When it comes to growing onions, gardeners have two primary choices - onion sets or onion plants. Let's explore the differences between these two and determine which is best for your needs.

Which is Best for Your Garden?

• Choose Onion Set If: you want quick and easy planting option for both green onions and medium-sized storing onions.

• Choose Onion Plants If: you're aiming for large, sweet onions and are willing to wait a bit longer for a prize-winning harvest. Onion plants are the best option for storage.

What are Onion Sets?

Onion sets are small, immature onion bulbs grown from seed the previous year. They are easy to plant and offer a quick-growing option for early-season onions.

Benefits of Onion Sets:

• Early Planting - Sets can be planted as soon as the soil can be worked. A frost or light freeze won't harm them.

• Dual-Purpose Growth: Larger sets produce green onions for fresh use, while smaller sets grow into medium-sized onions that will store well.

• Strong Flavor: Onions grown from sets tend to have a pungent flavor, making them excellent for cooking.

• Common Varieties: Most sets are yellow or white Ebenezar onions, known for their reliability and storage quality.

How to Plant Onion Sets

For best results, separate onion sets into two sizes before planting:

• Larger sets (nickel-sized and bigger) - ideal for growing green onions
• Smaller sets - these develop into dry cooking onions

Planting Green Table Onions

• Choose larger onion sets and plant them root-side down, spacing them 1/2 inch apart and 2-3 inches deep
• Deep planting encourages more white edible stems.
• Harvest green onions in 4-5 weeks.
• For a continuous supply, plant new sets weekly throughout the summer.

Harvest Green Table Onions

• Pull when tops reach about 12 inches high.
• Remove the outer skin; green tops can be used in soups and salads.
• If left too long, onions develop a stronger flavor, making them better for cooking

Onion Set Varieties

Choose from yellow, white, red, and mixed colors. Our quality sets are firm, uniform, smooth and solid. Plant extra early, as soon as you can work the soil. Pull some in the spring as green onions and let the rest mature for winter use.

What are Onion Plants?

Onion Plants, or transplants, are young seedings ready for planting in the garden. These plants are the best option for growing large, mild, and sweet onions.

Benefits of Onion Plants:

• Best for Prize-Winning Onions: If you want to grow large onion, plants are the way to go.

• Thinning for Green Onions: Young onions can be pulled early for fresh green onions.

• Mild and Sweet Flavor: Many plant varieties produce onions with a milder, sweeter taste.

• Good Storage Options: Some onion plant varieties are excellent keepers for winter use.

Planting Dry Cooking Onions

• Use the smaller sets and plant them in well-drained soil.
• Allow them to grow throughout the summer.

Harvesting Onion Plants

• Harvest when the tops begin to fall over and dry out. (July to August)
• After harvesting, let onions dry in the shade for a few days.

Storing Dry Cooking Onions

Store properly to enjoy onions throughout the winter:

• Tie dried tops together and hang in a cool, dry place.
• Alternatively, cut tops to 1 to 1.5 inches and store in a mesh bag.
• Prevent onions from freezing to ensure long-term storage.

Onion Plant Varieties

Once onion plants meet our quality standards, they will be shipped out to our garden centers on or around April 1. Choose from Candy Hybrid, Yellow Sweet Spanish, Texas 1015 Supersweet, White Bermuda, Red Candy, and Walla Walla Sweet.

At Earl May Garden Centers, we carry both onion sets and onion plants, so no matter your gardening goals, we have the perfect option for you to get started on your onion-growing journey!