Grow Onions In Florida

Can you grow onions in Florida?

You can grow bulbing, bunching and shallot type onions in Florida. The best time to plant onions in Florida is September through December. The best types of onions to grow in Florida are granex types, White Lisbon Bunching, and Shallots.

onions prefer cooler weather and take a while to mature. When searching for onions to grow make sure that you are getting short day onions not long-day onions. Read on to find out more about growing onions in Florida.

Best Onions To Grow In Florida

There are a few different types of onions that we can grow here in the sunshine state. We can grow the standard bulb onion, which is like the large Vidalias that you see in the store.

We can also grow shallots, which are smaller onions that grow more like a clove of garlic. Lastly, we can grow bunching onions, otherwise known as green onions.

Bulbing Onions	Crystal Wax Bermuda, Excel, Granex White, Granex Yellow, Red Creole
Bunching/ Green	Crimson Forest Evergreen Bunching, White Lisbon Bunching
Shallots	Hermine, Matador

You must make sure you are buying short-day onions instead of long-day onions. These terms refer to the length of the day. Long-day onions need more sunlight than Florida can provide. This sounds weird, especially since we are the sunshine state.

The length of the day is based on where you are on the globe, as you travel further north the days will begin to get longer. In Florida, the longest day of the year for us is only 11 hours and 29 minutes of sunlight. Take Seattle as an example, It’s longest day has almost 16 hours of sunlight.

Vidalia onions are actually granex onions (bulbing) but they are named Vidalia based on the area that they are grown.

When To Plant Onions In Florida

Onions prefer cooler weather and they take a while to mature.

North Florida	Sep – Mar
Central Florida	Sep – Mar
South Florida	Sep – Mar

Bulbing onions like granex types need to be planted as early as possible. For most parts of the state, you can get these onions in the ground as soon as September or October. Bunching types have a bigger window to plant stretching as far as early spring. however, fall is more ideal than spring.

If you want to maximize your harvest you can plant onion bulbs 2 inches apart. after about two months or so, when the onions are about 2 inches in diameter, you can poll every other onion. You can eat these like scallions, and the ones left in the dirt will now have plenty of room to bulb-up.

Growing Onions

Onions need to be planted in Full sun. Onions don’t mind a soil that is a little bit sandy, this allows the bulbs to expand in the dirt easier.

That being said, adding compost and mulch to your soil is never a bad idea. An onion’s flavor is largely dependant on the soil’s nutrients.

If planting onion seeds you must ensure that they stay moist at all times during germination. This can be hard because onion seeds are very tiny and need to stay close to the surface of the soil. You can start seeds in a transplant tray if you would like. For some reason this method is difficult for me, I always have a difficult time hardening off my transplants.

Ensure that your onion plants get regular watering and a good dose of fertilizer. A good fertilizer for onions will be focused on nitrogen and potassium. I’m a big fan of Liquid kelp fertilizers. You can apply while watering and I have always seen good results.

Like all plants, make sure you keep up on the weeding.

When To Harvest Onions

Onions can be harvested at any point during their growing phase. You can pick the bulbing varieties when they are young and thin to use them like green onions or scallions.

Just because the kind of onions that we can grow in Florida are called short-day varieties doesn’t mean that they will grow in a short number of days. From the time of planting to fully mature it takes onions about 100 to 130 days to grow.

You will know when you’re onions are fully mature when the leaves begin to bend over and lay on the ground. The edges of the leaves may also begin to turn brown.

After a few days of being like this, you can dig your onions up. Allow your onions to dry for a few more days. It’s best to have a dry, sunny, and well-ventilated spot for this. You can eat your onions at any point really but if you want to save them for later you will need to dry them even more.

“curing ” your onions basically just means you’re fully drying the outer layer of the onion. This will allow you to store it for longer. Move your onions to a dry and cool place with good airflow. The curing process can take up to two weeks.

How To Grow Onions In Florida

You can grow onions in Florida. The best way to do it is by planting short day varieties from September through December. Good short-day varieties of onion are Granex White, Granex Yellow, Red Creole, and White Lisbon Bunching.

Plant in full sun and well-draining soil. Plant 2 inches apart and thin as they grow. Fertilize with a nitrogen focused fertilizer.

Your onions are fully mature 100-130 days after planting.

Cure your onions for longer storage.