In this article we are going to walk through the steps I use to successfully plant onions in my fall or winter garden. Onions are pretty easy to grow and a staple in our kitchen year round. We are planting our onions in October and November.
We had our first dip below freezing in early November in Zone 8b. Make sure to check your zone for the right planting time. Special Note: USDA Plant Hardiness Zones were updated in November of 2023, check for any changes at the link above.
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Choosing Your Onions – Sets versus Seeds
Onions are truly biennial plants. If you plant seeds you will get small bulbs the first year. The second year will produce onions like those you find in the grocery store. We plant onion sets in our garden, as sets are the easiest way to grow onions.
However, sets come in limited varieties. So, if you want a wider range of varieties you will need to use seeds.
Materials/Tools to Plant Onion Sets
- Onion Sets
- Garden Trowel
- Ruler and tape measure
- Cordless Drill and Auger Bit (optional)
- Epsoma Bio-Tone Starter
- Watering can/water
How to Plant Onion Sets
Time needed: 20 minutes
How to Plant Onions
- Make a trench in the soil
Use your trowel or shovel to make a trench in your prepared soil or bed. Place the onion bulbs in the trench at six inch intervals. I like to use a tape measure to make sure I have them spaced properly.
- Use the drill and auger bit to make the holes
You can use a hand shovel to do this step. However, I like to use the drill and augur to loosen up the soil around where the bulb will be growing. This address any issues with the soil being compacted and gives the bulbs plenty of room to grow.
- Place the onions in the holes
Place the onions in the holes with the root side down and the pointy side up. They will still grow if you mistakenly plant upside down, but give them the best start you can.
- Cover the bulbs with soil and water in
Cover the onions with soil and water them in to remove any air pockets.
Planting Onions – What to Expect Next
Your onions may sprout or form shoots above the ground prior to a hard freeze in your area. Don’t worry, this is normal and actually good. The plants will go dormant and start to regrow in the spring.
It’s important to keep the area weed free (or in my yard, leaf and acorn free) this will help prevent pests from overwintering and becoming a bigger problem in the spring. We are busy raking leaves and will be adding a thick layer of leaf mulch.
Here is a picture of the onions we planted back at the end of October. Approximately, 7 weeks after planting.
Conclusion – Planting Onions
We hope you found this article on how to plant garlic helpful and that you will check back for updates as we will be updating this page as our plants grow and when we are ready for harvest.
Onion Plant Care Reference Card
| Onion Plant Care Reference Card | |
| Common Name | Onion |
| Botanical Name | Allium cepa |
| Family | Amaryllidaceae |
| Plant Type | Biennial, commonly grown as an annual |
| Size | Typically 6 to 18 inches tall and wide |
| Sun Exposure | Full sun |
| Soil Type | Well-drained, rich in organic matter |
| Soil pH | Slightly acidic to neutral (pH 6.0 to 7.0) |
| Bloom Time | Flowers in the second year; mainly grown for bulbs |
| Hardiness Zones | 3 to 9 (grown annually) |
| Native Area | Asia |
| Toxicity | Non-toxic to humans; toxic to pets, especially cats and dogs |