Grow Perfect Onions - Every Time!

[@hubblespacebox1661]

Impossible not to love this guy.

[@GrowVeg]

Bless you - you'll make me blush!

[@BigStiffWilly]

I harbor a deep seeded hate

[@charliebakes2]

@@GrowVeg @hubblespacebox - yup I'm in too. Never grown anything. First up Onions lets see how they go

[@melissanguyen4904]

“They’re enough to make you cry” 😂 you got me

[@kimrubidge5162]

Please dont stop making video's, thay are so helpful. Love your channel.

[@GrowVeg]

Thanks Kim. We'll keep those videos coming, don't worry. Thanks for watching.

[@ELBlDu]

@@GrowVeg Im so happy to learn that these are going to continue. they are encouraging and helpful reminders.

[@FoolishForm]

Love your dad jokes “there enough to make you cry” 😂😂😂 these upcoming comedians should take note. Well done mate

[@GrowVeg]

Cheers for that - love a good pun! :-)

[@pappy9473]

Yes. Sets. And upping the harvest by 200%

[@charliebakes2]

"Enough to make you cry" - your banter is second to none!!

[@JohnandSarah]

I always come back for a quick review! Thanks, Ben, for fertilizing my gardening knowledge!

[@GrowVeg]

You're most welcome. :-)

[@slvice14]

It will be my first time trying to grow onions and garlic this year. Wish me luck! Thanks for posting this, it was highly educational.

[@GrowVeg]

I'm sure you'll do a fantastic job with both! :-)

[@julieelliott2948]

Love salad onions. Didn’t realize the actual difference. Thanks Bob. 😊😊😊

[@GrowVeg]

You’re welcome. 😀

[@IsthataDOG-xh8vo]

Oh I love your greenhouse! That's beautiful!

[@Tiagoalmeida133]

I used to make it straight to the soil, in tropical cities in south America. But plots is amazing idea

[@carladelagnomes]

What a nice picture! A man with an arm full of onions he's just harvested. :)

[@richardhoner7842]

I've grown onion for many decades here in New England and usually have a good crop. The crazy weather is the biggest problem. Very late cold weather followed by hot dry weather can make it difficult. This coming growing season I am going to go back to raising my onions under lots of leaf mulch. I will also space them further apart as you suggest Many thanks!

[@GrowVeg]

Yes, that shoud all help, especially that mulch. :-)

[@andredumas9547]

I know that I can buy onions at the farmer's market for 25 cents a pound, but also more often at the supermarket, but nothing beats my own backyard garden for onions that I grew myself without pesticides or insecticides just one minute away from my kitchen.

[@GrowVeg]

Absolutely! :-)

[@irisolwagen]

@@andredumas9547 I agree with you there. And those of us who grow them ourselves, have more appreciation for the process. Even if some come out small, I still love them

[@flashtheoriginal]

Really enjoyed this 🧅

[@Knittingilove]

I left (accidentally) some onions through the winter and this season they flowered. Now I know why. Although, they look good and tasted good to eat after flowering too. I still have some in the garden. Greetings from Ireland 🇮🇪

[@GrowVeg]

Glad you got to enjoy their flowers - they're quite stunning really. :-)

[@carolavant3778]

Definitely growing short day onions here in North Florida panhandle Zone 8b! I start my seeds to plant out in November and over-winter them.

[@gilshelley9183]

When do you start your seeds?

[@timtation5837]

Another superb video Ben!!! Brilliant work! One thing I would add is the affect of soil sulfur content on onions. The more sulfur, the hotter and more pungent the onion, the sweetest and mildest onions are grown in well draining soil with almost no sulfur. Some gardeners use sulfur to adjust soil PH and that can have a dramatic affect on onions. I like to raise the sulfur content in the soil in which I grow my cooking onions, (adding eggs is a good natural way to do that). More pungent means more flavor and more flavor for cooking onions is very good. I like to grow my sweet onions, red onions, and scallion onions in low sulfur soil because those will be consumed raw where sweet and mild is appreciated. Manure has plenty of sulfur to keep most garden plants happy and healthy, and too much or too little sulfur can negatively affect most plants, but for onions, understanding how sulfur affects it can give you a big advantage in growing onions you like/prefer.

[@GrowVeg]

I had no idea about the sulphur - that's a really interesting insight, thanks for sharing that Tim.

[@JJLewin1]

Great tip, thank you

[@nancyhjort5348]

I had no idea. Thanks for the onion wisdom.

[@MrNoucfeanor]

Imagine this would help with garlic as well after all, the best benefits of garlic is their sulfur compounds yes?

[@TheZippyMark]

Wow, seems there's many layers to this

[@Joe-yo1tm]

Ben, ngl mate i really love your videos. Theyre short, sweet, to the point. Ur just brilliant mate.

[@GrowVeg]

Wow, that's very kind of you to say. Thank you! :-)

[@ClairBrand]

I didn't have much luck with my onions last growing season so about to plant my onion sets for this autumn, very helpful video, as always! Thanks!

[@brianforster3498]

we've just planted seeds to overwinter, fingers crossed they get established before we get a frost!

[@nancyhjort5348]

My Walla Walla Sweets are huge. I am so excited. I started them early, April at the 45th parallel, and had been amending my soil beginning in March with worm castings and compost. I kept them wet all summer. Yum! Gardener bragging rights!

[@GrowVeg]

Nice one Nancy!

[@BumblebeeAdventure]

🐝 Thanks for the great video 🌻

[@TheAllotmentGardenandKitchen]

I’ve just harvested my onions which were a little disappointing this year so this video is timely. Thank you for the great content as usual.

[@Chris-pv2ht]

Mine were same smaller than normal, I put it down to neglect on my part didnt water as much. Always have winners and looses though so maybe next year we get a better crop. I am trying my hand at seeds next year I usually buy heat treated onion sets but trying to be a little more frugal and save some cash

[@GrowVeg]

Not all of mine were perfect. I think this summer (in the UK anyhow) hasn't been as warm and sunny as perhaps we've become used to, and the onions haven't swollen quite as much as I'd liked. Next year though!

[@rae2960]

I grew my first crop of onions this year using your videos. I was pretty terrified of the process because of that certain mold that can happen and essentially ruin the soil for eternity lol. But it was a good experience and I got two dozen proper onions. A few didn't make it but that's okay. I'm going to start my seeds tomorrow for next years' harvest :) Love your videos!

[@GrowVeg]

Well done on getting some decent onions - top work! :-)

[@LCSJess]

Growing onions for the first time, this year! Thank you so much for all the helpful tips!!

[@GrowVeg]

Great to hear - I hope they do well for you. :-)

[@kh2716]

I dont have time to watch now but I quickly skipped to 52 seconds and his face and passion is enough to subscribe. Fairplay my friend!

[@GrowVeg]

Wow, thank you! And a very warm welcome to the channel! :-)

[@dianemayberry1917]

This will be my first time growing onions

[@GrowVeg]

Very best of luck Diane. 🧅

[@jacquelinebaxter6420]

Yes I just planted 120 sets for first time Thank for the info on onions 🌰

[@GrowVeg]

Nice work Jacqueline, I hope they grow well for you.

[@moonrose9278]

Attempting to grow onions for the first time this year!! Im excited!!

[@elizabeth5549]

Truly enjoy your videos. I am starting an onion garden. I eat a lot of onions. I just built the raised bed with wood scraps and will plant the onions tomorrow. I am hoping my onions look as good as yours.

[@gingerlove7739]

Your videos are one of my gardening guide 101.

[@GrowVeg]

That's wonderful to hear, thank you.

[@ThatBritishHomestead]

I always do them in the fall. I just have way more time! So we sow them then we move bed to bed refreshing the soil and weeding etc

[@debartellomartinez7214]

last years onions werre so so. I followed all instructions including the awesome dry rack the results were stellar.

[@GrowVeg]

That's great to hear. :-)

[@obiagelindoeche904]

Thanks for teaching. I will try this weekend to plant my own onions.

[@GrowVeg]

Best of luck!

[@lynnrushton7458]

This is the first year I’ve managed to grow some decent onions. Having listened to your advice, I luckily nailed it‼️👌😂 chuffed to bits 😁

[@katherinewright7963]

I bought some onion sets in the sale, forgot 50 pence you can only try !!any how they have now sprouted, so let's see what happens 🤔

[@lynnrushton7458]

Katherine Wright fab! Fingers crossed! 🤞🤞😁

[@GrowVeg]

Nice work there Lynn - and best of luck Katherine.

[@garettschappert2419]

Ben, I have tried onions from seed one time and nothing came up. I was so disappointed I never tried again but after watching the video you made, I am going to give this a shot again. You have inspired me and I know I will succeed if I follow your instructions. I will start indoors this time, it must have been a weather event that stopped them from coming up last time.

[@GrowVeg]

Yes, worth starting them off in the warm, to germinate. And use fresh seed!

[@medcitymami]

my onions from the store started sprouting, and since i use onions on a regular basis i figured why not just let it grow🤷🏽‍♀️ i’ve been trying to do research on growing onions and ALL i could find were tips on growing it and harvesting the leaves, nothing about harvesting another onion. this is the first video to finally go into full detail! thank you so much ♥️

[@GrowVeg]

Unfortunately doing this, while giving you some tasty leaves, is unlikely to produce a new useable bulb. This is because the onion will now be in its second year, so will instead go to flower instead, rather than producing a bulb. Onions live for two years only - first year producing the bulb, then in their second flowering and setting seed. That said, the flowers are beautiful and the insects love them!

[@nic.h]

I've grown new shoots from the cut off bottom of a store brought onion and they seem to be successfully growing so far. Although sounds like I should expect them to go to seed. Not that worried as I'll be able to use the seed for next year.

[@trollabundin1979]

Planting onions this weekend (Autumn here in Western Sydney, Australia). Small sets grown from seed last year. Hunter Brown, and seed of a white onion passed down from my grandfather.

[@GrowVeg]

How wonderful to be growing a variety passed down from your grandfather. Such a nice way to honour his memory.

[@ramonatyler7152]

I just watched your video, I am a new gardener, here in zone 6a and well the sets that I put in at the beginnig of of the season have yeat to do anything. Now I know the trick and next year will be a great harvest. Idid get lost of leafy greens, garlic, some carrots and some tomatoes. I do have some squash that has begun to need harvesting. I will check out your channel so I am ready for next season.

[@GrowVeg]

Glad you found the video handy. Hope next season you get some fab onions. :-)

[@adriancollingwood2983]

Grew 2 beds this year. Red and brown. Started sets off indoors. In a tray of compost. As experiment. Soon had shoots and come planting. Lovely healthy roots. Pulled red early, to eat. Lifted brown last weekend. Biggest onions yet. In greenhouse drying. Well chuffed 😊

[@GrowVeg]

Nice work Adrian!

[@myfaireladymdi]

I had a store bought red onion in the back of the cabinet that sprouted so I removed the outer layers and separated the individual bulbs and now I’m soaking them in water to help the roots grow a bit before planting in my raised bed gardens. I’ve never planted onions before, so this video was helpful to know what to expect and what to do. Thank you!

[@pecker556]

Im here because I just watched your video from 5 days ago about how to cure and store onions. Thanks for great videos.

[@GrowVeg]

Cheers so much - thanks for watching. :-)

[@billbalch6549]

I have three different types of onions this year Ben. Walla walla , French table and white 🧅. Thanks for you input!

[@GrowVeg]

Great stuff Bill - nice to have a variety like that.

[@chrisp7405]

I have never grown onions before but I am going to try next year!

[@GrowVeg]

Great to hear that Chris.

[@sharonchriswell8500]

You are my go to guy. Thank you

[@matthickey6994]

I had a cracking onion 🧅 harvest this year. Mine are now hanging in an onion bag in my shed👍

[@GrowVeg]

Lovely stuff!

[@kristycasamayor1389]

I'm a novice gardener, and this is my first season growing onions. I live in NW Arkansas and sometimes having a garden can be tricky because of the extreme weather so I thank you for your informative video❤

[@GrowVeg]

You're very welcome. I hope you enjoy a great first harvest of onions. :-)

[@darylemmanuel4747]

Great way of describing the whole process. I have learnt a lot in such a small time :-)

[@lynnpreece8461]

First time growing onions this year -so helpful advice thank you 👍

[@GrowVeg]

Cheers Lynn - hope you bag yourself a superb crop. :-)

[@greenseb71]

I grew onions this year in between my carrots and they did very well and just learnt to let them dry before eating.

[@Jeff_PNW]

Companion planting is a game changer. I used to get holes all through my carrots from carrot fly larvae until I started planting them with onions. Carrot flies can't stand the smell of onions, and onions actually make your carrots taste sweeter.

[@GrowVeg]

I think they're also confused by the leaf shapes - makes the crops harder to spot.

[@rhg3212]

Yes I grew my own onions this year and thoroughly enjoying cooking with them. I only wish I did more! I’m off to look at my onion seed pack to see if it’s time to plant! 👀

[@Tazz5590]

"Perfect," exact info I needed to know. Awesome video. Thank you so much.

[@GrowVeg]

Great to hear Aaron, thanks.

[@superchickexplosion]

I am so grateful to have stumbled upon your channel! The way you explain is so simple to understand and entertaining, too! Thank you spreading your knowledge 🙏🏻

[@GrowVeg]

You're very welcome - thank you for watching. :-)

[@cafarmgirl3279]

Great advice thank you! I was planning on growing onions this year and after watching this video it is definitely going to happen this year.

[@julieattard7098]

I needed this video!! I can grow spring onions and pickling ones but no go on the big yellows!!

[@JJLewin1]

Growing 5 varieties this year, Bedford Champs, Walla Walla, Sweet Spanish, Kelsae and another white variety. Starting them from seeds sown on Boxing day indoors without heat. Last years crops were great, but not from seed, so this year should prove interesting. Good luck with yours this season.

[@GrowVeg]

And very best of luck with yours - you've a great selection there.

[@CardieTrick]

Hi thanks for the video, I'm just growing onions for the first time this year, as always I love watching how you do it first.

[@GrowVeg]

That’s great to hear Wayne. I hope you enjoy a bumper harvest!

[@marsiesz]

will be planting onions soon! Wish me luck!

[@GrowVeg]

Very best of luck Mariela!

[@deanaustin6885]

I've just started some from seeds just had to separate them and plant individual done about a 3 inch spacing once they mature a little more I may have to space them further

[@ruthkerry4841]

My first year growing onions and they were fabulous.

[@GrowVeg]

Well done Ruth!

[@ruthkerry4841]

@@GrowVeg thank you. I do enjoy your easy to follow advice and the Garden Planner App

[@HeyYouSA]

Learned a lot about onions, thanks!

[@sloanschwindt9718]

Our onions did really well this year. Started harvesting some of them that had fallen over about two weeks ago and just left them on the wooden part of the bed to dry. Braided them a couple of days ago and hoping that the rest of the onions do well and will harvest them at the end of September or early October. Love growing onions. We had enough last year to last all through the winter and into early summer!

[@antoinettebeck6773]

I've just planted mine in South Africa

[@meredith3588]

Tried to grow for the first time last year and was not successful. I'll give it another go next year using your tips.

[@theyeti5635]

I'm new to your channel and I actually just subscribed I found your video very helpful with the onions this is my first year growing vegetables ever from seedlings and I found it very informative

[@GrowVeg]

So pleased you found it useful - and thanks so much for the sub! :-)

[@sharonkduford2381]

I have just harvested mine and have them drying in my garage after two days in the sun. Love your videos! Thanks for all the tips.

[@GrowVeg]

Getting the crop in and safely stored is so satisfying Sharon.

[@PineGeri]

I grew short day bulb onions this year from sets as soon as the local nursery received them! Highly successful! Such fun! Had never grown bulb onions; only scallions…will do this again…absolutely delicious! I shared with my neighbors as “just because” gifts and everyone seemed to love them! P.S. i am a subscriber and I bought your book.

[@GrowVeg]

So pleased they were a success for you Geri. Thanks so much for buying the book - happy gardening!

[@mlduomixvlog]

So good

[@Giove83]

hi Ben iv come back to this video because I followed this way last year and by God they was absolutely brilliant and all the same size apart from one that took some damage, mime are already in rite now hope to get the same result s again. hope you have a great veg season Ben

[@GrowVeg]

Thanks so much - and you too.

[@lunabean2794]

First time viewer here. Thank you for making this. I have been doing well with growing onions but you gave me some tips to help improve my crop.

[@GrowVeg]

That's great to hear Luna. Welcome to the channel!

[@GreenSideUp]

I had a monster crop of Onions this year and managed to both string them up as normal but I also made some plaited strings too...very satifying doing that! I grow all mine from seed, I stopped using sets years ago because of bolting which is now less of a problem for me. I used the Onion feed this year that my Grandad used to use, I really think that made all the difference for me. I enjoyed this video, always interesting to see how others do things differently to yourself and get similar results...Steve...😃

[@GrowVeg]

You're clearly doing the right thing Steve to get a monster crop - good job!

[@courtneyturner3326]

What's bolting?

[@damioncutler1115]

I'm using an allotment for the first time this year and am growing onions from bulbs

[@GrowVeg]

Hope the allotment is going well - here's to a productive first year. :-)

[@tinamccartney3778]

I'm going to try to grow onions ONE MORE TIME! It's so frustrating to get beautiful greens with no bulbs. But, I've done more research and think I can do it this year! Wish me luck! Love your channel

[@GrowVeg]

Best of luck Tina - I'm sure you'll succeed this time round. :-)

[@_nickthered]

Thanks for the tip on composting and crop rotation, doing onions this year btw. This left me wondering what exactly identifies the mildew?

[@GrowVeg]

This guide will help you identify it: www.growveg.com/plant-diseases/us-and-canada/onion-downy-mildew/

[@marycampbell4160]

Yes I am going onions this fall

[@myrustygarden]

I have sown some seed onions and they are doing very well I will plant some of them between rows of my winter brassicas. And the rest will have their own full bed for overwintering. I think you need to ask for a new wheelbarrow for Christmas Ben 😂😂. Thank you for sharing as always ✌️🇨🇦🐝 safe

[@GrowVeg]

Haha - you're totally right on that front. It's on its last legs but hanging in there.

[@susanaird1582]

Thank you for the tips, I suffered with a lot bolting this year, and they are all quite small. Grown from small bulbs not seeds in raised beds.

[@GrowVeg]

I find that sets are more prone to bolting than onions raised from seed. But starting from seed does means a slightly longer growing season.

[@susanaird1582]

@@GrowVeg thank you. I will try seeds next year. 🤩

[@irisolwagen]

I read that the moon phase also influences the onions flowering. According to Old Farmers Almanac, planting bulbing seeds in the Waning of the Moon phase (when the moon goes dark), is the best way.

[@SuffolkSusie]

I too just harvested my onions and videoed but I now know why some were small and most medium... I'm going for large next year, in a raised bed, far from the in ground garden I grew in this year. Thank you excellent tips, as always.

[@GrowVeg]

Great stuff Susie. Let's hope we both have better luck next season!

[@shoshanahcrookes4406]

Great video as usual Ben thank you. Please help pollinators though by letting some veg bolt to produce lovely flowers for them 😊

[@GrowVeg]

Absolutely. And some veggie flowers are beautiful too!

[@thoughtitwasstrongerthanthat]

Love your presenting style, thanks so much for sharing. Coming to the end of my first year growing. Last August i direct-sowed onion seeds and now I have a number of good sized bulbs. Thing is, the leaves show absolutely no sign of wilting - not the least sign of browning, look like they'll go on forever. If I pull them now will that affect their storage capability?

[@GrowVeg]

You can use them fresh, as they are right now. But to store I would wait till the leaves start to die back. This will naturally occur a little later in the summer.

[@foxglove8836]

My Onions turned out well and have enough for the year :-) I also chopped some up and there in the freezer, Still have some from last year `all good`. Just put Winter carrots in, they turn out small but sweet. Enjoy your VL.

[@GrowVeg]

Great work on freezing some - nice to have go-to bags of pre-chopped onions like that.

[@cheweytdomingo4624]

Im glad i found your videos!

[@GrowVeg]

A very warm welcome to the channel!

[@Dindin.838]

I love watching your videos and your enthusiasm!! You look so familiar, and after months I just realized that maybe you were on Cbeebies? I watched that constantly when my kids was young. Was that you?

[@GrowVeg]

Thanks for your kind words. :-) I've never been on CBeebies - that would be a fun and very rewarding gig! :-)

[@smsfmastergardeners]

Thank you for your valuable information! Another good onion to grow is the Egyptian walking onion which is easy to grow here in the San Francisco Bay Area, although the bulb is about shallot size.

[@openmind5973]

We planted 12 of these last winter and just harvested at least 75 - 100 bulbs this autumn (I'm guessing the amount as I haven't counted them). That's enough to eat plus enough to plant out and expand our onion patch. They are great and really cool to see growing.

[@janetbull2616]

Thanks again Ben another great video full of tips on onion growing 👍

[@PDXGardenHome]

I love growing onions! Thanks for the tips!

[@stanchis23]

I like your video and it has motivated me to start some. Please one set of onion can produce how many in harvest time

[@GrowVeg]

One set produces one full-sized onion bulb.

[@mikealexander7662]

Yes I grew Ailsa Craige this year and am very pleased with the results. I did have a few bolt but having seen your video I wonder if this was the result of temperature fluctuations in the spring I had sown the seed at the beginning of August planting on the seedlings in November to a raised bed in my polytunnel.

[@GrowVeg]

Temperature fluctuations can be a nuisance for bolting.

[@deepak975487]

yes i will try this year i mean tomorrow :) from melbourne, AUstralia

[@RelentlessHomesteading]

Thanks for more wonderful 'scapes' -- er.. I mean tips on onion planting. This year we weren't going to do a garden. ==> But had some stored onions left from last year that were going bad. Decided to plant them and see what would happen !! Thought they just might rot... They grew quite well - and what was amazing to me is how although they each were planted as a single bulb, they split up into separate onions !! There were splits from 2-8 ways - most being 3-4 way splits. They ended up perfectly formed with many quite large for our climate. Between those and all the volunteers on potatoes, tomatoes, rocket (arugala), and so forth we still ended up with a little garden.

[@GrowVeg]

That's remarkable! Good work!

[@wendyhazelwood4956]

i love watching your videos Ben such fun and joy and brilliant tip. I recently saw you buy compost in bulk cubic metres, any tips on where to buy form please UK herts

[@GrowVeg]

I bought them from a local supplier, but somewhere like this might supply to you: www.thetopsoilcompany.co.uk/topsoil-compost/ Your just searching for bulk bags of compost.

[@jamesx2703]

Tried to grow some last year by sowing outside but none germinated. Planted some this year, two varieties. If nothing happens in the next 2 weeks, then I'll have to start them off inside. Fingers crossed!

[@GrowVeg]

I find starting them off inside does help with germination - it just encourages them along. It's very important to use fresh seed - onion seed really doesn't last for long.

[@switzerjim]

We grew nice shallots this year, but we've had trouble with other onions and garlic.

[@kampbadam295]

This video is so good that I would pay for it if I had to. There are really few videos that I like as much, and I have been on yt since the beginning 👍😮⭐️

[@GrowVeg]

Thanks so much, that's very kind of you to say! :-)

[@kampbadam295]

@@GrowVeg no thank you sir. Keep up the good work 👍

[@marksallotmentplot]

Great video Ben. Onions are one of my favourite things to grow so will be following your tips for next time 👍

[@GrowVeg]

Good man Mark. Good luck with next year's crop.

[@vmcshannon]

I didn’t do very well this year. I didn’t have enough sun from June on as the elderberry tree caused shade. So nothing grew. There’s just some green stems out there. I planted multi-sown plants. 🤷‍♀️

[@GrowVeg]

They do need plenty of direct sunshine, so I expect the lack of light will have been a big issue. Hope you find a sunny spot for next season.

[@nicholajames1]

Great video. I am a novice but found this easy to understand. One question how do you spot mildew?

[@GrowVeg]

Here's a great explanation of how to spot it: www.rhs.org.uk/disease/onion-downy-mildew

[@Hatarue]

Thanks to this video i won't harvest my onion yet there still very green and straight. Probably another month maybe. I'm in eastern Canada.