How to Plant Onion Sets in Raised Beds

Learn How to Plant Onion Sets in Raised Beds to enjoy an organic fresh harvest all year round! They are easy to grow and maintain too!

Onion sets are small onion bulbs used in gardening for onion production. Once the sets are planted, they slowly burgeon and grow into full-sized onion bulbs in around 3-4 months. Moreover, onion bulbs have a high success and germination rate as compared to the onion seeds plantation. Let’s have a look at How to Plant Onion Sets in Raised Beds!

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Best Location for Onions

Onion prefers a lot of warmth and sunlight – choose a sunny part of the garden for raised bed that gets at least 4-6 hours of sunlight daily. The more sunlight they receive, the larger the size of onion bulbs you will have.

Best Soil for Onion Bulb Plantation

The soil for onion plantation must be well-draining, porous, and fertile. If it is compact or heavy, then it will hamper the onion growth, and the produced onions will be of poor quality. So, consider amending the soil quality of raised beds using aged manure. Alternatively, consider adding about an inch of the compost prior to planting the bulbs.

Best Time for Sowing Onion Bulbs

Onion planting outdoors is best when the weather is neither too hot nor cold. Mid-march to mid-April is the most appropriate time for sowing the onion bulbs.

You can sow the seeds in rows, but make sure to maintain the spacing of atleast 6-8 inches in between for better growth.

Always choose onion bulbs for the plantation that is no larger than 3/4-inch in diameter.
Make a small hole in the soil, insert the onion sets, and secure them with soil so that a tip of the onion set is visible on the soil’s surface.
Do not bury the sets more than an inch in the soil. Planting the onions too deep affects bulb development.
Water the soil right after planting to settle them up. Keep the soil slightly moist throughout the growing period.
Do ensure to label the onion bulbs with the variety and the date of sowing.
The new shoots will sprout up within 3-4 weeks.

Care Tips for Onion Sets in Raised Beds

It is good to rotate the onion crops year after year. That is, avoid planting the onions in the same spot of raised bed every year because it can lead to diseases.
Feed the bulbs with a nitrogen-rich fertilizer. Fertilize the plant every 10-14 days until bulbing starts.
Mulch the soil with pine, straw, or compost. It suppresses weed growth, maintains an even temperature, and cuts down the moisture loss from soil.
Surprisingly, onions work as a natural pest repellent. However, if you do notice some pests, use insecticidal soap or neem oil solution.

Harvesting Onions

Whenever the onions reach maturity (100 to 125 days from planting), the foliage starts yellowing gradually. Dig around and pull out the onions once they bear flower stalks. Loosen the soil around slowly, and harvest the onions. If you want to harvest green onions during the growing season, then harvest them around 60-70 days from planting.