What is the difference between onions and how they grow?

Growing onions is simple. Poke a hole in the ground and plant a small onion plant or an onion set and you're on your way to a great onion crop, grown easily. So what are the different types of onions, how do they grown, and what are they used for?

Different types of onions can be grown from seeds, sets, and plants, with planting from seed taking the longest to mature as it starts out much smaller. For green onions, plant onion sets. For larger red, white, or yellow onions (sweet onions) plant onion plants.

Which onion is right for you to grow?

Onion sets are small, dry bulbs that are grown the previous year. They are the easiest to grow. When you buy a bag of onion sets, simply pop them in the soil, cover slightly so the tops are showing, and the onion quickly starts to grow. They are sold as white, yellow, or red onion sets and are grown for green onions or left in the ground a little longer to form a onion bulb.

Onion plants are best if you are wanting large, firm onion bulbs. You'll most likely find the plants bundled together around groups of 25 or so. These plants are grown from seed the year they are sold. They are pulled and bundled to sell and grow for larger onions. To plant these onion plants you simply can did a trench and lay them in. Straightening the plant and covering the end with soil as you completely plant them. Generally they are planted in the spring and harvest large onions in the fall. These onion plants come in an assortment of different varieties like, Walla Walla, Candy, Red Candy, Yellow Spanish, etc. You would choose the right varieties that fit the needs you are looking for in onions (short day, long day, sweet onion, best for storage, etc).

Onions are always a must on our "To Plant" list every year! We plant both onion sets for green onions  that we pull and harvest in spring and mid summer, as well as onion plants, that we plant in the spring and harvest the large sweet onions in the fall and later in the growing season.

If you don't already grow onions in your garden, be sure to add them in the following years to come! They are super easy and great to cook with!