So, it's almost that time, folks! If you want big, beautiful, sweet onions next summer, you have to plant from seed in early November. (Note, this advice is for zone 10b...other zones have different requirements). So....Here in zone 10 we need to plant "Short Day" onions for best results. You want to find a Sub-tropical variety, such as Georgia Sweet, Sweet Red, Texas Super Sweet are a few. I went with this variety:
I like to start my seeds about 8 weeks before I'm ready to plant out in the garden. This is for things that don't mind being transplanted out of their little seed starting cups. (I don't do this with carrots or parsnips and a few others). Anyway, I start them in some fine potting soil and peat moss mixture, or commercial seed starting mix. Don't fertilize yet! They aren't big enough kids to handle that yet.
They can probably stay in those little pots for the whole 8 weeks. If for some reason they grow fast and you can see roots coming out of the bottom of the pot, you can transplant into bigger pots. Right now, after about 3 weeks, they look like this:
They look a little wimpy but that's just how onions look. Anyway, they won't need any fertilizer till they are planted in the ground. Sprinkle in a good organic vegetable fertilizer into the trench you dug, fill with a little more soil, then plant your seedlings. Regular fertilization should continue till mid summer, then you can stop. Also, the shoulders of the onion will begin to emerge. You don't need to cover with more soil. It's normal. When the plant looks like it's dying and flops over, probably about June, you can harvest!
With any luck, you should have nice, big, juicy onions to enjoy for months!
Some of my fave seed sources are:
http://migardener.com/store/
Luke is the owner/operator of this great website and we love his seeds! Most are $.99!!!
http://www.rareseeds.com/
This guy started this company when he was but a boy.....Really....They are amazing
Anyway~ Peace, Love, and happy gardening! :)
Jules
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