- Choose a sunny, sheltered spot that doesn’t get too waterlogged. Fertile soil helps, so add plenty of compost before planting.
- You can grow onions really well in a raised bed or traditional veg plot, and also in pots – choose pots that are oblong in shape as this works well.
- Plant 15cm apart.
- To plant onions from set: Plant in Feb/Mar. Push each bulb into the soil, with the hairy root side pointing down, until they are deep enough that their tip is just below the surface of the soil.
- To plant onions from plants: If there are multiple seedlings per plug, you can carefully tease these apart before planting as normal.
How to grow... Onion & Shallot
Rocket Growing Guides
You’ll find onions and shallots a really useful addition to your veg patch if only because we cook with them so frequently. Growing them with Rocket Gardens is much easier than growing from seed. You can either grow Rocket Gardens onions & shallots from sets, popped in the ground between Jan and Mar, or as seedlings to be planted out from late May to early June. Spring onions come as seedlings and can be planted in spring/summer and in autumn.
- Onions & Shallots Growing Guide
How to Plant Onions and Shallots
How to Grow Onions and Shallots
- During dry spells, water well to prevent the soil from drying out and to keep the soil a little cooler.
- Try to avoid the soil getting water-logged in damp conditions as this can cause the bulbs to start rotting.
- Keep onions weed-free as much as possible. Using an onion hoe for regular weeding is best as this allows you to get in amongst the plants without disturbing their roots.
- Onions and spring onions grow relatively slowly, and the bulbs don’t tend to swell until the summer. Patience is a virtue!
Common Problems with Onions and Shallots
- Brown/orange spots on leaves – this is likely to be rust, a fungal disease that affects plants like leek, onion and garlic. If you do see it on onions, then it is best to harvest your crop before it worsens and cut off affected foliage before drying them out.
How to Harvest Onions and Shallots
- You can expect to harvest your onions any time between late June and mid August.
- Wait until you see the leaves turn yellow, then harvest on a dry sunny day. Lay them out in a greenhouse (or sunny windowsill, or out in the sunshine if it is dry in the forecast for a few days) to let the skins harden. This will take up to 14 days normally. After that you can store them in a cool dry place for several weeks/months
