Onion Red seeds pack of 100 seeds

Onion Red seeds Start with fresh seed and seed starting mix

Onion Red seeds can be kept for two years in a cool, dry place such as a properly monitored seed storage box, but fresh first-year onion seeds germinate best. Germination rates fall as the seeds age, and though I have had three-year-old onion seeds that sprouted well, germination is always highest with fresh seeds. I also purchase a fresh bag of seed-starting mix each spring as a safety precaution against soil-borne diseases. My onion seedlings stay in pots for up to 10 weeks, so I like to use a soil medium that’s unlikely to host diseases. Provide bottom heat

Onion Red seeds The tops of my florescent plant lights are flat, and they give off just the right amount of bottom heat needed to help onion seeds germinate quickly. Onion germination is fastest at 68-77°F (20-25°C), with slight temperature drops at night. Before I started using the top of my plant light, I found that the top of the refrigerator was a sufficiently warm place to germinate onions. I enclose newly seeded containers in a plastic bag to maintain moisture, provide them with bottom heat, and the onion seeds germinate in about 8 days.

Onion Red seeds Clip off seed husks

Onion Red seeds Soon after germination occurs, my indoor-grown onion seedlings often do a poor job of pulling away from the seed. The stuck seedling looks like a little green loop. Eventually the smaller end pulls out of the soil, weighted down by the black remains of the seed husk. To shorten this drama and encourage the seedling to get on with growing into an upright onion, I often “rescue the chick” by snipping the loop in half, pulling out the smaller end, and discarding it.

Onion Red seeds Keep under lights and trim back

Onion Red seeds At this point growing onions from seed requires bright supplemental light, which I provide with a two-bulb florescent fixture. I keep the lights on my onions for 12 hours a day, and position them within 1 inch (2.5 cm) of the bulbs. Every day or so I trim the onions back to about 3 inches (7-8 cm) tall, which keeps them from falling over. Use scissors to get a clean cut.

Onion Red seeds Transplant when the third leaf appears

When an onion seedling has three leaves, I gently transplant to containers that are at least 4 inches (10 cm) deep. In my experience, onion seedlings that are given plenty of vertical root space grow much more rapidly than those confined to shallower quarters. They may not be pretty, but containers made from the bottoms of milk cartons or large paper cups house the majority of my adolescent onion seedlings.