Gardeners’ Forum: “Planting red onions”
Back to Gardeners’ ForumPlanting red onions
Posted by Carole on Wednesday, August 11, 2010 11:24 AM ADTHi, This was my first spring buying red onion flats for planting. They were each placed in 3's in the flat. Should I have separated each one before planting in the garden? Turns out I planted them in groups of 3, as they were planted in the flats. Is this correct? I find that they have not grown much, yet stems have turned brown. Shall I leave them in longer? or did the season not give me a healthy crop ?
re: Planting red onions
Posted by Brian T on Monday, August 16, 2010 7:05 PM ADTYes they should have been separated and each one planted about 4 inches apart. Most red onions will grow to grapefruit size given good water and lots of light and heat. Then pull them and dry them for a week in the sun and most will keep till March. If you can remember the price of the flats take a look at the cost of a package of seeds. All the onions I buy I have a 99% germination rate. I start them in a bit of peat moss around 1 April, plat them in the garden around 15 May and start eating in mid July. Browning stems mean they are near the end of teir growing season. Next year when you plant them cover up the first inch or so of the bulb, water every few days and see what happens. Onions were made for gardners starting out as they are so simple. Delicious too.
