If you want to grow onions at home, you should be able to follow a few basic gardening tips. For one, choose a type of onion that is suitable for your climate and a variety that will grow easily in the location where you live. Onions are commonly grown in warmer climates, although some varieties may do better in cooler or colder climes. You can find the most suitable type of onion for you in your local garden center, but if you cannot purchase what you need there are plenty of great books on the subject available. In any event, the book is where to start looking for specific onion breeds that will best suit your home garden and your budget.
A crucial tip to plant an onion garden is to keep it small. This means planning your garden design as such so that the plants do not all grow to huge sizes. For example, an onion plant that has taken root in your patio will require more water than one you have planted in a window corner. In a sunny location, ensure that the bulbs you plant are not too tall. They will shade the area and will not provide much benefit as a deterrent to insects and diseases.
Another tip is to choose a healthy plant. Do not plant onions with diseases or other pests. Check with your local garden center for a list of disease-free plants, or ask a fellow gardener. Do not use pesticides or herbicides to control these insects; they may kill the plant but also the beneficial insects that feed on them, causing even greater problems. Consider planting onions in containers for the summer or winter.
When you plant your onions, be careful about watering them excessively or else they will dry out and die. You should water them every couple of days during the summer and just once a week during the colder months. Also, check your soil regularly to ensure that it is well-watered. During the hottest part of the year, you should water your onions only when the soil seems to be dry.
Onions do require a lot of sunshine, so consider where you will place your onions plant in your garden. It needs plenty of sun, so that photosynthesis can occur. If you don’t have a large yard space, you may need to place them in pots. If you live in an area where there is limited or no sunshine, consider planting them in containers. Watering them in containers is more convenient and easier than watering them in the ground.
Finally, enjoy your onions plant! It can take a little patience to watch your onions grow, but you will enjoy watching them change from a small bulbous root with soft leaves to a full, gorgeous green plant with strong leaves. You can prune them frequently to keep them looking beautiful. Make sure you remove all dead flowers or leaves at the base of the plant. Continue to enjoy your onions as they grow and your garden will continue to grow, blooming year after year.