Planting Onions in Fall to Overwinter

[@variyasalo2581]

Im in 9a. I just got an email from my "onionman", who is an hour or so away from my location, that now is the time to order and they will send you your onions according to your zone and directions on how to plant them. Love ya Mr. Bruce in Carrizo Springs, Texas!

[@justgrowsomething]

Gotta love having a good onion man!!

[@zone4garlicfarm]

I've been growing onions this way in zone 4 for 30 years. I grow my own sets by direct seeding in late May and harvesting the little bulbs around the first of August. I plant them as sets in Fall after frost kills the tomato plants but before the ground freezes.

[@justgrowsomething]

Oh, I love this!! Growing your own sets is even more economical, for sure. Not everyone has the patience for that, though. LOL!!

[@zone4garlicfarm]

@@justgrowsomething Growing my own sets gives me a lot more choices. When you buy sets there aren't many varieties to choose from.

[@justgrowsomething]

Agreed! I planted some heirloom red onions this year from seed that did really well. Would never have found those in sets.

[@jenniewolford1631]

I left those flower stalks on 2 of my onions last year and got tons of seed!

[@justgrowsomething]

Oh, yeah, if you want seeds you can definitely let them go!!

[@josephl.garlington8238]

This is the best explanation/demo on onions I have heard! I’m in zone 6a and will give this a try! Thank you

[@justgrowsomething]

Glad it was helpful!

[@justinciallella4724]

I'm probably 6a. I start seed in February, it's cheaper, and gives you more options. I have great results. I used to plant sets in the spring, they would always bolt.

[@justgrowsomething]

That's a great technique! Yes, straight from seed very early in the season could work well for many. For some, the soil would simply still be too cold. Spring sets here do often bolt because the daylength increases so quickly, that's why I use sets in the fall. For spring planting, I use seedlings unless I'm using sets for very quick green onions. Thanks for commenting!

[@justinciallella4724]

@@justgrowsomething i start seed indoors in February, I plant them outside in April.

[@oldgoatsgarden4897]

I like Imia Early Yellow for overwintering here in NEMo, plant from seed, never tried sets before, need to give it a try next fall.

[@justgrowsomething]

Love this! Are you planting the seeds directly in the soil to overwinter? Do they sprout in the fall before going dormant?

[@oldgoatsgarden4897]

@justgrowsomething yes, I either plant seed or use small transplants, September for seed or October for transplants. It's a Japanese variety that is supposed to be overwintered, it doesn't do as well from spring planting. Very early and mild, mid to large bulbs but doesn't keep well, 2 to 3 month storage window.

[@justgrowsomething]

@@oldgoatsgarden4897 Interesting! Thank you for sharing!

[@jjcousin1]

Thank you for your diligence. I've done internet searches and came up with nothing. You've answered all my questions I've had for a while and now I'm confident I can continue with planting as I had hoped for. You're greatly appreciated :)

[@justgrowsomething]

Oh, I'm so glad! Good luck with your onions!

[@jamee_maree]

YEAH!!! Finally found someone nearby so I could hear knowledge on how to do it. THANK YOU!! I’m 6a - western most tip of IL. Prob pretty darn close to you. So, after I finish this video, I’ll be binging your channel 😂 Am I too late to get them planted now? I’m going to use organic ones from store this year since it’s my first time. I don’t want to spend lots of $$ and end up screwing it up. Lol

[@justgrowsomething]

So glad you found me! You should still have time to get them in the ground now. Start small! When you say you're using the organic ones from the store (grocery?), be sure what you're planting are the tiny sets and not "pearl" onions. Using garlic from the store is fine, but for onions I'd recommend using sets from a seed supplier. Good luck!!

[@FrancescaUrbanFarmgirl]

Love, love, love this!

[@justgrowsomething]

I'm so glad!

[@mickichikwinya5519]

Helpful information for a newbie to zone 7b Ozarks. I'm definitely learning all the things that can be over wintered. Can you plant all types of onions in the fall? I.e., Red onions?

[@justgrowsomething]

Absolutely! Just be sure they're the right type for your area. In the Ozarks, look for day neutral varieties.

[@joypolk3093]

Just found your channel, subscribed🤗 enjoying your videos, 8b zone

[@justgrowsomething]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@Crowbar47032]

I'm in Southeast Indiana zone 6B and didn't know this would work in our zone. I'll have to test whether it will work in our clay heavy soil.

[@justgrowsomething]

We have heavy clay soil here in west central Missouri, too! I have had great luck with layering compost on top of the soil and planting directly into it, then mulching with straw. Remember, onions should only be planted about an inch down. So as long as the roots can penetrate the soil and the top few inches are loose, you should be good to go!

[@tomatoespoppieseverything]

Thanks for sharing!

[@tracysrhythmiclife]

Zone 8 would love to plant the red onions

[@justgrowsomething]

You can absolutely do red onions this same way. In your zone, you could do this in the winter from sets or directly from seed.

[@carolhartley5982]

I didn't recognise the type of nitrogen-high fertiliser you use. Could you please add a note? Thank you!

[@justgrowsomething]

I use feather meal, but you can use blood meal, cottonseed meal, or fish emulsion, too! Bat guano is also an option for some people, depending on the region.

[@paul.mcguinness6075]

All of my onions bolted this year and rotted after harvesting them. Bummer. I have plenty of seeds but not enthused.

[@justgrowsomething]

Such a bummer! Yes, bolted onions will not store since they've used the energy from the center of the bulb to send up that flower stalk. That makes the center of the onion soft, and it will rot. Keep trying! It took me several years to properly grow onions in my area and each climate is different!

[@angelaraum1545]

Not sure where yr at in MO. Is it near St Louis area? Wondering if planting onions is still ok.

[@justgrowsomething]

I'm on the other side of the state, south of Kansas City. But, yes, planting is still fine! So long as your soil is still workable and the daylight hours are above 10 per day, you should be able to get them planted.

[@thunderrollsmedia]

Onions are cold hardy. Especially in dryer conditions. Less chance of rot. New subscriber! #SEColorado #GrowingZine5b

[@justgrowsomething]

Thanks, and welcome!

[@cocobrwngl]

If you only have seeds and in zone 6 can you still take advantage of fall planting onions?

[@cocobrwngl]

I watched your video for today. I think you explained it there.

[@justgrowsomething]

Good question! You can plant directly from seed in zone 6 and allow them to overwinter and you will get onions. They may not be as large as the ones you plant from sets, but you'll have a plethora of green onions and spring onions to choose from!

[@larrysowada9905]

Once the onion is harvested and ready for storage, my question is how do you store them for a long-term before they get rotten? I just found your channel, I'll be moving to zone 9b in a few weeks but won't be planting anything till next year, thank you

[@justgrowsomething]

Onions store best where it's dark, dry, and cool (45 to 55 F). The less humidity the better, so don't store them in plastic or closed containers that may trap moisture. If you find they're getting soft or sprouting, you can move those to a refrigerator to hold an additional two weeks. The other option is to chop them and freeze them in freezer bags (so long as you plan on using them for cooking - these won't be good used "fresh"). Good luck with the move and the new garden space!

[@latoracole4356]

Could you eat the chutes of green instead of letting them dry out? Garlic as well? Thank you

[@justgrowsomething]

You can! You can harvest lightly from the greens as they grow, but it may affect the size of the final bulb. You can harvest them lightly as they start to fall over in the early summer, but don't take all of them. You don't want to open the neck of the bulb up too much and expose it to pathogens that would cause it to rot. This is not something you would do with garlic tops, however. They are much leafier than onions tops (although if you're growing hard neck garlic, you should be harvesting the scapes!). You can harvest the garlic tops and dry them into a powder for adding to dishes, it's just not as flavorful. Hope that answers your questions!

[@latoracole4356]

Yes it does, thank you. I really like the flavor of eating the greens growing from my garlic🥰😂😂😂

[@lacreshawood4925]

Do you know if ground hogs or raccoons will eat your onions?

[@justgrowsomething]

I've never had a problem with them. I've had squirrels dig them up occasionally and my chickens have scratched around the sets in the freshly loosened soil. The solution to that is to use insect netting or row cover secured to the soil. That has worked for me every time!

[@tegoblue]

It would be best to state your growing zone right off. Thanks, I just heard you say 6B.

[@justgrowsomething]

Noted!

[@sharonpreston2826]

Can I do this even when it rains all the time where I live. 15 ft. a year. yes lots of rain.

[@justgrowsomething]

The key here is to be sure you have very well-drained soil and a good layer of mulch to slow down the water absorption. But if the soil remains waterlogged it will damage the onions. Try mounding the soil and planting the onions at the crest of the mound.

[@rrrrrrrrrrrrrrr631]

Does it matter whether it's long day or short day onions when you're overwintering them?

[@justgrowsomething]

Nope! Plant the onions appropriate for your latitude and they will begin bulbing at the correct time. In fact, gardeners in much warmer zones have greater success growing their onions through the winter!

[@FrancescaUrbanFarmgirl]

Going to try seeds. I'm in zone 8, so I'll try seeds for half, amd start seeds in January, plant out in March and see how we do