Crop Rotation Group
Allium (Onion family)
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Soil
Any average, well drained soil.
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Position
Full sun to partial afternoon shade.
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Frost tolerant
Multiplying onions and other perennial strains are typically hardy to -26F (-15C) when given a protective winter mulch.
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Feeding
Mix a balanced organic fertilizer into the soil before planting a new bed.
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Companions
Often grouped with other perennials.
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Spacing
Single Plants: 5" (15cm) each way (minimum)
Rows: 5" (15cm) with 5" (15cm) row gap (minimum)
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Sow and Plant
Start with purchased bulblets or corms, set out 10 to 6 weeks before your first fall frost, or in early fall.
Our Garden Planning Tool can produce a personalized calendar of when to sow, plant and harvest for your area.
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Notes
Most perennial onions grow vigorously in early spring and die back in midsummer. These interesting yet variable plants resemble shallots more than other onions.
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Harvesting
Harvest bulblets from topsetting onions and use them as pearl onions in the kitchen. When plants die back, cured roots often yield a small shallot. In spring or fall, you can cut off small divisions for use as scallions (green onions).
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Troubleshooting
In fall, move perennial onions to a fresh location to avoid problems with onion root maggots, which are attracted by decomposing onion tissues.
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