The onion It is an essential vegetable in Mediterranean cuisine, and not only because it adds flavor to dishes, it is also full of healthy properties: it is heart-healthy, diuretic, has antiseptic properties and contributes to digestive health, among other benefits. That is why it is so interesting to include it in your daily diet.

AND What’s better than growing your own onions? If you dare to do it, here you will find everything you need to know about when, where and how to plant onions.

When should onions be planted and with what moon?

The time of year to plant onions depends on the variety. In general, they are cool season crops and in Spain seeds are usually planted in late autumnas long as the soil temperature is between 10 and 23 °C, although it depends a little on the climate of the area:

• In northern areas of Spain such as Galicia or Asturias, onions can be planted in late summer or early autumn.
• In areas of central Spain such as Madrid or Castilla La Mancha, they can be planted in autumn, between September and November.

• In southern regions like Andalusia or Murcia, which are warmer, you can probably plant them in winter, between December and February.

To obtain the best results, it is important select the onion variety that best suits to the climatic conditions of the area and the terrain.

Planting onions is influenced by the lunar phase. It is recommended to follow the lunar calendar

and plant them in late autumn during the waning phase of the moon.

How to plant onions without seeds (with seedlings)

Planting onions is a relatively easy process, but it does require a few steps. To plant onions it is best to do so from seedlings that you can buy in nurseries).

• Choose the right location. Onions like the sun and they need the land where they are to have good drainage. The area where you are going to plant them must receive, at least 6 hours of sunlight a day and there is no problem planting it together with other plants, such as tomatoes, carrots or lettuce. It should also be taken into account that onions grow best in soil with a pH between 6 and 7.

• Prepare the soil to plant them. The Onions prefer loose textured soilsso it is advisable to loosen the soil to a depth of at least 15 centimeters and remove any rocks or debris that may be present. If the soil is very sandy, the bulbs that form are usually smaller and do not develop well.

• To transplant the seedlings, cut the stems a little so that the new shoots emerge stronger
• Plant it about 5 centimeters deep and keeping a distance of about 20 cm between one plant and another.

How to plant onions with seeds

You can also plant onions from seeds. To make it from seeds:

• You can prepare a seedbed about 40 or 50 days before transplanting and when the plant has about 5 leaves and a little thickness, transplant it.
• It is important to leave an adequate distance between the onions, which is achieved by leaving about 40 centimeters between the different lines or furrows and about 10 centimeters between the individual plants.
• Typically, an onion plant produces a single onion, although in some cases several stems may sprout from the bulb, but only one onion is formed.
• After planting, it takes 30 to 40 days for the onion to flower, which means they will be available in mid-winter. During winter, it is essential to take care of onions and avoid frost.

How to plant onions from a sprouting onion

Be careful, planting onions from an onion with a sprout will not give you new onions, but it will give you leaves that are also edible: they are cut very finely with scissors and consumed as if they were normal onions.

• They are especially easy to grow and care for, since they usually already have small roots. Select onions that have small sprouts and are about to go bad.
• Place them in glasses of water with 3-4 cm of the bottom submerged and the shoots facing up.
• Change the water regularly so that the roots can thrive and the plant does not rot. After a week, plant these bulbs in a pot. You can also leave them in the glass of water and harvest them right there.

How to care for onion

Onions need a regular wateringespecially during dry periods, but They are sensitive to excess humidity (which can rot the bulbs). After planting them, you should water them well. Then, water them once a week (or more often if the soil is very dry) and see reducing the amount of water towards the end of the crop.

If the weather is dry, you can use a organic mulch (for example, straw or shredded leaves) around the base of the plants to retain moisture, as well as to prevent weeds from emerging.

When to harvest onions?

The onions are ready to harvest when the top starts to turn yellow and falls. In general, this occurs 4 months after planting.

Dig them up carefully and leave them in a warm, dry place for several weeks before storing them. Here we tell you how to preserve onions.