Grow Onions from Sets

Onions from Sets – Introduction

There are two ways of Growing Onions, from seed or by bulb (Sets). Onion Sets are smaller young bulbs. Start Growing with Onion Sets and you will have a head start on seed sowing.

Onions can be grown in the Autumn or Spring.

Why Grow Onions from Sets?

Onions are one of the easiest vegetables to grow and they can be stored for up to one year after harvest.

There are a number of benefits to growing onions from sets, they are:

Its quicker growing Onions from Sets because they are already ahead of seed as they are immature bulbs that can be pushed directly into the soil.
Onion sets are Heat Treated so they are less likely to Bolt (which is send up a flower spike and go to seed).
Growing Onions from Sets means a shorter growing season and earlier harvest than Onion grown from Seed.
Its easier and low maintenance to grow Onions from Sets. Onions from Seed will need a little more care and attention.
Onion Sets are setup for a good crop and are more disease resistant.

Onions are one of the most popular constantly used vegetable in cooking. They can be added to many dishes and cuisines to flavour them.

When Can I Start Growing Onions?

Autumn Planting Onions

Buy or pre-order Onions Sets: Aug to Sept.
Plant Onions in cell trays or containers: Sept to Oct.
Transplant Onions in cell trays in the Ground: March.
Harvest Autumn Planting Onions: June.

Spring Planting Onions

Buy or pre-order Onions Sets: February.
Plant Onions in cell trays or containers: March.
Transplant Onions in cell trays in the Ground: Mid April.
Harvest Spring Planting Onions: August.

How to Choose an Onion Variety

Get your Free ebook on The Essential Guide to Growing Onions and get your variety comparison guide.

Planting Sets in Cell Trays

Fill up your cell tray with soil so it is level with the top of the tray.
Place one small onion in each of the cells, push it into the soil so it remains upright.
Water the soil well and place in an unheated greenhouse.

Planting Onions Sets

This video teaches you how to plant Onion Sets in cell trays when it’s too wet to plant outside. You can start them off growing in a greenhouse and then plant out the onion soil squares into a raised bed.

You will need:

Onion Sets,
Cell Tray, with the cells large enough to plant a small onion bulb,
Compost,
Watering can with water.

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How to Plant Onion Sets in Cell Trays

After 1 -3 months, it’s time to plant them outside in the ground.

Plant out your Onions in a Raised Bed

This video shows how to plant out onions into a raised bed that were started in cell trays.

You will need:

Onion sets with shoots in cell trays,
A trowel,
Watering can with water.

How To Plant out your Onions in a Raised Bed

Harvest your Onions when the leaves bend over and are flat on the ground. They are ready to eat out of the ground.

If you would like to store your Onions for a year, you will need to dry them first

How to Harvest Onions

How to Store your Onions

After your Onions have been harvested, they need to be dried so the moisture in the stem and top of the bulb can dry out otherwise they might go mouldy in storage.

This can take 2 – 4 weeks drying depending on conditions. After this time, you can store in onion mesh bags in a well ventilated space that’s frost free