How to grow your own vegetables

Part 3: Onions

Onions are the most useful and popular vegetable in the kitchen, and growing them in your garden is easy and makes sure you have plenty on hand.

Onions can be grown from seed or from small bulbs called sets. Onions need an open sunny site to grow. 

For White onions:

• Plant in humus-rich, moist but well drained soil in a sunny position.  
• Lay onions out to dry a day before harvesting.
• Make sure your planting area is well prepared beforehand in a necessary amount of compost fertiliser. 
• Water plants well before planting out and afterwards if the soil seems dry.
• Remove plants from soil by pushing through from the underside. 

For Red onions:

• Plant outside, spacing 15cm (16in) apart in rows 30cm (12in) apart in humus-rich, moist but well drained fertile soil.
• Water well if the weather is dry.
• Again, Make sure your planting area is well prepared beforehand in a necessary amount of compost fertiliser. 
• Water plants well before planting out and afterwards if the soil seems dry.
• Remove plants from soil by pushing through from the underside.