There are two basic ways you can grow onion in your vegetable garden — by starting them with seeds or through onion sets. What is more straightforward and simple though is the latter. Planting onion sets is not difficult and does not have to be time-consuming. It also speeds up the growing season, since onion sets are small, dry immature onion bulbs grown the season before. These sets can be just the bulb of the onion plant, or a complete immature onion plant. In other words, you can save yourself from the hassle of starting the process with seeds indoors, hardening them, and then transplanting them to your garden. Growing onion sets is the best option if you do not have time and space to grow seeds indoors. Here are the ways on how to plant onion sets in your garden:
1. Select and Prepare the Planting Site
A growing area that receives six to eight hours of sunlight each day is what’s desirable for planting onion sets. Onion sets are not very particularly when it comes to soil conditions but they will prefer a well-drained and fertile soil as compacted and rocky soil affects bulb development. It is still fair to say though that they grow well in most soil conditions.
2. Lay the Onion Sets on Top
Once the soil is ready for planting, you can now lay down the onion sets on the location where they will be planted. Place them four to six inches apart from each other in order to allow room for growing large onion bulbs.
3. Plant the Onion Sets
Planting onion sets is very simple. Just make an inch deep hole in the soil using your finger and then place an onion set into it. It is also important to plant them the right way, root side down and the tassel or pointy end at the top. After that, gather enough soil around it to cover the hole and flatten it gently with your palm to remove air pockets. Remember to just put enough soil to hold the onion in place. Continue doing the same steps until you have all the sets planted in your garden.
Voila! Those are the steps on how to plant onion sets. Easy peasy, right? Make sure to water them well everyday until you see new green tops growing out of them. From there, you can reduce the soaking to every other day but if you’re lucky to have some rainfall, there is no need to water them anymore.
SHOWERING YOUR ONION SETS WITH CARE
Onions are very easy to care for as they require very little attention. In dry weather, they can look healthy on the outside even if they are bone dry. They’ll be needing lots of water at that time, much like other vegetables. Weeding will also be required during the growing season as they have minimal foliage. Once the bulbing process has started, do not bring back the soil around the onions to make place for the bulb that would soon rise above the soil.
HOW TO PLANT ONION SETS IN AUTUMN
Onion sets of over-wintering varieties or autumn planted onion sets are also known as Japanese onions. If you are wondering how to plant onion sets in autumn, you will be delighted to find out that they are planted in the same exact way as normal onions. That’s right, you can still follow the 3 steps written above and come up with the same results. And much like normal onions, they also require almost no care. Since water can be a problem, just make sure that the ground is well-watered and after that, weeding is the only job left to be done, and you’re good.
GROWING ONIONS IN CONTAINERS
You can still use the guide in planting onion sets as growing onions in containers is pretty much like growing it on the ground, too. Loose soil, fertilizer, and plenty of light are still necessary in this process. The only difference is the container to grow them in. Just bear in mind that onions prefers a deeper pot for their root system to grow and expand. It needs to be at least 45 cm deep and a feet wide in order to grow them well. Many people have had success growing onions in containers as it is more practical. Just make sure to put holes under the tub for drainage.
HOW TO GET ONIONS TO GROW BIGGER
As you have noticed so far, the methods on how to plant onion sets for different scenarios are all the same, which makes it extra easy. But some people tend to encounter problems when their onions do not grow as much as they’d like. Here’s how to get onions to grow bigger:
- Choose the right onion variety – your location can determine which onion is best to plant
- Plant on time – being too late can give you disappointingly small bulbs
- Be mindful of weeding -shallow cultivation can also work effectively
- Water and fertilize – water according to weather and do proper fertilization
Gardening can be cathartic and peaceful. It is an activity that soothes people even on their worst days. A garden does not discriminate. Others also see it as a place of meditation and therapy. This is probably why gardeners usually prefer planting onions because aside from its simple process and little requirement for attention, onions are also generally known to be packed with nutrients, antioxidants, and antibacterial properties. As you can see, growing onion sets does not have to be frustrating. Just follow our 3-step guide above and keep in mind the tips and tricks to growing your onion sets bigger, and you are well on your way to harvesting your first onion sets! Nothing beats the feeling of being self-sufficient when it comes to preparing ingredients for cooking. After all, everything can be within your reach in your own garden. Here’s to more successful planting sessions in the future!
