Too late for Onions?

[Calhoun]

I was wondering if it is too late for me to grow onions from seed. Our first frost usually happens in October, which would give me 5 months. I've read that onions take a while to mature, but they never give a number of days or weeks.

If I started the seed now, would they have time to grow to maturity? If so, should I sow indoors and transplant or sow directly outdoors?

~Cal

[mmmtomatoes]

What kind of onions are they? I planted my yellow onions at the end of February and I just transplanted them from the container to my greens bed. As for seed I just placed my green onions in the ground a few days ago. I think you'll be fine with planting them. It might be to late but hey if you put them into a container and bring them in for the winter thats fine too!

[Train]

Ya!
It really does matter what kind of onions
your asking about.At this time of year I would say not.
Scallions will take up to 90 days from seed to make
very thin scallions.
Sets take 60 to be ready to start pulling.
For slicers you would need to start seed early enough
to develop sets that you could then plant later.
I have had poor results trying to grow a seed to a
slicer in the past unless I dig up the sets then
plants again.
Perhaps I'm missing something.
I final note. At the current price of
onion seed I would sow now, then again later.
I have now a tray full of scallions growing from seed
for two months now and they are yet pencile lead
thin so you might use that for a yard stick.
Train

[Calhoun]

They are Red Creole and Bianca Di Maggio. Both are short day types. I've never grown onions from seeds, only onion sets purchased from my local CO-OP, and the packages contain no directions or info for guidance.

Edit:

I posted before seeing Train's reply. That gives me a better idea of the growth rate. Thanks for the info.

Thanks for the help,

~Cal

[mmmtomatoes]

Train.is.the.man.

and thats final!

[mjc]

Or it could be too early...

You should be able to overwinter onions in your locale, but it is a bit too early to sow them from seed to do that. You'll want to wait to about the end of August or so...

[Calhoun]

Or it could be too early...

You should be able to overwinter onions in your locale, but it is a bit too early to sow them from seed to do that. You'll want to wait to about the end of August or so...

First time I've heard of this. Will do some research and try it out. Thanks for the info.

~Cal

[laynes69]

I am growing a ton of walla walla plants this year. I was reading because of the idea of overwintering. I had alot of seed left from this year and some sites said the walla walla would overwinter. How does it work in a quick crash course? I take it they grow to a certain size then go dormant over the winter? I have at least 300 to 400 seeds left and would like to try it if I can in this area.

[mjc]

Basically, you start the onions from seed (direct sow) sometime in August, let them grow until frost, mulch them, then in early spring pull back the mulch, weed and thin them (use the thinned ones as green onions). Hit them up with some kind of fertilizer (high nitrogen; there are several organic possibilities here...) then let them grow. They should be just about ready by the time the spring planted crop is gearing up to start bulbing...

[Train]

Ya Calhoun!
Now you see the difference in zones.
mjc offers another perspective from
the other side of the country, your side.
I would go with the closest to you in zone.
Here I can do a lot of things you cannot and
sometimes I forget that.
Train