Bulbs
Flower Basics
Flower Beds & Specialty Gardens
Flower Garden
Garden Furniture
Garden Gnomes
Garden Seeds
Garden Sheds
Garden Statues
Garden Tools & Supplies
Gardening Basics
Green & Organic
Groundcovers & Vines
Growing Annuals
Growing Basil
Growing Beans
Growing Berries
Growing Blueberries
Growing Cactus
Growing Corn
Growing Cotton
Growing Edibles
Growing Flowers
Growing Garlic
Growing Grapes
Growing Grass
Growing Herbs
Growing Jasmine
Growing Mint
Growing Mushrooms
Orchids
Growing Peanuts
Growing Perennials
Growing Plants
Growing Rosemary
Growing Roses
Growing Strawberries
Growing Sunflowers
Growing Thyme
Growing Tomatoes
Growing Tulips
Growing Vegetables
Herb Basics
Herb Garden
Indoor Growing
Landscaping Basics
Landscaping Patios
Landscaping Plants
Landscaping Shrubs
Landscaping Trees
Landscaping Walks & Pathways
Lawn Basics
Lawn Maintenance
Lawn Mowers
Lawn Ornaments
Lawn Planting
Lawn Tools
Outdoor Growing
Overall Landscape Planning
Pests, Weeds & Problems
Plant Basics
Rock Garden
Rose Garden
Shrubs
Soil
Specialty Gardens
Trees
Vegetable Garden
Yard Maintenance
How to Plant Onions From an Onion
How to Plant Onions From an Onion. Homegrown vegetables always have more flavor and taste than store-purchased products, including onions. Most homegrown onions start with seeds or what is called seed sets, but Egyptian and potato onion varieties can grow from vegetative parts of the original onion plant. Potato, or multiplier, onions form an...
Homegrown vegetables always have more flavor and taste than store-purchased products, including onions. Most homegrown onions start with seeds or what is called seed sets, but Egyptian and potato onion varieties can grow from vegetative parts of the original onion plant. Potato, or multiplier, onions form an underground compound bulb from the mother bulb. This compound bulb is composed of six to 12 individual onion bulbs. Egyptian onions, on the other hand, send up a shoot with tiny bulblets on top for planting. Gardeners primarily grow multipliers and Egyptian onion to harvest as green onions in the spring. They sometimes are known as winter onions.
Things You'll Need
Shovel
Organic matter-peat moss, compost or well-rotted manure
Fertilizer, 5-10-10 formula
Mulch
Prepare the soil where you intend to plant the onions by adding organic matter in a ratio of one part organic matter to two parts soil. Work the mixture with a shovel into the plot at a depth of six to eight inches. Onions need a rich, loamy soil that will drain well.
Harvest the attached compound bulbs from the mother bulb for either type of onion. Carefully dig the multiplier onion's mother bulb from the ground and separate the attached smaller onion bulbs from it. Cut off the bulblet cluster from the center green stem on the Egyptian onion and separate the bulblets.
Plant bulbs or bulblets one to two inches deep and spaced three to five inches apart. Dig a hole for each onion piece, place the onion pointed end up, and cover it with the amended soil. Gently pat down the soil surface to eliminate air pockets and ensure good contact between the piece and the soil.
Apply a fertilize formulated to a 1-2-2 ratio, like 5-10-10, following the instructions, every four to six weeks until the first frost. In the spring, apply one more feeding when the temperatures begin to warm. Onions are heavy feeder and require additional supplements of phosphorus and potassium, but overfeeding can produce soft bulbs or burn plants.
Apply three to six inches of mulch over the planted onions in colder climates when the temperatures drop to freezing to protect growing onions. Remove the mulch once temperatures warm in the spring.
