{"id":827,"date":"2024-08-26T02:49:46","date_gmt":"2024-08-25T23:49:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oniondoctor.co.ke\/?p=827"},"modified":"2025-06-04T16:07:47","modified_gmt":"2025-06-04T13:07:47","slug":"how-to-grow-onions-from-seed-or-sets-to-harvest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oniondoctor.co.ke\/?p=827","title":{"rendered":"How to Grow Onions: from Seed or Sets to Harvest"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Are you in need of in-depth knowledge on onion and garlic production? If yes, we are a call away. Contact us for: Onion seedlings, Garlic seedlings, Germinated garlic cloves, Farm planning services, Soil testing, training on onion and garlic growing, Drip irrigation installation and maintenance, Agronomic support, Onion and Garlic value pack and Farm management. For free consultation, placing orders or booking a visit with an agronomist, please contact us via\u00a0Call or what\u2019s app +254703982228, Email: Info@oniondoctor.co.ke. You can also check out our social media handles for daily updates on TikTok: https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@oniondoctorke?_t=ZM-8wmsTu0qumO&_r=1 Instagram: https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/oniondoctorke?igsh=MTVoaHF3aWUydTJzaQ==Facebook:https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/share\/16SwgYn2dG\/ Youtube:https:\/\/youtube.com\/@oniondoctorke?si=u5Jnd-r0qU9UDYqL and Twitter: https:\/\/x.com\/OnionDoctorKe?t=FR3JXlS_oN1vjjUgAtfyzg&s=09<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Onions are generally considered a \u2018cool season crop\u2019 because onion seedlings like to start their life when conditions are still cool. Then as the weather warms up, they switch to focus their energy on bulb formation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you hope to grow onions from seed, you\u2019ll need to be prepared to get a jump start and plant seeds. After sprouting onions take three  months to reach a mature size.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At Onion Doctor we offer high quality seedlings, and guidelines on how to plant from nursery to harvesting point. Don’t hesitate to reach out for our services at a competitive price.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The difference between bulbing onions, green onions, scallions or spring onions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Red, yellow, white, sweet\u2026 In addition to the various colors and subtle flavor differences, traditional bulbing onions can be enjoyed in a variety of ways \u2013 depending on the age they\u2019re harvested! Before forming large bulbs, immature onions may be picked and used as green onions \u2013 also known as scallions. If you allow them to mature a little longer and form a modest (but still underdeveloped) bulb, then they\u2019re considered spring onions! Gather up a cluster of young green onions, spring onions, or scallions, and now you have a handful of bunching onions. Note that there are also varieties of slender non-bulbing onions; a true \u201cgreen onion\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short-day, long-day, and day-neutral onions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In addition to size and color, different onion varieties are further classified as either short-day, long-day, or day-neutral onions. They\u2019re grouped by the number of daylight hours required to trigger good bulb formation. It is important to choose and grow onion varieties that are a good fit for your location! Otherwise, the onion bulbs may fail to successfully develop. Non-bulbing green onions aren\u2019t as fussy about exact daylight hours, though all onions like plenty of sun!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  • Short-day onion varieties<\/strong> will form bulbs once daylight hours increase to 10 to 12 hours per day.The White Lisbon onion is a short-day variety that is also well-suited for Kenyan farming conditions. This onion is known for its white color and its ability to store well, making it a popular choice among farmers and consumers. The bulbs are small and have a crisp texture. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
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    • Long-day onions <\/strong>will form bulbs once they\u2019re provided 14 hours of daylight or more. Without sufficiently long days, they will not form bulbs. Long-day onions perform best in the Kenya: Walla Walla, Ailsa Craig are a few awesome long-day onion varieties.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
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      • Day-neutral <\/strong>or \u201cintermediate day\u201d onion varieties form bulbs with 12 to 14 hours of daylight.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

        Should I grow onions from seed, seedlings or \u201csets\u201d?<\/strong>  Do you want high quality seedlings, we Onion Doctor got your back! Don’t hesitate to reach to us in your journey to grow onions . There are three main ways to grow onions: from seed, seedlings, or by purchasing onion sets. Every gardener has their preference between the three! Growing onions from seed is easy, and allows you to choose the exact varieties you want to grow! Purchasing started seedlings or sets is also a great option, and will give you a quicker start than seed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Onion seedlings are like small green onions, recently started from seed (within the last couple months).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        In contrast, onion \u2018sets\u2019 are small, dry, immature onion bulbs that were grown from seed the previous year. They were allowed to partially develop, harvested as a tiny bulb, and kept dormant to later sell or plant as \u201cseed\u201d \u2013 though they\u2019re not really seed. Because they\u2019re on their second year of life (and onions are biennial), onion sets have the tendency to bolt more readily or result in underdeveloped bulbs. When an onion \u2018bolts\u2019, it prematurely sends up a flowering stalk and then forms seed. You can still eat around the tough center of the onion bulb, but it will decline in quality and no longer be good for long-term storage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Onion Doctor supports small holder farmers across Africa with quality and affordable Onion and Garlic seedlings, Onion seedlings, Farm planning services, Soil testing, Drip irrigation installation and maintenance, Agronomic support, Onion and Garlic value pack, Farm management, E-extension and on-farm training for farmers to optimize on yields and get maximum profits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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