Growing Onion

Allium cepa : Amaryllidaceae / the onion family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
  S         S          
      T T T     T      
        P P            

(Best months for growing Onion in New Zealand - cool/mountain regions)

  • S = Plant undercover in seed trays
  • T = Plant out (transplant) seedlings
  • P = Sow seed
  • Easy to grow. Grow in seed trays, and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 46°F and 86°F. (Show °C/cm)
  • Space plants: 2 - 4 inches apart
  • Harvest in 25-34 weeks. Allow onions to dry before storing.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Lemon Balm, Borage, Carrots, Beets, Silverbeet, Lettuce, Amaranth
  • Avoid growing close to: Peas, Beans

Your comments and tips

Post a comment or question Display Newest first | Oldest first, Show comments for New Zealand | for all countries
10 Jan 15, Maurice (Australia - temperate climate)
Most onions are biennial, they flower and die in the second year. With yours I say leave them where they are, let the flower, collect the hundreds of seeds they produce and plant them. We grow a lot of perennial onions like tree onions and potato onions. We got them through the post from mudflower blogspot. They have a lot of perennial vegetables which are much simpler to grow than the regular types.
Reply or Post a new comment
27 Sep 14, Deeanna (Australia - temperate climate)
I am a new gardener but I have to live with possums, bush turkeys, mice and wallabies. It has been my experience over the last 4 years that both possums and wallabies would be the culprit eating your onion tips. We cover ours with bird netting. This leaves us with the wallabies that push against the netting to nibble. But they do not get to eat much once the garden is covered securely.
Reply or Post a new comment
21 Sep 14, Sarina (Australia - temperate climate)
Our onions (brown and red) are hanging on the fence in a planter box we made from pallets(we have a dog who likes to knock things over). However something is eating the tips of the leaves and only the tips. It wouldn't be possums as the dog would be going crazy. There is no bugs at all near the plants. The fence is colourbond steel, in off-white, and we can not see any trails, marks, tell tale signs of any slugs or snails etc. there is no bugs or sign of them in or around the pallets, and the boxes are lined with weed mat to stop the dirt from falling out. Any ideas of what this could be that's loving the tops of the onions? It's our first ever attempt at growing veggies, and we would really like some to survive!
Reply or Post a new comment
29 Aug 15, Sally-Anne Pucek (Australia - temperate climate)
I discovered our cat was nibbling the tips of our young garlic and onions...
Reply or Post a new comment
02 Apr 15, (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Hi there had the same problem and found it was rats ,if you can move them onions to a less easily accessible spot for rats anyway .A fence is like a rat highway
Reply or Post a new comment
09 Dec 14, Glen (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Sounds to me like heat transfer from the tin fence. Regards
Reply or Post a new comment
08 Sep 14, Freckson Tineyi Ropi (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
I want to buy king onion seed where can l buy it. Am in Limpopo Province
Reply or Post a new comment
31 Aug 14, Suzanne (Australia - temperate climate)
Do I let the seed stem of the onion grow or cut it off Onions looked good till the seed stem grew and then they just went hard inside
Reply or Post a new comment
18 Aug 14, Rob (Australia - temperate climate)
Hello can i purchase walking onion or egyptian onion in melbourne or sydney
Reply or Post a new comment
02 Jul 14, coralie (Australia - temperate climate)
Having trouble purchasing tree onions/Egyptian running onions. Can you help
Reply or Post a new comment
Showing 271 - 280 of 368 comments
See comments for all plants

Onions can be successfully planted as seedlings.Grow in trays transplant at about 15cm.Before transplanting trim tops and roots by about one third, dig shallow depression, lay plants with roots only in depression and cover roots with soil. Important to select correct onions for time of year(see packet)

- Bryan

Please provide your email address if you are hoping for a reply


All comments are reviewed before displaying on the site, so your posting will not appear immediately

Gardenate App

Put GardenGrow in your pocket. Get our app for iPhone, iPad or Android to add your own plants and record your plantings and harvests

Planting Reminders

Join 60,000+ gardeners who already use GardenGrow and subscribe to the free GardenGrow planting reminders email newsletter.


Home | Vegetables and herbs to plant | Climate zones | About GardenGrow | Contact us | Privacy Policy

This planting guide is a general reference intended for home gardeners. We recommend that you take into account your local conditions in making planting decisions. GardenGrow is not a farming or commercial advisory service. For specific advice, please contact your local plant suppliers, gardening groups, or agricultural department. The information on this site is presented in good faith, but we take no responsibility as to the accuracy of the information provided.
We cannot help if you are overrun by giant slugs.