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can't get onions to sprout

9 years ago

I am in awe of my inability to grow onions. My squash seeds sprouted. my watermelon seeds sprouted. my okra seeds sprouted as did beans and cucumbers. they are all doing great as are my purchased plants. however, i have planted 4 varieties of onions bought and packed for this year, and actually, in a 15 foot row, 1 is up. yes, i scrutinize that much and found the only one. Why? and yes, they are from local hardware store so are appropriate for my location. (i don't really get that whole long short day thing...)

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Comments (5)

theforgottenone1013 (SE MI zone 5b/6a)
9 years ago
I'd start the seeds in cell packs or flats then transplant them to the garden. Much easier to control all the variables such as temp, soil, and moisture.

The link below explains the differences between long, short, and intermediate day onions and which one does best where.

Rodney

Here is a link that might be useful: Onion Plant Types
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mav72
9 years ago
I had the same problems when trying to grow from seed for the first time.. I direct sowed and that failed.. I tried the wet papper towel method. They sprout but don't root well when transplanted. I came across info on cell packs and flats, as stated above and found that those work pretty well.. One more thing, dont buy onion seed that is over a year old. There's no point in trying to grow dead seed.
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Agree - neither row covers nor tarps are called for. But please know that soil level watering is best for most anything in the garden. That is why most experienced gardeners use either drip irrigation or soaker hose set-ups. Sprinklers should be your last choice. Soil-level watering not only wastes less water, better insures consistent soil moisture levels, but also helps prevent many of the common garden diseases caused by wet plant foliage. You can't control the rain but you can control how you water so try to avoid using your sprinkler as much as possible and consider converting the garden water source when it becomes feasible for you. Dave
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lisaslists2000
Original Author
9 years ago
Rodney, thank you. I just buy from the local hardware store as they are an old timey place and sell what works here. I have a mental block on onion types. :-) Mav72, you are quite right. Old alliums will not sprout. Rodney, did you use one of those commercial type tiny celled things? because that's a lot of soil and pots for such tiny seedlings. I may try that. Is it too late to keep trying? Thanks guys.
Lisa
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naturegirl_2007 5B SW Michigan
9 years ago
There's no need to grow a whole flat of onion transplants. Onion seeds can be sown inside in most any small clean container. I like plastic containers that held store bought strawberries or blueberries since they have lots of small holes for good drainage. Fill it about 3/4 full with soiless seed starting or potting mix, add the seeds, spacing them about 1/4 to1/2 inch apart in all directions and then cover with 1/4 to 1/2 inch of addition mix. Keep the mix moist but not soggy and you should have tiny onions before long. They take longer than many seeds to sprout....maybe as long as 10 to 14 days depending on conditions. Mine do not all come up at once but after a week or two the slow pokes do show up and I have a small tray with lots of plants. After they gain some size I'll transplant them. I'll start in late winter and grow them inside for 2 or more months. It is hard to keep direct seeded onions weeded since they grow slowly at first. I much prefer to transplant them. I'm not sure what the timing would be for you to grow bulbing onions in your area, but you can always use them as green onions and figure you learned about growing them to transplant size and will be know that skill for next season.
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theforgottenone1013 (SE MI zone 5b/6a)
9 years ago
naturegirl summed it all up. :)

Rodney
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