I prefer plant and aquarium fluorescent light bulbs, available on Amazon. Light hoods are easy to find in any hardware store, as are the accompanying bulbs. Be sure to remove the dome and the warming mat, since your plants are now ready to grow on their own. Ideally, onions would like to have 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness per day.ĭuring the winter when the sun isn’t particularly strong here in New England, I use fluorescent lights to keep my seedlings happy and healthy. When you notice germination, you need to be sure that your onions get enough light from that point on. Water whenever you notice that the soil looks dry. If you don’t have space for a greenhouse, consider buying plastic dome lidslike the one pictured above to place over your trays, or using a seedling warming mat to help with propagation. If you’re interested in building your own greenhouse, check out these DIY project ideas from some of our favorite bloggers.ĮarlyGrow Medium Domed Propagator, available on Amazon
I have a greenhouse attached to the south side of my house, which enables me to have beautiful morning and afternoon light that keeps the soil warm and the seeds happy. Water and set aside in a warm, well-ventilated location. The choice is yours.įill your chosen trays with moistened soil, tamping down the soil just a bit. You can also use recycled containers from salad mixes or plastic take-home containers from your local deli, planting in rows of 7 to 10 seeds each. Or you can buy plug flat trays.Ī variety of these are available on Amazon, in different sizes depending on your needs. Again, you will place 2-4 seeds in each cell. You can buy traditional 6-packs, starting 2-4 seeds in each cell. Regarding seed trays, they are easy to find at your local home center or online. I find it to be a very adaptable growing medium that can handle a variety of plants and vegetable seeds.Įxtra Strength 72 Cell and Flat Tray by Bootstrap Farmer This is a good all-purpose peat moss-based soil solution that has vermiculite added to it for good drainage, as well as perlite, limestone, and microscopic fungi that work in a symbiotic relationship with growing plants. I prefer using Pro-Mix BX, available on Amazon. You will need a few extra things like seeding trays, and a good soil mixture. If you choose this method, there are a few additional steps you must take to ensure a healthy and high-yielding onion crop.
Start your seeds about 8 to 10 weeks before your last frost. If you are like me and you have a winter that freezes the ground and produces frigid temperatures, you might start your onions inside from seed. If you happen to live in a region where your winters are mild enough that you don’t ever get a frost or freezing temperatures, you are very lucky!įor me, gardening sometimes feels like a race against the clock to see who will win, me or those drastic New England seasons. In those places, there is no need to begin seeds indoors to escape the bitter winter cold.Ī gardener or farmer can sow directly into the ground with confidence that the seeds will be warm enough to germinate and grow. In some parts of the country, it is possible to have a consecutive growing season, without the threat of freezing temperatures or frost. When farmers and backyard gardeners are ready to begin, but there is still frost on the ground, many will check their seed stock, order what they will need for the coming season, and prepare their available indoor growing space. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission.
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