Planting Onions
One of the vegetables you can start inside in early spring and be transplanting now is onions. I am planting several types this year including green onions and leeks. All of these can be started the same way. Just fill a tray with moist soil and sprinkle the seeds on top. Cover with a thin layer of soil and keep watered. As they grow, the onions will look like blades of grass.
Once they are 4-6 inches tall you can transplant them outside. I just make rows in the bed with my hand or a shovel.
Then scoop out the onion shoots from the tray and separate them.
Line them up a few inches apart in the tench you made then cover the roots with soil. Water them in and you are all set.
Alternatively, you can start them in cells. You can group onions 3-4 seeds per cell much like beets or radishes. Transplant outside again when they look like blades of grass 4-6 inches tall. As they grow, they will pop up out of the soil and fall away from each other. Each will have enough room but if you have too many seeds per cell, just separate them out like we did with the first technique or thin them out before planting the cell.
Don’t worry about being too precious with these, but if you are having trouble separating the shoots, wet the soil and gently push on the roots to loosen them. Never pull them apart by the tops. You will be more likely to break the shoots off this way. If you would like to watch a short video about planting onions, click the link below. Happy planting!
