How do you plant your onions? There are different ways for getting different sizes of onions. Read and see what you think...

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           So it is not time to plant onions yet, but this is food for thought about planting them.  I have told the gardeners to plant the onion set completely in the soil for onions to turn into green onions.  If you want to have them grow big, just plant 1/2 of it in the ground and have the top showing that will make a bigger onion.
 Here is another way of getting the bigger onions.
There's no need to make trenches or special holes for the sets. Just grasp them at the top (the pointed end) with the root end down and push them into well-prepared soil the full depth of the bulb. The soil should just barely cover the top of the onion sets. If you have some tiny sets, plant them at least an inch in the ground, so they get good contact with the soil. The sets will get a better start. After you've got your sets in the ground, firm the soil around them with a hoe. After they have grown some, dig up some of the soil around the onion. Remember, if a set is planted too shallowly, it takes a long time to get started. It's important to push the bulb all the way into the soil. It gets the onion off to a good start for producing a lot of top growth. If the onion sets are a little too deep, it won't hurt. Later, when the bulbs are expanding, pull some of the dirt away from the sides to give the bulbs room to expand.
 
How do you plant them for having bigger onions? 
Onions are a cold-season crop, easy to grow because of their hardiness. Here’s how to grow an endless supply of onions in your garden!
Typically, onions are planted early in the spring and harvested in the fall after their tops begin to die back. In the southern U.S., some onion varieties can be planting in the fall.
Should I Grow Onions from Seed or from Sets?
We recommend using onion sets, which can be planted without worry of frost damage and have a higher success rate than planting from onion seeds or transplants. Onion sets are small onion bulbs that are sold specifically for gardening. Once planted, they develop into a full-size bulb after about 3-½ months.
Onion plants grow well in raised beds or raised rows at least 4 inches high. If you’d prefer to start your onions from seeds, check out our tips for growing onions from seed indoors.
Planting   When to Plant Onions

• Generally speaking, plant onion sets outdoors when the weather is cool—not cold. Ideally, outdoor temperatures shouldn’t dip below 28°F (-2°C) after planting.
  • In regions with a frigid winter, plant onions as soon as the ground can be worked in the spring—usually late March or April.
  • In milder regions, onions can be planted in the late fall or winter. They will sit dormant during the cool season, but will be primed and ready to grow as soon as the longer, milder days of spring arrive. 
• If planting from seeds, start them indoors about 6 weeks before you plan to transplant them to the garden. Onion seeds need temperatures of at least 50°F (10°C) to germinate properly.

Preparing the Planting Site

• Select a location with full sun, where your onions won’t be shaded by other plants.
• Soil needs to be well-drained, loose, and rich in nitrogen; compacted, rocky, or clay-heavy soil affects bulb development.
• Add aged manure or compost to the soil in early spring, before planting. Onion plants are heavy feeders and need constant nourishment to produce big bulbs.
• At planting time, mix in some nitrogen fertilizer.
• Practice crop rotation with onions. In other words, don’t plant them in the same location year after year, as this can encourage the spread of diseases that affect the crop.

How to Plant Onions

• Because they mature much faster (and are less work overall), we recommend growing onions from onion sets (i.e., small onion bulbs) rather than from seeds. However, in mild regions with a long growing season, seeds are an option as well.
  • Tip: Choose onion sets that are around ¾-inch in diameter and no bigger. Larger ones may produce stiff necks and go to seed too quickly.
• If planting from seed, bear in mind that onion seeds are short-lived, so start with fresh seeds each year. Start seeds indoors about 6 weeks before transplanting to the garden.
• When planting onion sets, plant them between 2 and 6 inches apart, and don’t bury them more than 1 inch under the soil.
• When planting transplants into the garden, space plants 4 to 5 inches apart in rows 12 to 18 inches apart.
• Add straw mulch between rows of onions. This will help retain moisture and stifle weeds.

Can You Plant a Sprouted Onion? 
Yes, you can plant a sprouted onion, though you won’t get more onions from it. You will get lots of tasty green sprouts, however! Here’s how to do it:

1. Fill a pot with potting soil and make a hole in the middle that is about the depth and width of the onion.
2. Place the onion in the hole and cover with soil.
3. Water and put the pot in a sunny spot.
4. Harvest the green sprouts as needed for cooking.

If you get a sprout with a flower, wait until the flower goes to seed. Save the seeds for planting in the spring.
taken from https://www.almanac.com/plant/onions
till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky's Greenhouse Dougherty Iowa beckmall@netins.net