Onion Set Planting Guide

ONION SET PLANTING GUIDE-White, Yellow and Red

SOIL: Onions prefer fertile and loose soil that is well drained with lots of organic matter. Before planting turn in good amounts of compost or manure.

PLANTING: Plant onion sets so the pointed top is just even with soil surface, in a staggered spacing about 3 to 4” apart or in rows 6 to 8” apart.

GROWING: Onions should be grown in full sun and don’t compete well with weeds and are easily damaged by many weeding tools. Pull any weeds growing an inch or so from plant by hand. Onions don’t need a lot of water but they need it all the time. Watering is most crucial the first week or so after planting while the roots are developing. Water as needed daily.

HARVESTING: All onions can be harvested and used as needed throughout the season. Pull up onions that need thinning to use and just pinch back the tops if you want bulbs to mature or the plant to continue to produce leaves. Bulb onions for storage are ready to harvest when the top falls over. Gently pull onions from the ground, clean off dirt and leave them to cure in the sun for at least a week. If you don’t get a week of sunny weather move them to a dry well-ventilated place to finish curing. Remove any dirt, clip the tops, trim the roots and store in onion bags in a cool, dry place.

Little Farm Market-Wild Bird Store

516 C Street NE, Brainerd MN 56401

218-829-5436