Onions

Growing Tips: Bunching onions can be directly sown outdoors in early spring, but bulb onions (storage and sweet Spanish types) are best started indoors in February and transplanted to the garden in April. For complete planting instructions, ask for our free Harris Seeds Home Gardening Guide when placing your order. The tall leaves of the bulb onion will begin to bend over when the bulb nears maturity. Before harvesting, carefully bend all leaves horizontal to the ground, expose the bulb and let it stay in the ground until the leaves turn brown. Lift bulbs out of ground, cut off leaves to 1-2 above bulb, and hang outside in mesh bags to dry for at least 7 days. To store, lay in ventilated boxes or mesh bags in a cool, dry area. Onions should store several months without loss of quality.

Fresh Market Grower Tips:
Depending on your region of the country, growers that sell at farmers’ markets have many choices. Bunching onions probably have the most marketing appeal when displayed at the market, and bulb onions have had their reputation built by grocery chains and grower associations. Growing sweet Spanish types locally and branding them as locally grown will have appeal to consumers.

Average Seed Count:
Bulb Onions: 450 per packet; 7,500 seeds/Oz.
Bunching Onions: 700 per packet; 12,500 seeds/Oz.

Onion Plants
For many growers, onions and leeks are too long of a season crop to grow from seed. Now you can enjoy these flavorful vegetables all summer and into the fall by growing them from transplant.

Give your onions a head start with our onion plants. Use them for scallions or let them mature to large bulbs. All varieties listed are pulled and shipped to you the same day by one of the most reputable onion growers in the U.S.

All orders must be placed before the first week in May. Unfortunately, we can no longer ship onion transplants to Idaho. Approximately 5 dozen (60) plants per bunch.

Onion Plant FAQ's

Selecting Onion Varieties
The size of an onion bulb is dependent upon the number and the size of the green leaves (or tops) at the time the bulbing process begins. For each leaf, there will be one ring of onion. The larger the leaf, the larger the ring will be. The triggering of the bulbing process is dependent upon daylength and temperature. Remember that the further north you are, the more hours of daylight you have during the summer.


Onion Sets
Great for cooking, very healthy, and easy to grow! Onions are one of the most popular vegetables in the home garden. You can plant them in the early spring, after the ground warms to about 50° F, in well-drained soil. Push the sets 1-2 into the soil at 3-6 intervals, cover with 1-2 of dirt, and water immediately. Four to five weeks after planting, side-dress with additional fertilizer. Place the fertilizer in a narrow band about 2 to 3” from the base of the onion plants. Dry bulbs will be ready for harvest when tops have dried and fallen over naturally, usually in August or September. Lift onions gently with a fork and store in cool, dry conditions. They may also be planted so the sets are nearly touching and harvested for green table onions when tops reach 6 tall.

Growing Tip:
When bunching onions are half-grown, build up soil 3-4 around base. This will keep stems white and tender.