Dutch Valley - Sweet Onion Baby Bulbs

Onion Set Planting Instructions

When planting onion sets you need to go in with a plan on what you are looking to grow. What makes onion sets so neat is that they should always give you something it just may not be the thing you desired. What you can grow is green onions/scallions, spring onions, or dry storage onions. The difference between these is when you harvest. Green onions also known as scallions are onions that are pulled that are still green and have not started bulbing yet. Spring onions are harvest green and have started bulbing. Dry storage onions are harvested when the stem has fallen over, the onion has bulbed out completely, and the onion is allowed to dry down.

• Soil Preparation
  Make sure that you plant in a location that is full sun with good soil drainage. It is ideal for soil pH to be between 6.0 and 7.0. Onions prefer soil with high organic matter. Onions need to be fertilized well.
• Onion Day Length and Variety Selection
  When referring to day length is the hours of daylight to trigger the beginning of bulb development. Short day onions (25-35 degrees latitude) require 11 to 12 hours of daylight, intermediate onions (32-42 degrees latitude) require 12 to 14 hours of daylight, and long day onions (37-47 degrees latitude) require 14 or more hours of daylight. We grow each day length variety and select according to what we think with grow best. The day length is only important if you are looking to grow a dry storage onion to full maturity. The majority of the varieties we raise are intermediate and long day varieties. Onion sets mature much faster than planting from direct seed giving you optimal timing for bulbing. The majority of the onion varieties we raise will grow medium to jumbo sized onions that are suited for storage.
• Growing Green Onions/Scallions                                                                                                                                                                                                                              To use onion sets for growing green onions or scallions the variety type and day length do not matter at all. The large the bulb the larger the stem on the green onion. Any size onion set will produce a green onion. The size of onion set bulbs are 7/16 to 1 1/4 inches (11 to 32mm). We recommend planting Larger bulbs 3/4 inch (19mm) and up. With larger bulbs you can plant the onion deeper in order to produce a longer shank. We recommend a planting depth around 2 to 4 inches deep and 2 inches apart in the row. Make sure to keep the onions water well. You can side-dress with a fertilizer like 12-12-12 at a rate of 1 to 2 pounds per 100 feet of row. Fertilizing is not necessary but will help out. Harvest when the greens are at your desired size. You can also cut the tops off without uprooting the onion. The stem will grow back and you can get multiple trimming. If you are planning on doing this be sure to fertilize once with a balanced fertilizer and depending on how long you are planning on doing this you may want to fertilize with nitrogen only fertilizer.
• Growing Spring Onions
  For growing spring onions we do not recommend a bulb size. Most of the bulb sizes will work for this product. If you are wanting a larger bulb we would recommend planting a set less than 3/4 inch (19mm). We recommend a planting depth around 1 to 2 inches and 4 to 6 inches apart in the row. Make sure to keep the onions water well. You can side-dress with a fertilizer like 12-12-12 at a rate of 1 to 2 pounds per 100 feet of row. Depending on much size you want to get on your bulb before pulling it green you may want to consider adding another side-dress application of nitrogen only.
• Growing Dry Storage Onions
  For growing dry storage onions we recommend planting a set less than 3/4 inch (19mm). The reason for this is the smaller bulbs tend to be single center which means one growing point and the smaller bulbs tend not to bolt. Some varieties the bulb size is not as important and larger bulbs can perform better. Be sure to keep records to find what works best for you. For an even growth similar size bulbs should be planted together. We recommend a planting depth around 1 inch and 4 to 6 inches apart in the row. Side-dress with a fertilizer like 12-12-12 at a rate of 1 to 2 pounds per 100 feet of row. You will want to consider adding another side-dress application of nitrogen only for best yield. You will want to harvest the onions when about half the tops have fallen over and are drying out. You will want to dig the onions up leaving the top on. After harvest it is very important to cure the onions.  Keep the onions in a warm well ventilated environment at 75 to 90 degrees F for 2 to 4 weeks until the outer skin is dry and the neck is tight. In proper curing will result in decay in storage. Store the onions in a dry and cool area. It is important to not let them freeze. The ideal storage temperature is 33 to 40 degrees F.