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How To Grow Onions From An Onion? 11 Steps!

Onions are an easy-to-grow vegetable that can be used to make many delicious dishes. They do not need to be grown from seeds or sets; you can grow them from the onions. 

Cut off the bottom of the bulb and plant it in the ground. Then you will need patience, and the onions will need time and abundant watering, and in 90-120 days, you will get a new crop of excellent onions.

How To Grow Onions From An Onion

Varieties of onions

Centurion onion 

Centurion onion is an early maturing widespread culture that is well grown in northern latitudes. The bulb is neat and elongated with a dense consistency. One head weighs on average 100 g. The husk is bright straw color, and the inner flesh is white. 

Centurion onion How To Grow Onions From An Onion

The scales are tightly closed with each other, and in each bulb, there are about four layers. Because the neck is narrow, it dries out quickly, preventing pests and microbes from penetrating the bulb’s body. The sizes of the seedlings are small – about 2 cm in diameter. The yield of the Centurion is at a high level. 

Stuttgarter Riesen onion

Stuttgarter Riesen onion is a variety of large onions with a round or flattened shape. The maximum fruit weight reaches 250 g. On average, one bulb has 100–150 g. The color of the outer layer can be white or light brown. The taste is semi-sharp and is loved for its high vitamin C content. 

Stuttgarter Riesen onion How To Grow Onions From An Onion

Stuttgarter Riesen onions have a high dry matter content, which allows the onion to dry and freeze without losing its beneficial properties. The ripening period from the appearance of the first shoots is, on average, 90 days.

Golden seed 

Golden seed is an early ripening variety. The bulb is dense, weighs 80-100 grams, and has a semi-sharp taste with excellent yield. 

A significant advantage of this onion is that it is zoned and successfully grown in the Central, North-West, Ural, Siberian, Far-Eastern regions, and the southern part. 

At the same time, regardless of the area of cultivation, summer residents receive a stable harvest without much effort. 

Golden seed onion How To Grow Onions From An Onion

This variety belongs to the early maturing type. Full maturity occurs in 2.5 months. A distinctive feature is that it does not form nests and grows in single large bulbs. 

Red Baron 

Red Baron is a variety of early purple onions. It does not need much care for and adapts well to different weather conditions. The weight of the ripe fruit depends on the density of the planting of the seed in the ground. 

The shape is round or slightly flattened, and the top layer is quite dense. It is characterized by fleshy, juicy pink-white flesh with red-violet veins. 

Red Baron How To Grow Onions From An Onion

Sturon onion

Sturon onion is a mid-early variety with a pungent taste. Productivity is up to 8 kg/m2. Bulbs are round and dense, weighing up to 90 g, and the color is yellow-brown. 

It is suitable for drying, freezing, and preserving. Keeping quality is excellent. The ease of caring for Sturon onions makes it the best for Russian conditions. 

Onion STURON How To Grow Onions From An Onion
Onion STURON via gurneys.com

Shtur

Shtur is a medium late, high-yielding variety for universal use. The bulbs are high-quality, beautiful, semi-sharp taste, and have good shooting resistance, ideal for long-term storage. The onion has a high dry matter content of 15.6%, perfect for both private and industrial cultivation.


How To Grow Onions From An Onion

  1. Cut off the bottom of the onion, approximately 2.5 cm thick

Place the onion on a cutting board and use a sharp knife to cut off the bottom of the onion. Remove the outer husk layer. To grow from the bottom, a healthy and robust bulb must be about 2.5 cm thick. 

If you plan to plant onions in the garden, you need to prepare the bottom early spring. If the onion grows indoors, you can plant it at any time of the year. Almost any type of onion is suitable for planting, including regular store onions. It is optimal if the onion is fresh, without signs of rotting.

2. Allow the cut bottoms to air dry for 12-24 hours

After you have cut the bottoms off the onions, the tops can be thrown away or eaten. Spread the bases on a flat surface with the cut-up and wait about a day for them to dry. 

The bottoms should be dry and slightly rough to the touch. If you are sorry to discard the tops of the bulbs, you can use them for food or compost them.

3. Stick in the bottom with a toothpick on four sides

Divide the bottom into four parts and stick each of the parts on the side of a toothpick. The toothpicks should protrude halfway from the bottom at an equal distance from each other, forming a cross. Toothpicks will help to position the base over the water container so that it grows roots.

4. Place the bottoms on small containers of water

Place the small jars or cups on a flat surface and fill them to the brim with water. Place the bottoms of the onions on the jars so that they lightly touch the surface of the water. 

The bulb takes 3-4 days to take root. When the bottom begins to shrink and white roots appear from below, it is time to plant it in the ground.

The diameter of the container with water on which you put the bottoms should be less than the length of the toothpicks protruding from the bulb. To help the bulb’s base germinate faster, place the jar on a sunny window or put it outside.

5. Fill the pot with light soil that allows water to pass through

Buy the potting soil and a large flower pot with holes in the bottom. Fill the pot about halfway with soil. The rest of the earth must be poured into the container after planting the bulb. If your garden has light soils, you can immediately grow the onions in the garden bed.

You can check how light your soil is in your garden. Dig a hole 30 cm deep and fill it with water. If the water is gone after 5-15 minutes, the soil will allow water to pass through the well. 

6. Plant the onions’ base in a pot and cover it with soil

When the onion base has white roots, plant the bottom in the center of the pot or container. Then cover the bottom with earth on top so that 2.5–5 cm remains to the edge of the container. The onion pot can be kept indoors or outdoors if the weather is sunny.

7. Water the onions immediately after planting

Watering the onion bottom helps them adapt to the new environment and contributes to the rapid development of the root system. After watering, the soil should be moderately moist.

8. Location and lighting

The pot must be placed on the windowsill since nowhere else will the onions receive as much natural light as by the window. And the better the lighting, the better the greenery develops.

Onions grow ideally on a windowsill facing the south, southwest, and southeast sides. You can put pots on an insulated loggia.

Artificial lighting can be organized to speed up growth, but it is worth remembering that this plant does not like heat. For lighting, unique photo lamps are used, for example, fluorescent ones. The light is installed at the height of 50-60 cm from the container, and it should work around the clock.

9. Add nitrogen fertilizer to the soil

Onions grow well in nitrogen-rich soils. Pour nitrogen fertilizer over the earth and mix it with your hands so that the bulb receives the nutrients it needs for growth. 

Liquid nitrogen fertilizer can be purchased at home and garden stores, flower shops, or plant nurseries. To find out how much fertilizer you need to apply, read the instructions on the bottle.

10. Temperature regime

Onions are cold-resistant crops, so they cannot stand high temperatures. The optimal temperature regime is 18-20 degrees.

It is crucial to ensure that the container in which the sprouted onion sits does not overheat. Foil wrapping will save you from the sun. Place the dishes away from the radiator.

If the planting is carried out correctly, the feather will reach the desired length in 2-2.5 weeks. Greens 15-25 cm long are used for food, and the lower part of the fruit is removed. Many people try to use top dressing for better vegetable growth. This culture does not require the use of any means.

11. If you have planted onions in your garden, remove the weeds regularly

Onions are difficult to grow if they have to compete with weeds for water and nutrients. Check periodically to see if the onion bed is overgrown with weeds. If you notice weeds in the onion garden, they must be removed immediately. 

It is not recommended to use herbicides on onion beds. Most herbicides kill not only weeds but also crops. The beds must be checked for the presence of weeds and small insects, and other pests. If you find harmful insects in the garden, treat the plantings with a non-toxic aerosol insect repellent.


Conclusion

Onions are the essential vegetables in every household. Growing them is a simple and fun activity that will allow you to provide your family with fresh fragrant herbs at any time of the year.

Also, it makes it more economical than buying greens in the store. With the above steps on how to grow them from an onion, it makes it more accessible.