Growing your red onions is easy and one of my favorite things to grow! Red onions are a staple for us in many dishes from salads to dinners!

Choose the Right Variety For Your Growing Zone
There are several varieties of red onions available, each have a distinct flavor and growing zones. Pick your favorite or favorites. This year we are growing red and white onions!

Prep The Soil
Red onions thrive in well-draining, fertile soil, we mix in organic compost with all of our onions here. Red onions love sun! Make sure they receive at least 6 hours of sunlight each day.

Planting Options
We use onion bulbs (sets) here on our homestead. But you can start onions from seed.
Plant your onion bulbs directly outdoors in early spring. Plant your bulbs 1-2 inches deep in the soil and 4-6 inches apart.

Watering And Fertilizing
Water your red onions daily to ensure they don’t dry out. Don’t overwater as this can cause your onion bulbs to rot. We add in an organic fertilizer once a month to our onion beds. Our favorite to use is Espoma Garden-tone.

Weeding And Pest Control
Make sure you keep your onion beds free from weeds so that your onions don’t have to compete for nutrients. Keep an eye out for pests such as onion maggots, thrips, and aphids, and use organic controls if needed.

Harvesting and Storing
It’s been 90 – 120 days now and your hard work has paid off! It’s time to harvest!
Red onions are ready to harvest when the tops begin to yellow and fall over.
Gently pull the onions from the ground and let them dry in a well-ventilated area for 2-3 weeks. Once dry, trim the roots and tops, leaving about 1 inch of the stem. Store onions in a cool, dry place with good air circulation. You can store onions for longer periods in root cellars! Check out our trash can root cellar blog. 

Planting red onions is a simple and rewarding. Hope these tips help you!