Planting onions - from sticking to harvest

Planting onions - this is how onion cultivation works

When and how do you plant onion sets?

In the classic summer cultivation, the onions are planted at the end of March to the beginning of April. However, there may be regional deviations here. Onions are also planted in autumn. These are winter onion types that are planted between August and October, depending on the variety.

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The onions are placed in rows. The distance between the individual plants is about 5-10 cm, the row spacing about 25-35 cm. The onion sets come into the soil with the germination upwards, but they must not completely disappear into the soil. The tip remains visible on the surface.

What requirements do onions have in terms of location and soil?

Although the onions are considered to be undemanding, there are some essential points that should not be ignored. For example, it is important that no fresh organic fertilizer is incorporated into the soil immediately before sticking. A well-fertilized, loose garden soil in full sun and not protected from the wind is ideal. Overall, the onion beds should be fertilized sparingly, but should be well watered in the hot summer months.

How do you properly care for the onion sets?

The care of the onion set does not require much effort. Rather, the usual care instructions in the kitchen garden must be observed:

Water well during the growing season, but stop in good time before harvest to harvest dry onions.
Remove weeds regularly, which is particularly important at the beginning so that the small bulbous plants are not prevented from growing.
If the soil is sufficiently rich in nutrients, fertilize rather moderately, possibly with wood ash, not too much nitrogen.

When are the onions harvested?

The onions planted in autumn of the previous year can be harvested as early as the end of May or from June to July at the latest. The first summer onions are ripe in July. The main harvest takes place in September-October. You can recognize the onions that are ready to be harvested by the dying herb that turns yellow, dries up and kinks. Then the finished onions can be dug up, dried and stored.