{"id":118,"date":"2025-06-11T10:37:58","date_gmt":"2025-06-11T14:37:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/homegardenjoy.com\/site\/2014\/04\/onions-in-the-home-garden.html"},"modified":"2025-06-11T11:03:09","modified_gmt":"2025-06-11T15:03:09","slug":"onions-in-the-home-garden","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/homegardenjoy.com\/site\/2025\/06\/onions-in-the-home-garden.html","title":{"rendered":"How to Grow Onions in Your Backyard"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Wondering how to grow onions? I’ve grown onions here at Seven Oaks Farm in several ways: from “sets” or starter plants and from store-bought onions that sprouted in the bag! Onions don’t require much space, and you can grow a lot for the money you spend on starter plants. Let’s take a look at how to grow onions organically in your backyard.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Onions in my raised bed vegetable garden. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Plant Profile: Onions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Botanical Name:<\/strong> Allium cepa<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Light Requirements:<\/strong> Onions thrive in full sun, needing at least six to eight hours of direct sunlight daily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soil Requirements:<\/strong> They prefer well-drained, <\/strong>loose soil <\/strong>rich in organic matter. A s<\/strong>andy loam with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0 is ideal for preventing rot and encouraging healthy bulb development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fertilizer Requirements:<\/strong> Apply a balanced fertilizer (such as 10-10-10) before planting. Once established, onions benefit from high-nitrogen feedings every few weeks to support leaf growth, which directly impacts bulb size.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Water Requirements:<\/strong> Keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged. Onions need about 1 inch of water per week, adjusting based on rainfall and soil drainage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When to Plant Onions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Plant onions when the weather is cool. They prefer daytime temperatures of 45 to 60 degrees F during the growing season, and as the weather turns warmer, around 70 to 75 to cure or dry out before you store them. Adequate moisture is important (note the soaker hose, above) but they hate to be waterlogged. Too much water and you get rotted onions, which trust me, are NO fun to pick out from the garden. They stink to high heaven and squish into a delightful (sarcasm intended) smelly brown pulp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Onion Varieties<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

So you think all onions are the same? Walk into any grocery store and you’ll find bags of white onions, red onions, Vidalia onions, and maybe, if you’re lucky, shallots. But there are many, many more varieties to choose from and explore. Here’s a small – and I mean small! – list of varieties to consider.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep in mind that not all varieties will grow in every location in the United States. Consult your local Cooperative Extension office for a list of varieties that will grow well in your USDA Hardiness Zone<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yellow Onions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n