It is much easier to find different varieties of onion seeds than to find different types of onion sets.

There are other benefits to growing your onions from seed as well. This would explain why they were bolting in my garden.įrom then on, I’ve stuck to growing my onions from seed and have been very satisfied. The reason being is that the ‘sets’ that you buy are usually the second year plants. I was stunned when most told me that they started them from seed. So I began asking local farmers in my area what they do to grow onions. Bolt means that the top of the onion would just grow rapidly and go to seed, so I could plant more onions. However, I noticed that every year I grew them, the onions would ‘bolt’ before I ever had a decent-sized onion. That is what I was told when I first began growing onions. Now, a lot of people will tell you this is the way to go for simplicity’s sake. In fact, they order what we call ‘sets.’ They look like tiny onions when in reality, that is basically what they are. When a lot of people plant onions, they don’t start their own seeds. Available for purchase from APS Press.How to Start Onions From Seed: You’ll Need: American Phytopathological Society Press. Compendium of Onion and Garlic Diseases and Pests. Utah State University Cooperative Extension. Free to access.ĬABI Crop Protection Compendium. University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture. A liquid fertilizer should be applied every 4 to 6 weeks.Īnderson, C. Chives require the application of fertilizer at regular intervals throughout the growing season unless they were planted in composted manure. When plants flower, remove the flower head when it starts to dry out and die in order to divert energy to the production of leaves. The plants will quickly produce new growth.Ĭhives benefit from the application of a layer of mulch in the Spring, grass clipping or leaves are ideal and help to conserve soil moisture and suppress weeds. Begin harvesting from the outside leaves inwards as required. To harvest leaves simply snip them with a pair of scissors leaving about 3 cm (2 in) of green on the plant. Keep the plants moist to aid in the establishment of the root system.Ĭhives can be harvested at any time once plants are established.

Plant divided plants about 1.25 cm (0.5 in) deeper than they were previously. Individual plants or seedlings should be planted 20 to 30 cm (8-12 in) apart. Break the clump by dropping the plant from a gentle height to break it apart into separate plants. Cut the chives back to a height of approximately 10 cm (4 in) and carefully extract the existing plant from the soil. Identify individual groups of plants and plant to take 3 to 4 of these together to form a new clump. Start by watering the plants a few hours before dividing to soften the soil and ensure the plants are turgid.

The seeds are slow to germinate, emerging after about 7 days but the seedlings develop quickly and are ready to be transplanted when they are about 4 weeks old and after they have been hardened.Įstablished plants should be divided in the Spring. Plant seeds to a depth of 1.3 cm (0.5 in). Seeds can be started indoors approximately 4 weeks prior to the last frost date and should be planted in flat trays containing sterile seed starting mix. Chives will grow best in a well-draining soil, rich in organic matter with a pH of 6-7 and will perform optimally when positioned in full sunlight but will tolerate partial shade.Ĭhives can be grown directly from seed or new plants can be produced by dividing an established plant. Chives are easy to grow and tolerate a range of soil types and conditions.

Green onion seedlings