In my experience as a gardening and landscaping expert, I have found that growing onions from bulbs, also known as onion sets, tends to yield better results compared to growing them from seeds. While seeds have their advantages, onion sets have a head start when it comes to spring planting, which allows them to develop into larger and more robust bulbs.
When planting onions from seeds in the spring, they simply don’t have enough time to fully mature and produce large bulbs before the growing season ends. Onions are biennial plants, meaning they typically complete their life cycle over two years. However, when grown from seeds, they are often treated as annuals, which limits their growth potential.
On the other hand, onion sets are small bulbs that have been grown from seeds the previous year and then harvested while still small. These sets already have a head start in their growth cycle and can be planted directly in the spring. Due to their size and maturity, they are able to establish themselves quickly and produce larger bulbs by the end of the growing season.
One advantage of growing onions from seeds is the wider variety of onion types and cultivars available. Seeds offer a greater range of choices in terms of flavor, color, and size. If you have specific preferences or want to experiment with different onion varieties, starting from seeds may be a good option for you.
However, it is worth noting that growing onions from seeds requires more time, patience, and attention compared to using onion sets. Seeds need to be started indoors or in a greenhouse several weeks before the last frost date, and they require careful monitoring of temperature, moisture, and light conditions. Additionally, seedlings may need to be transplanted multiple times before being planted in the garden, which can be a delicate process.
When it comes to onion sets, they are readily available at garden centers and nurseries. They are easy to plant and require less maintenance compared to seeds. Onion sets also have a higher success rate in terms of bulb development, as they have already gone through one growing season and are more mature when planted.
In my own gardening experience, I have found that using onion sets consistently results in larger and more flavorful onions compared to growing from seeds. The convenience and reliability of onion sets make them my preferred choice for growing onions in my garden.
To summarize the advantages of growing onions from sets:
1. Faster growth: Onion sets have a head start and can establish themselves quickly, leading to larger bulbs by the end of the growing season.
2. Convenience: Onion sets are readily available and easy to plant, requiring less maintenance compared to seeds.
3. Higher success rate: Onion sets have a higher likelihood of producing full-bodied onions due to their maturity and previous growing season.
4. Variety: While seed options are more diverse, onion sets still offer a decent selection of cultivars to choose from.
While growing onions from seeds can offer a wider variety of choices, I have found that using onion sets consistently produces better results in terms of bulb size and flavor. The convenience and reliability of onion sets make them the preferred option for many gardeners, including myself.
