First mistake: Gurney's. They don't have a good rap.

I use Dixondale Farms on a recommendation from several people here, and have had marvelous results. While I'm in NH, and they JUST started shipping for my area this week, perhaps you could contact them and get some questions answered, and still have time to start a new batch.

Good luck to you! LOVE them yum-ions!

1. sets are small dried onions. They are long day types not suitable for fall planting. Usual use is to plant them in early spring ( as as the ground thaws)and use them as green onions. They will make small storage onions when spring planted in virginia ( I grew up in Fluvanna county). Pungent when mature. Bolting is always a problem with sets.
2. I f you wish to grow onions, use plants ( Dixondale as mentioned, Brown's Omaha Plant Farmes, Bonnie. I would recommended the intermediate day onions like Candy for the Henrico, Hanover county area.

thanks, so when exactly do I plant sets and when exactly do I plant from plants?

Whether sets or plants, central Virginia, March. The Richmond area is a shade warmer, but in Fluvanna we planted in March. St. Patricks day was the target for most spring vegetables Onions, Irish potatoes, English peas...

Thank you!

I just planted my onion sets 2 weeks ago. They get scattered every night by some sort of RODENT I believe. Every morning I have to go out and straighten them out and set them bottomside down. They have not been able to root into the ground because of this. Anyone else having this trouble? I have set containers over them, sheets, etc, but it doesn't keep "them" away. Any ideas???

flowersnhens; I think I know what the critter is and have a solution of sorts. If you look real close the onions are pulled into a Nightcrawler hole, Right. Top side in worm hole root side up? Plant your onions just a tad deeper so the crawlers are not strong enough to pull them out. It drove me nuts for years, It was worse after a rain. btw Charles Darwin listed onion as one of the favorite foods of crawlers they do no damage to the onions that I have ever seen or heard about

Curt~

As Farmerdilla said, sets or small onions is planted in early spring.
This is my second year doing it. Now they are in the process of forming bulbs. In two months they should be harvetable.
I also experimented planting from seeds in the fall. They grow a bit and overwintered.
In the spring I pulled them up(b/c they were too close) and transploanted.
Some of the sets grow flower heads. I pinch them off as soon as I see them.
Onions from such plants will not be a keeper and will start rotting later.
So I will sort them and use them first.
I think growing onions is a bit tricky and there is no set rules for everywher. In the south, I think, we have to grow short day variety, in the north long day should do better. So I am still a novice when it comes to growing onions and am learning.

HI Curt_Grow....Yes, you're right, there is never any damage to the onions...they are just sort of moved around and scattered about...not too far from their orginal spot. I set them on top of the soil. That is what I was told to do by an old farmer. He says they grow best that way. I will plant some deeper and see what happens. That totally makes sense to me that it could be nightcrawlers.
Thank you !!

I would contact the company you bought them from and explain the problem. Many companies will give you a refund or at least store credit.

So, we set out in the ground whites, yellows, and purple onions in March, our first try with onions. We are in Roanoke, Va. When should they be ready for digging?