When growing onions it is best to grow them from sets, these are immature bulbs that have been grown specially for planting. Believe me, there are several advantages over growing from seeds, sets are much quicker growing, they are less likely to get attacked by pests and disease and they tend not to bolt as much as seed grown onions.

Soil Preparation

Onions love to grow in good soil, it’s highly recommended that you dig compost or well rotted manure into the soil in winter before planting. Before planting the sets you could also add some general fertilizer to give the sets that extra boost once planted.

Sowing and Planting

Onion sets should be planted in March or April depending on your location. Plant the sets 4 inches apart in rows which are 9 inches apart. When planting you should lightly press the set into the soil making sure that the tip of the set is still showing.

After planting you may also decide to cover the onions with nets as birds tend to pull the sets up, mistaking them for worms. Just covering with a general garden net should be enough just to protect them. Of course, once the onions begin growing the net can be removed.

Looking After The Plants

Keep the plants weed free at all time, you may wish to use a special onion hoe to do this or alternatively you can do this by hand, either way is fine.

If you decided not to net the sets after planting you will have to push the onion sets that have been pulled up by birds back into the soil. Don’t worry about this, once the onions have been growing for a few weeks and start rooting this will no longer be a problem.

Harvesting

The onions are mature once the stems of the plants turn brown and fall over. You should leave the plants outdoors to dry once you have harvested them. This will take 7-10 days depending on the size of the onions as well as the current temperature.

If you spot any onions that are soft, have a thick neck or smell bad these should be either discarded or used in the kitchen if they are still okay to do so.

Onions should be stored in trays or net bags. If you keep these at the correct temperatures you will find that they will keep for nine or even ten months.