let that fairy Morris pro-hex seed starter kit get any sunlight , it will shrivel up till it's unusable.😅
Just watched another onion-growibig tutorial, where the guy stressed the importance of using a heat mat.. No need even trying without a heatmat was the message form that gardener..
why not just leave all the onion seedlings instead of plucking a few? won't they just grow around each other once they're planted in the ground?
This is my second year growing onions...I was so surprised to learn how tough they are. Last year I grew mine from sprouts I purchased from a well-known company here in TX. Most of my sprouts lived through that crazy ice storm we got last Feb. They just shook it off and I got decent sized bulbs that stored pretty well. Hopefully we aren't in for an ice storm repeat this year. Thanks for the info.🙂 Howdy to cute Dale. He's such a good boy.🙂
Pretty much everything in the genus Allium is tough: onions, garlic, shallots, leeks, etc. They also benefit heavily from the warmth of the soil itself, so even if the greens become damaged, they often come back. Last year, I planted all my onions in January, but we had a much milder winter. We're getting hammered this year with multiple nights in the teens and two winter storms, so I held back some. I'm so happy it's February - spring will be here, soon. Dale says hi!
Excellent video. So very clear. I just got my trays and heirloom seeds in the post, but I think our onion planting season has passed here in NZ, but I’ll get on with the summer crops. I hope the sowing process is similar to this. Thanks.
The only way to have good luck with the onion sets, is to live in a long day area up north. Most of the bulbs are seeded from long day onions.
So you grow them from seeds indoors, then transplant, then harvest, all in the same year? What is the second year year for in the bi-annul stage for?
The first year they are palatable and can be harvested for food. If you do not eat them all the second year they become unpalatable and make seeds for you to save for planting another crop.
@@inharmonywithearth9982 Thank you very much for that information. We bought little sprouts, planted them, and they all grew great bulbs, but about 3 quarter flowered and produced seeds. We are very confused when it comes to onions. First year we grew them.
I hardly ever thin. Just pull them apart and plant outside when the times right. I need hundreds tho so I don't like to waste them
Do you feed seedlings while they are still in the tray ? ... if so , how often and how much and what kind of fertilizer ?
I have a video on this here: th-cam.com/video/hsxK-bFynO8/w-d-xo.html
"How often" depends on how often they dry out. You can't let them completely dry out, so you need to keep an eye on them.
I direct sowed my seeds....then weeds popped up. Well now i know next time do a seed tray and transplant 👍
When and what do you feed the seedlings? We really enjoy your videos!! Thanks
I'm further North. I've never had any sort of success no matter whose tutorials I follow
Loved your video…and all of them!! I live in Sacramento, CA…zone 9, and would like to try growing onions. Looks like I’m in the intermediate section. Should I start mine now? Thank you so much.
Thank you! Yes, absolutely, start them now. Don’t delay. Onions mature around the solstice, so the sooner your start them, the better. In your zone, you can plant them in December for an early crop since onions are hardy to Zone 9.
I bet your knees were hurting after this video. Lol.
Can I grow the onion seeds straight in the ground if I use a greenhouse? Should use the same 4 to 5 seeds per hole on the ground?
I never grow from sets, I like growing from seed and I can have several varieties.
Had to quit watching after that stupid subscribe bell.
I have never grown onions from seed. And I thought to myself, why? I have grown TREEs from SEED! But then.. i did it this year! I think I’ll get less bulting and more of an overal larger bulb. I should have done this years ago
My knees hurt when watching you on the garage ground! LOL! Great info!
I do a lot of leg exercises 😂 It keeps them in shape.
Great video. The other 3rd option not mentioned is using onion plants. Here in TX you can buy a bundle of about 50 onion plants for $3 to $4. I plant these as well as a package of seeds so I can harvest at 2 different times as the plants have a way head start.
Smart!
Hi @CraigDAL12 where did you buy the onion plants? I'm also in Texas. I'm in zone 8b. Thanks 😊
I never heard of growing onions from sets. We usually plant them in a tray, all toghether, and transplant them, just putting the lump in water to losen the roots. Then you select the bigger ones for planting.
You’re not missing much by not using sets. They’re more expensive and have a higher failure rate. The way you’re doing it is better. I will probably leave 2-3 in each cell after the first thinning and just separate what makes it.
No mention of fertilization? Mine do poorly in trays. Spindly leggy wimps Nebraska zone 5B always buy long day going to try short day because garden area shaded by neighbors trees
There is enough nutrients within the seed, and usually in the potting mix, to get decent germination and growth. You can fertilize them if you want with a water soluble fertilizer if you're choosing to use inert seed starting mix.
Wonderful! Thx for sharing this info. Extremely helpful. 😊
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching.
When I thin them,I plant the ones I've thinned into another seed tray.
Thank you for your very helpful videos. I'm in NC too... when did you take your trays outside? I'm growing my seeds inside the house. I have a little green house 3x6', can I use that to take my onions outside? I don't have much space inside and would like to grow other seeds. Thanks.
Sooooo how do you sustain the onions in the ground during winter so they are viable to flower the next year? How much do you water them during winter? How do you cover them? How do you harvest the seeds? Could you please film a Complete Guide To GROWING ONIONS?
You the mann👊🏾.
This is the video I needed.
Great catch Dale.
Thanks for sharing. Got to watch it one more to make sure i got it lol.
Sets always brought forth green onions, and plants make bulbs' big onions..never got seeds to do squat.
You are likely either mis-timing the seeds or growing the wrong varieties. Seeds will be more reliable when set up properly. This video should help: th-cam.com/video/1f3lUsvIFn0/w-d-xo.html
In colder climates, you can start the seeds indoors (as you have done) in early January, then in mid/late February transfer them outside under a cold frame (depending on long-range temperature forecast), then transplant them into their final garden location in March/April/May. The total process is a pain, but it is good if you grow a lot of onions and want specialty varieties.
If growing long-day seedlings, make sure not to have your grow lights on for more than 12 hours/day.
Short Day, zone 8, Red Creole Onion.
I'm glad I watched this as I'm on day 26 since planting and day 20 since germination started and didn't know if or when u should thin out. So tomorrow I'm going to start thinning them out and then leave them a week and do the same again then hopefully by the end on February they will be ready to plant out.
Good video, but not complete without including any recommendations on what you feed them and when. Keep up the good work!
This is a planting video. I have extensive instructions elsewhere, such as here: th-cam.com/video/K4JAfAyIrO8/w-d-xo.htmlsi=dzF0g6xUZS17bZ5J
I'm so happy I found your channel. Finally someone in my area.
I'm glad it's helpful!
How long do you grow the seedlings before transplanting out to the garden? Is 6-8 weeks sufficient or do they need 12 weeks? I plan to start my seeds in Sept, transplant them in November and overwinter them here in zone 8b (east Texas). I tried that last year but made the mistake of trimming the tops right at transplanting time and should have done it a couple weeks before so I didn’t stress the plants out. Many of them died. Sad. I also moved them into too shady of a spot (technically into my GreenStalk planters) but in the planters are under the eaves of my covered deck. They don’t get enough sunlight I think. They never sized up. It’s July now and they didn’t get bigger than tiny bulbs. I am going to plant them out into full sunlight next time and I bet they’ll be happier. I’m still learning! I can grow green onions all day long, just not my short day onions apparently. 😏I am determined to get it right this next time! I got my garlic to grow (albeit they were smaller as well also due to shading). So both my garlic and onions will have their own plot out in the full sunlight this time!
I grew from sets last year and maybe 10-20% put up flower stems. I pulled the bud off and used the bulbs fresh rather than dry and store them, and still had plenty to store.
This year it's all from seed, I did buy some shallot bulbs though.....
maybe I should also plant a few onion sets to get the seed!
Dang it. I wanted to try onions this year so I bought a small bulb set. 😂. Next year I’ll try seeds! Thanks for info!!
Why are you not replanting the ones you thinned out? That seems like a waste of good seeds to me. After all they did grow well, so why toss them out? Those are future onions bulbs you never gave a chance to grow!!! Think about it.
Hi MG, great video!! I have 2 long day onions in the 72 cell and after 3 days I can see germination already. They’re inside on the kitchen table which is near a window but there is a radiator below the window so it would be to hot to put under window.Would you put grow lights on when they start popping? My main grow station is in the garage and we’re coming up with a seriously cold spell this week here in Bryn Mawr, PA. Is it ok to transplant to bigger pot before planting outside in a raised bed. Thanks. gino
When sown, where did you keep them? Sunlight? Temperature? Great video, I want to have a try at bunching onions
I'm in zone 6/7, I'd not thin them that soon, its a waste if seeds, roots don't get tangled, give them more time and then separate them to transplant,I like the white sweet onions, Walla, Walla are great, Candy Sweets grow well here and they are almost same in taste...we HAVE used onion sets but mostly for the spring onions that have tiny bulbs, but some DO get rather big!
You explain so good. Very helpful. You also discipline your dog very nicely... He's lovely ^_^
I'm north of you in south central va. Should I wait 2 weeks after you?
If your ground doesn’t freeze, you can follow my schedule. If you are in Zone 7 and ground freezing is an issue, make sure you wait til it is thawed before transplanting. However, onion transplants can hang out in the cells another 2 weeks, so even if you start seeds right now and it winds up still being too cold March 1st for you, they can hang out in the cells til March 15. By then, you should be golden unless you’re up in the mountains.
Thank you so much for this! I have always assumed I should get the bulb but next year I'm definitely going to get some seeds.
Damn. This gardening video was actually useful. Most Chanel’s don’t do that :3
Onion sets literally makes no sense!!!
Thanks for the video. I just started my onion, broccoli, and cauliflower seeds this morning, here in East TN, in my passive solar greenhouse, where I have our citrus trees. We go through a LOT of onions yearly, so I'm starting about 300 from seed this year. We have problems in our soil with Fusarium basal rot. It causes our onions to quickly rot, after pulling them from the soil. This year I'm trying a variety from Johnny Seed; Expression, an intermediate day onion. We are also "on the cusp" of growing long-day onions, so if the Expression doesn't do well this year, I'll shoot for a long-day that is resistant to Fusarium basal rot in next years garden.
Last year I grew shallots that I started from seed. They were of a medium-size, which we used up fast. Bunching onions do very well in our smaller garden greenhouse. They even survived the sub-zero deep freeze we made it through this winter. I just cut them all down to about 1" after the deep freeze and you would never know they were effected by the very low temps. They are starting to divide and "bunch" now...awesome!
Question...When don't you transplant your little onions that you thin out into other pots? I've done this before with great success. This years thinning will go into our small greenhouse, rather than the garden.
Once my onions break the surface of the soil do I need to put them under a grow light?
Are you starting them indoors? If so, yes. They will die without light. However, you could also move them outdoors. It's pretty mild during the day nearly everywhere.
I’m planting my onion seeds tomorrow. My question is I like growing peppers and tomatoes in grow bags. Can I still companion plant my onions with them in the bags?
So after germination, are you leaving them outside in the cells until time to transplant? I'm in upstate SC, 7b/8a depending on the map you're looking at. What would you recommend?
Great informative video! I am in South Carolina. Will the seedlings survive the frost we might get in March or April beginning, if transplanted outside by Feb end or early March? Kindly clarify.
This is my second year trying to grow onions from a seed. Both years I have lost so many from damping off despite having a fan going to try and avoid fungal growth. Do you have any suggestions to avoid damping off?
Came because it said complete guide, but it stops after the thinning stage. Mine struggle to gain any thickness past the size you showed at the end. Was hoping this would address that.
I grow mine in multiples and plant out in 3-4 to grow together . Increases overall yield
Tip:if u grow in sets and the oinion is forming seeds u just remove the top of the onion (the part where seeds are produced) and the onion will shift the energy to bulb formation
Thank you! Great video, great explantion!
You are welcome! Glad it was helpful! Thank you for watching!
Thanks for the great video! Do you need to add any fertilizer/nutrients to the vermiculite mix to give the onion seedlings something to feed on before transplant?
Good afternoon from East Texas! You answered a LOT of question I had about growing from seed. I have higher hopes for my crop next year… 💁🏼♀️… Thanks!!
Hi, great video. I live in the UK - Manchester area and it is my first year trying to grow onions from seeds. What time you think I should start with the seeds indoors? Thanks
I’m going to try short day and intermediate day onion. I’m in 7a in Reno. I think I can do both; yet I’m doing each type with own rows to confirm
A short day red onion that is supposed to do well in the south, is the Red Creole Onion (Allium Cepa 'Red Creole')
Thanks for the video ,is it OK to cut and cook only leaves while the bulb is still growing
NO HEAT MAT. Thank you.