Anyone who has ever gardened has more than likely grown onions. Onions are a staple in most homes, at least they are in mine, and for the most part are very easy to grow and store well.
Growing onions from seed, just like most other vegetables, offer more variety than choosing onion sets and organic options are often available. This year I ordered New York Early (organic) from Johnny's Selected Seeds. This variety is well suited for my climate, which is zone 5b (Iowa). We tend to have cooler springs, warm summers, and mild falls. It is important to choose a variety that will do well in your zone, find your zone here.
When growing onions from seed, patience is a virtue. Onion seeds can take weeks to germinate, and weeks to sprout. I started my onion seeds on February 6, there were sprouts barely breaking through the soil on the 12th. Onions are a slow growing plant, my onions (pictured below, taken today) have looked virtually the same for weeks.
The one thing onions are picky about is water. When growing onions from seed, its important to keep the soil uniformly moist throughout the growing season, not soggy, but moist. If the soil gets too dry, onions will stall on growing and in later stages may cause the bulbs to crack and split.
HARDENING OFF
Like most, if not all, plants started indoors, onions need to be hardened off before transplanting in the garden. Hardening off is a term used by gardeners which refers to getting indoor sprouts used to outdoor conditions, before planting them permanently outside in the garden. Today, I started hardening off my onion sprouts. They will be going into the garden this weekend, and should be hardened off for at least a week. Today is a little chilly, below normal for this time of year, but my onion type is suited for cooler temperatures, so I felt comfortable putting them outside for a while. I put them on our back porch, which has the most sunlight this time of year. Onions like at least 6 hours of sunlight per day for optimal growth, I put my onions out at noon and will bring them back in before sunset when the temperatures start to drop. I will continue this process throughout the week and my onions will likely be ready for their new home in my garden by this weekend.
If you didn't have a chance to start your seeds inside, onions can be directly sown in the garden. Just be sure to plant them after the threat of frost has passed. Also be sure to get an "early" variety, so you can harvest your onions before the first frost in the fall. Onion sets are available, for those who choose to go that route, at most gardening stores. Onion sets grow faster, which will ensure a crop harvest before the fall frost. If you live in an area that has mild winters, and the threat of frost is non-existant or much later than northern territories, you need not worry about how late your onions are harvested, thus planting from seed directly outside may be your best option.
"A garden requires patient labor and attention. Plants do not grow merely to satisfy ambitions or to fulfill good intentions. They thrive because someone expended effort on them." ~ Liberty Hyde Bailey
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