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key growing information
How to Grow Onions From Sets
How to grow onions from sets: planting soon after arrival, soil and pH, depth and spacing, spring or fall planting with low tunnels, disease, thrips and weed control, harvest and curing.
By Hensley’s Seed Co.
Onion Sets - Key Growing Information
SCIENTIFIC NAME:
Allium cepa
CULTURE:
Plant onion sets as soon as you can, ideally within a week of arrival; until then, keep them somewhere cool, dark, dry and well ventilated. Onions need fertile, well-drained soil with a pH of 6.2–6.8. Sandy loam is ideal, so on heavier soil use raised beds or raised rows to improve drainage. Give them full sun and regular watering through the season, about 1" of water a week.
PLANTING:
Set each bulb about 1" deep, root end (the rounded base) down, 4–6" apart in rows 12–18" apart. If you'd like some green or fresh onions during the season, plant closer in the row and pull every other one as needed. In spring, plant as soon as the soil can be worked. In fall, plant at about garlic-planting time, before the ground freezes; in Zone 5 that's typically mid-October to late November. Water as needed until freeze-up. A low tunnel is a good idea: put row cover on once temperatures regularly dip below 25°F (-4°C), and add a layer of greenhouse plastic before the coldest winter weather. In spring, vent the tunnel so it doesn't overheat, and take the cover off completely once snow is no longer a threat and daytime highs stay above 25°F (-4°C).
DISEASES, INSECTS AND WEEDS:
Good airflow, crop rotation and clean-up, removing all culls and plant debris each season, all lower the risk of leaf disease. Thrips are the most common pest of onions and their relatives, though 'Forum' has shown some resistance in trials. Keep fields free of weeds and debris to reduce places thrips can overwinter. For heavy infestations, use insecticides such as spinosad, pyrethrin or insecticidal soap (see our Insect Control Chart). Overhead watering can wash thrips off the leaves, though it can also raise the risk of leaf disease. Weed control is essential for a good crop, since weeds cut yields and harbor pests. Cultivate gently to avoid damaging the plant bases and shallow roots, and use organic mulch to suppress weeds and hold moisture.HARVEST: For green bunching onions, pull once small bulbs have formed. Full-size onions are mature when the necks soften and the tops start to topple; stop watering then. Once about half the tops are down, pull the onions and leave them in the sun for 2–7 days to dry. When leaves and necks are fully dry, trim the roots and cut the tops back to 1". 'Forum' isn't a long keeper, but well-cured bulbs store for about 3 months.
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