GROWING 100's of ONIONS in 2024. What varieties I am trying and what has worked for me before

Hi friend, today I go over my experience with trying to grow 100's of onions in my garden. I grow in zone 7b and for onions I am in the intermediate zone which can make growing onions a little tricky.
In past year there are some onions that worked for me. You can find those near the end of the video. :)
Information on growing different Onion types in different regions of Virginia: vabf.org/wp-co...
Map of Growing Zones for Growing Onions (they actually overlap some): www.johnnyseed...
Growing Onions resource from Virginia Tech Extention office: www.pubs.ext.v...

[@j.reneewhite915]

I am a northern gardener and I've had to do a bit of troubleshooting my onion seed to harvest process as well. These are personal notes that I gather as I go. I like to share my notes to help others save years of dialing it in and skip to greater success. Best wishes on your onion growing journey for 2024. ...
Onion Seed Starting
Purchase fresh onion seed each year “Long Day” varieties are designed for northern growers but you can grow day neutral onions as well.
Start onion seed in late December to early January.
Use a light fluffy seed starting mix and plant 4 seeds per cell covering with 1/4 inch of soil/vermiculite and mist to dampen the top of the soil. If using a seed tray, sow more densely at 10 seeds per square inch.
If using soil blocks, plant in February at 4 seeds per block and plant them in the garden 30 days after sprouting.
Cover with a plastic dome for 10 days and remove the dome after germination.
Do not use a heat mat to germinate.
Use lights (about 2” above dome) w/12 hr on 12 hr off timer.
If planting a seed watering tray full:Plant roughly 10 seeds per square inch.
When seedlings are 3” tall apply 1/2 strength liquid fertilizer low in nitrogen once a week.
If possible use a fan a couple of times a week to blow the seedlings around.
When seedlings reach about 5” tall, trim them to 2”. Trim them periodically until transplanting to the garden.
Only bury the white part of the seedling because soil restricts the onion bulb from growing. You want the bulb on the top of the soil..
Do not plant onions or leeks around strawberries, asparagus, beans or peas.
First week of March prep the garden bed for planting by making sure soil is at least 4” above ground level for drainage. Add an inch or 2 of compost, bone meal and a trace of boron to the top of the soil. Don’t add lime to sweeten the soil as the onions prefer acid soil.
For small onions plant 2” apart, for large bulbs plant 4” apart. I plant mine in a block, not rows so I space them 6” (thumb to finger) on all sides.
Once planted add a 5-5-5 time release fertilizer on top of the soil. Onions are a high nitrogen feeder. So fertilize with a high nitrogen. Do not fertilize when the bulb is growing.
Side dress seedlings with 2” of grass clippings or mulch to suppress weeds.
Onions are quite hardy and will withstand some freezing as long as it isn’t severe. If you want to give them a stronger start, cover them with a frost cloth for 14 to 30 days.
The onion is photosensitive (so is garlic, horseradish and sweet potatoes)and will put on green growth as the daylight increases and then set the bulb as the daylight decreases.
May 1st add 0-5-5 fertilizer to the top of the soil to encourage bulb growth.
Add more grass or mulch to keep the bed weed free and retain moisture.
Increase the water 1 month before harvest and stop watering 1 week before harvest.
The neck of the onion is the growth plate of the plant. If the onion greens get too heavy the top will prematurely fall over resulting in a small onion. By trimming the tops of the onions about a month before harvest it takes the weight off the plant and allows the growth plate to continue making a larger onion.
When the green stalk of the onion falls over it is the first indication they are ready to harvest. It’s ok to leave the onion until all the onion greens have fallen over or you can push the greens over and leave in the ground for 1 more week as the bulb will still increase in size during that time.
Harvest on a dry day to avoid mold issues.
Lay the onions in a shaded, dry place to cure for 2 weeks. When the neck that connects to the bulb is no longer moist, cut the tops off and the onions are ready to store.
Leeks can be grown year around depending on the varieties you choose. There are Spring, Summer and Fall varieties. Some boast excellent over wintering qualities. So do your research.
Chives and bunching onions have their own uses and flavors. Chives and some bunching onions are evergreen. It’s ideal to locate evergreen food plants away from your “seasonal beds'' so they don’t get in your way. Try planting them in the flower beds.
Note: If you are too late to plant seeds you can purchase the plant ½ grown from seed catalogs and shipped in the mail to the house.
Using and Storing the Harvest:
The best temps to store the onions is a consistent 39 degrees with decent air circulation. Do not store in an airtight container.
You don’t need to cure them if you want to eat them right away and there are varieties that don’t store well like Walla Walla Sweet onions. So make sure you know what varieties you’re growing and how long they store.
If you harvest a lot of onions that are short term onions then you can chop them and bag them up for the freezer to use at a later date (Make sure to double bag them for a week in the freezer or everything will smell like onions).
Saving Seed from Onions:
Onions are a biannual so if you want to save seed you’ll over winter a few bulbs to replant in the garden to produce seed heads. If you have mild winters or give the bulb adequate protection you can overwinter the bulb planted in place in the garden. Onion seed viability is quite short (1 to 3 years) so remember to grow an onion again for the 2nd year for more seed or purchase more seed every year for best germination.
If you find an onion at the store that you love the flavor of, you can plant the bulb and grow it out for seed. However you’ll never know the variety name so you’ll need to continue to seed save as long as you want that specific onion.
Companion Planting For Onions
Carrots should be planted near onions because onions will repel the carrot fly. Onions will also chase away the aphids, so plant them near aphid-prone (but onion-friendly) veggies. Other good friends of onions include sweet potato, beets, cabbage, lettuce, tomatoes, and spices like marjoram, savory, and rosemary.
Keep onions away from: Asparagus, beans, peas and strawberries.

[@thelittlethingsinlife4822]

Wow! What a wealth of knowledge. Thank you for sharing what you have learned through your gardening experience. Happy Gardening :)

[@illustr8life863]

Va. Z6 here, Mtn region. I too struggle with onions and also love cooking. Looking forward to seeing your results. My go to for now are Potato Onions and Zebrune Shallots which both store for well over a year but I do have to save my own seeds. I just started my seeds for the 2nd time this year and am hoping it's not because the seed I saved from 2021 went bad. That would be sad. I'll be sure and leave a couple in ground this year for new seed stock. Thank you for sharing your struggle and may you be blessed with 100's of onions that store well for you!

[@thelittlethingsinlife4822]

Thank you so much. I hope you have better luck with your saved seed than I did. The Shallots that I am trying this year are Zebrune Shallots from Botanical Interests. It is exciting to hear that you have great luck with them. Hoping we are both blessed with many onions this year.