Growing Onion

Allium cepa : Amaryllidaceae / the onion family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
            S S S      
            T T T      
            P P P      

(Best months for growing Onion in Australia - temperate regions)

  • S = Plant undercover in seed trays
  • T = Plant out (transplant) seedlings
  • P = Sow seed
  • Easy to grow. Grow in seed trays, and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 46°F and 86°F. (Show °C/cm)
  • Space plants: 2 - 4 inches apart
  • Harvest in 25-34 weeks. Allow onions to dry before storing.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Lemon Balm, Borage, Carrots, Beets, Silverbeet, Lettuce, Amaranth
  • Avoid growing close to: Peas, Beans

Your comments and tips

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05 Jul 21, Jacqueline (Australia - temperate climate)
I'm interested in planting red onions, I am growing spring onions, and leeks quite successfully but know nothing about red onion planting and care. Could you please advise me. I only have a small balcony style garden.
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10 Jul 21, (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
All the onion family are pretty similar to grow. Plant them similar time as spring onions and leeks. If you want more info google
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08 Aug 21, anne onn (Australia - temperate climate)
telling people to google something on a plant website is just lazy. @Jacqueline, you can safely plant the red onions as if they were spring onions, just allow for more space between the plants Note: Gardenate does not advise google - we assume that is how the questioner found our site)
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25 Mar 21, Jean (Australia - temperate climate)
My onion bed is prepared with plenty of chook poo, and top soil containing sheep and cow manure..plus lime and water retaining dressing.. Are there any other element missing or anything l'm putting on that is not necessary.? Why do the onions have thick necks? Am I leaving the onions too long before harvesting when seed stalks appear? I would appreciate your advice. I live in Lake Clifton 6215 WA on sandy soil which we are building up with compost and manures , lime etc
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26 Mar 21, Anonymous (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Onions don't need really rich soil, as in heaps of nitrogen. They are a bulb and need Phosphate. With the sandy soil better to build it up with mulchy compost, it can have a bit of chicken/sheep/cow manure in the compost. Or at the end of your growing season add manures grass clipping leaves etc to your soil and turn it and water (rain hopefully) during your fallow time, If you do that over 3-4-5 months then you should have really good soil to start with. You may need to add some lime to balance the soil ph back to 6-7. If you have big thick leaves stalks that means too much nitrogen.
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22 Feb 21, Brett (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
If I was to plant brown onions, once harvested, how long will they last when they are stored in the pantry?
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05 Mar 21, (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Brown onions keep better than white onions. Let them harden off a bit after picking and keep in a cool aeriated area. Don't pack them tight - like in a bag.
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26 Feb 21, Greg J (Australia - temperate climate)
Geelong Australia. I pulled up a couple of beds of brown onions in November. They've been hanging in the back shed since then, no problems at all. They're still as good as when I pulled them up, and we've been using them slowly. I think they will easily last 6 months or more.]
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25 Feb 21, Brad (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Depends on the variety of brown onion mate, the more pungent ones will store longer but they are more suitable to cooler areas. I'm sub-tropical too i'm from brisbane and I do a variety call "Texas early granno" I pulled about 70 to 80 out last year and none went bad. The trick is to harvest them when you need them. Green Harvest is a great site where I get most of my seeds from they are situated in south-east Qld and they have a lot of info of different varieties and the climates they are best suited for. Hope that helped Brett. -Brad
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01 Apr 20, paul ryan (Australia - temperate climate)
What do you mean by saying onion bulbs should sit on the soil and not be covered.
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Since you are having problems with your Texas Grano -- I would recommend going to an Egyptian walking onion (or other walking onion). Video abojut the onion can be found here: https://www.bing.com/videos/riverview/relatedvideo?q=walking+onions&mid=17F7CAB6E4A914745E4A17F7CAB6E4A914745E4A&FORM=VIRE Additionally: the walking onion originated from a cross between the Welsh onion (Allium fistulosum), and the common onion (Allium cepa). The Egyptian walking onion, Allium x proliferum, is a member of the allium family and a great addition to the perennial vegetable garden. Egyptian onions go by many names, including tree onions, topset (or topsetting) onions, and walking onions. The seeds are slow growing, and can take several years for them to grow and flower. That’s why people grow them mostly from established bulbs. Every part of the Egyptian walking onion is edible, including the bulb in the ground, the stems, the flower, and the aerial bulbils. There are different varieties -- some zones 3-9 others 3-10. I would select a 3-10 for your area -- additionally some types grow substantial bulbs under ground -- others have small underground bulbs -- so select your variety based on your need. There are white, brown and purple walking onions. There is also the RED CATAWISSA WALKING onion -- which is not classified as an Egyptian walker -- but is still a walking onion: this variety for its larger sized bulbs and topsets that are much larger than the typical walking onion. All parts of the plant are edible. Walking onions are a standard choice for permaculture gardens and food forests -- they are very low maintenance - and very reliable -- so a good choice for anyone having difficulty growing regular onions.

- Celeste Archer

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This planting guide is a general reference intended for home gardeners. We recommend that you take into account your local conditions in making planting decisions. Gardenate is not a farming or commercial advisory service. For specific advice, please contact your local plant suppliers, gardening groups, or agricultural department. The information on this site is presented in good faith, but we take no responsibility as to the accuracy of the information provided.
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