How many pounds of onion sets question

[Jared77]

If I plant one pound of onion sets how many feet in a row do I need? Im trying to gauge how much to buy...

Thanks!

 

[thistlebloom]

I don't have the answer Jared, but wouldn't it depend on the type of onion?

 

[HunkieDorie23]

If I plant one pound of onion sets how many feet in a row do I need? Im trying to gauge how much to buy...

Thanks!

Typically with onions sets they are larger onions, those you want to plant about 3-4 inches aparts. If you plant them in beds you will be able to get more then in a row. I don't know how to figure it by pounds. Most sets that I have gotten have about 80 in a set. At 4" apart that would be about 20 ft.

 

[lesa]

Hopefully, Steve will chime in here.. I was planting my onions far apart- 3-4 inches, and taking up lots of garden space. Steve posted pics of his onions, growing wonderfully in much less space. I will be planting my onions much closer together this year!

 

[897tgigvib]

I think small onions taste better. Go with closer is my vote. Thin as you eat every other one. Then you still get some big onions in the end...

 

[Jared77]

Thanks folks, I got the pounds = so many feet in a row from the info page the nursery has on shallots but not on onions. I just hate to buy too many.

 

[digitS']

I don't have any definitive answer for you, Jared.

Just doing a quick google search I come up with the Maine Potato Lady saying there are 200 sets per pound and Johnny's Seed saying there are 150 sets per pound. I don't go for sets that are very large because I'm concerned that they may bolt to seed but tiny sets are more of a problem. Sometimes they are tiny AND they are dehydrated and lack viability.

Going with your spacing for shallots makes sense to me. With shallots, you are hoping that they multiply into offsets. If you are thinking of using most of your onion sets for green onions (scallions), you can plant them closer but you still want them to develop a good root system and grow rapidly. That, of course, is important for those onions being sweet instead of hot.

I think the varieties available as sets are best used for green onions and will put them in pretty darn tight. I will also really sock the fertilizer to them, no matter green scallions or big keepers. An organic fertilizer will still be around in the soil for later crops and the onion family can make good use of it during the months (weeks) they are out there.

And, they don't take long. Few varieties of keeping onions require a full season. Green onions from sets are outta that ground in a matter of weeks. Stagger your plantings if you can. Onions are quite small plants and can fit in fairly well. Those sets are also the earliest things I put in the garden - gotta a few in right now . I can't seem to make the sets last in the fridge much past the 1st of June but there are an easy 2 months when sets can be planted out every couple of weeks.

Steve

 

[ducks4you]

I plant my onion sets in 4 inch rows and the planting looks like a string of "W's" bc I stagger them. I can get more in the space that way, and they are still ~ 4 inches from each other.

 

[retiredwith4acres]

We usually get a pound of yellow, pound of white, pound of red, and then an extra pound of some kind. We put them out about a half a pound at a time staggering them so to have green onions for as long as possible. Like was said before we plant close and harvest every other one to space them to grow big onions. Of those we buy we also store some sets for fall planing as well because we can't always find them when we need them for fall. We also plant in a bed of about 4 rows to the bed an inch apart and sets about an inch apart. Works out well after eating lots of them green. I would say about 20 feet at a time is our plantings also. Lots of good chicken manure makes them grow really well.

 

[897tgigvib]

I'm not planting Onions or garlic this year because they attract Gophers.

Maybe next year though when I have some beds raised a few feet over the soil level just for the purpose of anti gopher streategy...