How to Grow Onion Sets
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Onion sets are small, dry onion bulbs grown but not allowed to mature.
Advantages of Growing Onions from Sets
1: Onion sets produce much earlier than seed started onions.
2: Onion sets saves time , they take about 40-60 days
How to Grow Your Own Onion Sets
Onion sets are tiny onions that mature in about 14 weeks. They have a higher success rate than direct-sown seeds or transplants.
The onion sets look like small bulbs and are sold at gardening stores; once they mature, they develop into full-size bulbs.
Choose onion sets with bulbs that are 3/4 of an inch in diameter; larger ones tend to produce stiff necks and go
There's no need to soak onion sets before planting. Plant them 10-15cm apart, allowing 30cm between rows. Plant them just below the soil surface, with just the tips showing, in moisture-retentive, fertile soil, ideally with plenty of well-rotted organic matter such as garden compost.
Keep the planting bed just moist; do not let it go dry.
Let the plants grow until most of the developing bulbs are ½ to ¾ inch in diameter
Cull the bulbs. Do not save sets larger than 1 inch in diameter for planting next season; large sets will likely bolt and flower quickly when replanted next season. (If you do save larger sets, they can be grown as green onions next season.) Do not save sets less than ½ inch in diameter; very small sets will likely not have enough stored energy to produce large onions next season.
Cure the sets you are saving in a sunny place for about 10 days–until the tops dry.
Remove the tops and store the sets in a mesh bag in a cool, dry place. Be sure to label each bag.
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