Which method will work best?

16 years ago

I am going to try 4 methods of starting onions this year and was wondering which methods you feel will work best or worst. I will start some under lights in the basement (I have done well with many plants using this method). I will start some in trays inside a small green-house. I will wintersow some. I will direct seed the others. I live in zone 5 (S. WI).

Also, are onions daylight sensitive (number of hours) when they are still young seed-lings. In other words, does it really matter how long they are under lights if they are still in their first month of life.

Any wisdom to share would be appreciated. I have become quite successful with other plants, but onions seem to be hit or miss with me.

Thanks,

Lyle

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Comments (2)

promethean_spark
16 years ago
Here's some info about onion germination
Crops Onions
32ÂºF 90(136)
41ÂºF 98(31)
50ÂºF 98(13)
59ÂºF 98(7)
68ÂºF 99(5)
77ÂºF 97(4)
86ÂºF 91(4)
95ÂºF 73(13)

The first number is percent germination, the second in parenthesis is days to emergence. You can see they germinate well at almost all temperatures, but if you want them to come up quick to get more growth in before bulbing time you want to have them at 60'F or higher until they come up.
novelist
16 years ago
I live in Zone 5, but south of you. It's close to zone 6. I have been planting onion, leek, shallot seeds in my grow room under HPS lights since mid-January. I've done several waves of them. Next weekend, they will all go outside into an unheated greenhouse. Then, around the first weekend in April, I'll plant them outside. I'm also starting onion. leek and shallot from seed outside too. I want to get a long harvest season.
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