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Crop guide

How to Grow Onion

Onion is a useful beginner crop when you match it with cool season, full sun, and loose fertile soil.

Best season
Cool season
Sunlight
Full sun
Watering
Moderate watering
Soil
Loose fertile soil
Spacing
10-15 cm
Harvest time
90-120 days
Onion growing diagramOnion care patternSun, soil moisture, spacing, and airflow drive most beginner results.

Step-by-step growing plan

  1. Choose cool season conditions and a place with full sun.
  2. Prepare loose fertile soil with mature compost before sowing or transplanting.
  3. Keep spacing close to 10-15 cm so leaves dry quickly and roots have room.
  4. Follow moderate watering and adjust after rain, heat, or strong wind.
  5. Start checking for harvest around 90-120 days.

Common care notes

  • Mulch after plants are established to protect soil moisture.
  • Remove weak or diseased leaves early.
  • Avoid heavy fertilizer before roots are established.
  • Inspect leaf undersides for pests twice a week.

Problems to watch for

Problem Why Are My Plant Leaves Turning Yellow? Diagnose yellow leaves caused by watering stress, low nutrients, poor drainage, pests, or natural aging. Problem How to Get Rid of Aphids Naturally Control aphids on vegetables and herbs with water spray, pruning, soap solution, and healthier plant care. Problem How to Fix Fungal Leaf Spots Identify and reduce fungal leaf spots with better airflow, dry leaves, pruning, and safer watering habits. Problem Why Is My Plant Wilting? Find out whether wilting is caused by underwatering, overwatering, heat stress, root damage, or disease.

Useful tools for this crop

Tool Seed spacing calculator Estimate how many onion plants fit in a bed or container. Tool Harvest planner Estimate harvest timing from the day you sow onion. Tool Garden planner Build a garden plan that includes onion and similar crops.

How to use this advice

  • Pages are written for practical beginner decisions and should be adapted to local weather, soil, and container conditions.
  • Plant recovery guidance is based on observable new growth, because old damaged leaves often do not return to normal.
  • Watering advice is intentionally conditional: soil moisture, drainage, heat, and plant stage matter more than fixed daily schedules.

Reviewed by: Paudho Editorial Desk, Beginner gardening editor. Practical review for clarity, safety, and beginner actionability. Replace or augment with named horticulture reviewers as they are onboarded.

Read the editorial standards

Common questions

Can onion grow in containers?

Yes, onion can grow in containers if the pot has drainage and enough root space.

When should I harvest onion?

Begin checking around 90-120 days, then harvest based on size, color, tenderness, and the crop's maturity signs.