When to plant onion sets?

[Gary350]

I bought, Vidalia onion sets, Red onion sets, candy onion sets, today. No one sells Walla Walla onions here. Walla Walla is what I wanted to plant this year but can't remember WHY ?.

1st question, is Walla Walla same as Vidalia just a different name? I think I read that once. Google shows 3 other names that are Vidalia by a different name?

2nd question, What temperature will kill onions? I find lots of different answers online. 28°, 25°, 20°?

3rd question, I assume onions are not all the say maturity time. More conflicting information online, all onions are 90 day maturity, all sets are 60 day maturity. Some are 120 day maturity. Short day onions are 150 days maturity. No specific onion names for these claims.

There must be some reliable information that makes sense some where ???

I need to look see when I planted sets last year 2021. Last year I planted sets April 5th. I am not brain dead I can't remember anything more than 3 minutes.

The most logical information so far says, plant sets below freeze depth that is about 2" deep for our house. This will protect onion sets from being destroyed by freezing soil. When weather warms up sets will grow tops.

I dugs up wild onions in the yard there is a bungle of bulbs about 1½" to 2" deep.

[Vanisle_BC]

In this area (Just N of your PNW) Walla Walla can be started from seed in early spring, and again in summer for overwintering. Catalog says DTM 150 or 300 days respectively. Obviously they can withstand a bit of frost. I assume they're 'long day' types so don't know how they'd do in your area.

Around here, store-bought sets don't name a variety - they're just just 'red' 'yellow' or 'white' .

[imafan26]

Gary. Isn't walla walla a northern variety. Isn't Tennesee better for intermediate and short day onions instead.

Vidalia onions technically can only be called vidalia if they are grown in that county in Georgia. The climate and soil are factors in how onions grow. You can get the seeds, but there is no guarantee under different soil and climatic conditions they would taste the same.

They are basically the short day sweet onion strain of Texas granax or Texas grano if they were the ones that came from Spain. It is also the same variety as Hawaii's Maui sweet onion.

[Gary350]

Gary. Isn't walla walla a northern variety. Isn't Tennesee better for intermediate and short day onions instead.

Vidalia onions technically can only be called vidalia if they are grown in that county in Georgia. The climate and soil are factors in how onions grow. You can get the seeds, but there is no guarantee under different soil and climatic conditions they would taste the same.

They are basically the short grain sweet onion strain of Texas granax or Texas grano if they were the ones that came from Spain. It is also the same variety as Hawaii's Maui sweet onion.

TN latitude is 35.8461°, the dividing line for long day and short day onions is 35°. Correct google word search is, sun rise & sun set at your geographical location.

I finally found day length in Murfreesboro TN by searching for sun rise & sun set June 21. Lots of guess work to finally learn correct search words to fine what I want. Longest day here is 14 hr 38 minutes June 21. During the time when sun passes over at its highest peak June 1st to July 11th for 6 weeks day length changes only 8 minutes.

After many hours of searching, reading, watching videos, I found some good information. I probably did his before but can't remember it and can't find notes.

Onion grower in GA is at 34° latitude he grows short day onions, he says, plant onions Nov 1. He spends more time explaining the correct way to fertilize onions then when to plant them.

A women shows how she grows large bulb onions from plants she buys at Dickson Dale farms, sold in bundles of 75 = about 100 with about 30 plants the size of a blade of grass. If I order 3 type plants with postage = $36. $35 will buy 42 lbs of grocery store onions.

Several people show how to grow big bulb onions, buy the correct onion for your area, plant them 6 weeks before last frost.

Several videos say, if you give onion plants too much nitrogen during the bulb growing stages you get larger tops and smaller bulbs.

A few people explain the correct way to fertilize. There is a green plant growing stage that needs nitrogen and a bulb growing stage that needs P & K. The trick is when to know when onion stops the green plant growing stage then starts bulb growing stage.

I found a video where a man plants onions & potatoes at the same time.

One person explains the correct way to prune onions. OK maybe we can prune home garden but commercial growers don't prune 2000 acres of onions. I see 2000 acre fields with dry dead onion tops laying on the soil. I see 2000 acre fields that look like AZ irrigation crops with onions planted in hills same as potatoes.

Problem with online information, few people tell their, geographical location, last frost, zone, weather conditions, when they plant, how they fertilize.

After reading & watching all these videos I'm still not sure I know what I am doing. Let, weather, temperature & onion tell you what it needs next. I'm not planting onions until March 1st.

[greenstubbs]

After reading & watching all these videos I'm still not sure I know what I am doing. Let, weather, temperature & onion tell you what it needs next. I'm not planting onions until March 1st.

Gary- I'm now South of you and I would say that your 1 Mar. plant date is fine. Onions are hardy and can take a very cold/freezing hit without damage, they'll just sit there until it gets nice again. With this last hit of cold/snow we got a few days ago won't hurt them a bit. I bought some onion sets at wallyworld to try this year, these will go in the front of the house while I figure out where to put my plot?????? Good Luck

[TomatoNut95]

I planted onions from seed this year. Gary, I'll probably need all the advice I can get!

[imafan26]

Dixondale farms still has the best tutorial on onions

https://dixondalefarms.com/